Yosemite Weddings & Adventure Elopements
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29 Heartfelt Readings for Your Wedding Ceremony
Sometimes the perfect words have already been written. A beautiful reading, poem, or quotation can add another layer of meaning to your wedding ceremony, especially when the words express something you may have felt but haven’t quite known how to say.
A reading can be shared by a parent, sibling, close friend, child, or anyone else who has played an important role in your lives. Or, if you’d rather keep the ceremony intimate, you can simply ask your officiant to read it.
There are no rules about what a wedding reading has to be. It can be romantic, thoughtful, funny, spiritual, philosophical, or even a little playful. The best reading is simply one that feels like you. I’ve gathered some possibilities below to help inspire you.
“Sonnet 116: Love is not Love” — William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
One of Shakespeare’s most enduring reflections on love, Sonnet 116 presents genuine love as something steadfast and unchanging. He describes love as a constant that remains true despite the passage of time and the inevitable changes life brings. For a wedding ceremony, it offers a powerful reminder that marriage is not simply a promise to love one another when life is easy, but a commitment to remain steadfast through whatever life brings.
Sonnet 43, “How Do I Love Thee?” — Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
One of the most recognizable love poems in the English language, Elizabeth Barrett Browning attempts to measure the immeasurable by counting the many ways she loves another—from the deepest reaches of the soul to the quiet moments of everyday life. Her love is freely given, spiritual, enduring, and so profound that she believes it will continue even beyond death.
“How Do I Love Thee?”
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.”
“The Prophet” — Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)
Gibran describes love as a transformative force, one that brings joy and tenderness but also challenges us to grow, change, and become more fully ourselves. Rather than trying to control love, he encourages us to surrender to it, embrace both its beauty and its difficulties, and be grateful for the privilege of loving another.
“On Love”, an abridged selection from The Prophet, edited for length and presentation.
by Kahlili Gibran
When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
Gibran’s reflection on marriage celebrates the paradox of a strong partnership: two people can become deeply connected without losing their individuality. He encourages couples to share their lives while giving one another room to grow, dream, and remain themselves.
“On Marriage”, from The Prophet.
by Kahlil Gibran
You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.
“Love’s Philosophy” — Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
Shelley’s poem draws connections between the natural world and human love, observing how everything in nature seems to move toward connection, union, and harmony. Rivers mingle with oceans, mountains reach toward the sky, and even the winds seem to embrace one another. Shelley uses these natural examples to make a playful yet romantic argument: if everything in nature belongs together, why shouldn’t two people who love one another?
The poem celebrates love as something natural, instinctive, and inseparable from the world around us—making it particularly fitting for a Yosemite ceremony, where the grandeur and interconnectedness of nature provide such a powerful backdrop for two people choosing to join their lives together.
“A Red, Red Rose” — Robert Burns (1759-1796)
Burns uses the imagery of flowers, music, and the passage of time to express enduring romantic devotion. The poem’s promise is simple and powerful: genuine love can remain steadfast despite distance, time, and even the unimaginable changes of the world.
“A Red, Red Rose”
by Robert Burns
O my Luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve’s like the melodie,
That’s sweetly played in tune.
So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.
And fare thee well, my only Luve!
And fare thee well awhile!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.
“The Good-Morrow” — John Donne (1572-1631)
Donne describes falling deeply in love as awakening into an entirely new world. The poem suggests that discovering another person can transform our understanding of life itself, creating a shared world that feels both intimate and infinite.
“The Good-Morrow”
by John Donne
I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I
Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?
But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?
Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?
’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.
If ever any beauty I did see,
Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.
And now good morrow to our waking souls,
Which watch not one another out of fear;
For love, all love of other sights controls,
And makes one little room an everywhere.
Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,
Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,
Let us possess one world; each hath one, and is one.
My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,
And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;
Where can we find two better hemispheres,
Without sharp north, without declining west?
Whatever dies was not mixed equally;
If our two loves be one, or, thou and I
Love so alike that none do slacken, none can die.
“To Be One With Each Other” — George Eliot (1819-1880)
Eliot’s words beautifully describe the quiet intimacy of a shared life. Rather than focusing on grand declarations, the passage celebrates the simple pleasures of companionship: laughing together, supporting one another, and finding comfort in simply being side by side. It reminds us that marriage isn’t only about the extraordinary moments, but also about creating a life filled with countless ordinary moments that become extraordinary because they are shared.
(The passage appears in Adam Bede and is attributable to George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans); it is not, strictly speaking, a standalone poem originally titled “To Be One With Each Other.”)
“To Be One With Each Other”
by George Eliot
What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life—to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting?
"Love is an Adventure” — Pierre Tielhard de Chardin (1881-1955)
Teilhard de Chardin describes love as an ongoing adventure in which two people continually discover, deepen, and enrich one another. Rather than simply being a feeling or passion, love becomes a shared journey toward greater understanding, spiritual growth, and a deeper sense of unity.
“Love is an Adventure”
by Pierre Tielhard de Chardin
Love is an adventure and a conquest. It survives and develops like the universe itself only by perpetual discovery. The only right love is that between couples whose passion leads them both, one through the other, to a higher possession of their being. Put your faith in the spirit which dwells between the two of you. You have each offered yourself to the other as a boundless field of understanding, of enrichment, of mutually increased sensibility. You will meet above all by entering into and constantly sharing one another’s thoughts, affections, and dreams. There alone, as you know, in spirit, which is arrived through flesh, you will find no disappointments, no limits. There alone the skies are ever open for your love; there alone lies the great road ahead.
“Love” — Mary Carolyn Davies (1888-1974) a.k.a. Roy Croft
Croft’s poem is a simple and heartfelt expression of appreciation for a beloved. Rather than idealizing perfection, the speaker acknowledges the many qualities that make their partner special while expressing gratitude for the person they have helped them become. It is particularly fitting for couples who want their reading to celebrate not only who they love, but also who they have become together.
I believe “Love” by Roy Croft is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Poetry Explorer.
“The Art of Marriage” — Wilferd A. Peterson (1900-1995)
Peterson’s The Art of Marriage presents marriage not as something that simply happens after the wedding, but as something two people continually create together. It emphasizes qualities such as patience, understanding, forgiveness, laughter, and the willingness to give rather than always expect. Its central message is wonderfully practical: a lasting marriage is built through thousands of small acts of love and consideration.
I believe “The Art of Marriage” by Wilferd A. Peterson is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Poetic Expressions.
“Marriage Joins Two People” — Edmund O’Neill (b.1929)
This short piece celebrates marriage as the joining of two individual lives while recognizing that each person remains uniquely themselves. It speaks to companionship, mutual support, and the idea that marriage can make each partner stronger without requiring either person to lose their individuality. It is a lovely choice for couples who see marriage as a partnership built on both independence and togetherness.
I believe “Marriage Joins Two People” by Edmund O’Neill is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: One Fab Day.
“Union” a.k.a. “From Beginning to End" — Robert Fulghum (b.1937)
Fulghum approaches marriage with warmth and an appreciation for the everyday realities of sharing a life. Rather than portraying marriage as a perfect romantic ideal, his writing recognizes that a lasting partnership is created through ordinary moments, shared experiences, patience, humor, and choosing one another again and again. It is a wonderful reminder that the beauty of marriage often lies in the life built between the big moments.
I believe “Union” by Robert Fulghum is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Posterama.
“The Invitation” — Oriah Mountain Dreamer
The Invitation asks us to look beyond accomplishments, appearances, and the roles we play in the world and instead consider what lies beneath them. It celebrates vulnerability, authenticity, courage, and the willingness to experience life fully. As a wedding reading, it can serve as a beautiful reminder that true intimacy comes from allowing another person to know, and love, the real you.
“The Invitation” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Oriah Mountain Dreamer
“Love After Love” — Derek Walcott (1930-2017)
Walcott’s poem is ultimately about coming home to oneself. It encourages us to recognize and embrace the person we have become after life’s experiences and to treat ourselves with the same love and generosity we offer others. While not traditionally a wedding poem, it can be especially meaningful for couples who believe that a healthy marriage involves two whole individuals choosing to walk through life together rather than two people trying to complete one another.
“Love After Love” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Poets.org
“A Lovely Love Story” — Edward Monkton (b.1966)
This whimsical modern love story follows two very different dinosaurs who discover that life is better when shared. Beneath its humor is a simple and charming message about companionship, individuality, and finding the person with whom you want to experience life’s adventures.
“A Lovely Love Story” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: One Fab Day
“Love Sonnet XI” — Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)
Neruda’s poem explores romantic desire with remarkable intensity and sensuality. It speaks to the passionate, intimate side of love, the longing to be close to another person and the almost physical experience of deep attraction.
“Love Sonnet XI” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Poem Hash
“i carry your heart with me” — E. E. Cummings (1894-1962)
Cummings expresses a love so deeply intertwined with the beloved that the boundary between “you” and “me” begins to disappear. The poem celebrates carrying another person’s presence within you wherever life takes you, making it an especially intimate choice for a wedding ceremony.
“i carry your heart with me” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Poetry Foundation
"The Dash Poem” — Linda Ellis
“The Dash” reflects on the small line between the dates of our birth and death, using it as a metaphor for the life we live in between. The poem encourages us to focus less on what we accumulate and more on how we spend our time, how we love, and the lasting impact we have on the people who share our journey.
“The Dash Poem” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Linda Ellis
“Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” — Louis de Bernières (b.1954)
Louis de Bernières offers a thoughtful distinction between being in love and the deeper, enduring work of love itself. He describes the excitement of falling in love as something that eventually settles, leaving behind the roots two people have grown together—an especially meaningful reflection on the commitment, patience, and shared life that follow the wedding day.
I particularly enjoy this passage, “Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.”
The full work is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full quote at: Church of Ancient Ways
“May Your Trails” — Edward Abbey (1927-1989)
Abbey offers a wonderfully unconventional blessing for the journey ahead, wishing the traveler trails that are crooked, challenging, lonely, and ultimately rewarding. Filled with mountains, rivers, forests, deserts, and unexpected beauty, the passage celebrates adventure, curiosity, and the promise of discovering something extraordinary just beyond the next turn.
“May Your Trails” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Good Reads
“To Love Is Not to Possess” — James Kavanaugh (1928-2009)
Kavanaugh presents love not as ownership, control, or the loss of one’s individuality, but as a commitment between two people who remain free to be fully themselves. He describes lasting love as a balance between independence and togetherness, where two people choose to walk through life side by side while continuing to nurture their individual identities and growth.
“To Love is Not to Possess” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Poetry Soup
“Being Love” — Ram Dass (1931-2019)
Ram Dass explores the idea that love is not something we simply give or receive, but something we can embody and become. Rather than depending on another person to provide love, he encourages us to discover love within ourselves and recognize it in the people and world around us; a beautiful reflection on unconditional love, spiritual connection, and seeing the beloved as part of something greater than ourselves.
“Being Love” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Ram Dass Org
“The Privileged Lovers” — Rumi (1207-1273)
Rumi portrays lovers as people who surrender themselves to love and, through that surrender, are transformed. Using images of light, dance, and spiritual awakening, the poem suggests that profound love can carry two people beyond the ordinary world and into a deeper experience of unity, devotion, and connection.
While original works from Rumi are within the public domain his English translations are copyright protected. For this reason I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Poemist
“The Future” — Emma Salmon
Salmon imagines the ordinary, beautiful life a couple might build together: a home filled with friends and family, quiet evenings, shared adventures, children, laughter, challenges, and the simple routines of growing older together. Rather than focusing on a single grand romantic moment, the poem celebrates the many small experiences that make a shared life meaningful.
“The Future” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Book Spine Poetry
“The Promise” — Heather Berry
Berry describes marriage as a sacred promise between two people whose lives and hearts become deeply intertwined. The reading looks toward the future with hope, emphasizing unconditional love, devotion, shared dreams, and the warmth and security found in building a life together.
“The Promise” is still Copyright-Protected so I have not included the text in my website. You can find the full version at: Bajan Wed
Cultural & Traditional Readings
Some of the readings in this collection are associated with particular cultural or spiritual traditions. Because traditional works are sometimes transmitted orally and modern versions may have uncertain origins, I’ve taken care to distinguish between authenticated traditional practices and readings that are simply commonly attributed to a particular culture. If you have a personal connection to a cultural tradition, I encourage you to explore its history and consider how it can be incorporated respectfully into your ceremony.
"Shelter for Each Other"
About This Reading
Commonly known as the “Apache Wedding Blessing”, this beautiful reflection on marriage as a partnership in which two people become shelter, warmth, companionship, and strength for one another. The reading looks toward the shared life ahead and wishes the couple happiness, beauty, and many good years together.
A Note About its Origins
Although commonly attributed to the Apache people, the historical origins of this blessing are disputed. The familiar version appears to have emerged in modern literature rather than being an authenticated traditional Apache wedding blessing.
Use in a Ceremony
This is particularly appropriate as a reading following the vows or immediately before the final blessing and pronouncement.
“Shelter For Each Other”
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth.
"Ride the Storms"
About this reading:
Commonly associated with the “Apache Wedding Blessing”, this passage focuses on the realities of marriage beyond the wedding day, encouraging couples to treat one another with tenderness, respect, patience, and kindness. Its central message is that when difficult seasons inevitably come, couples can weather them by remembering what is right and enduring between them.
A note about its origins:
This passage is frequently presented as part of the so-called Apache Wedding Blessing, but its Native American origins are disputed. I’d therefore describe it as commonly associated with the Apache blessing rather than as an authenticated Apache traditional reading.
“Ride the Storms”
Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulties and fear assail your relationship, as they threaten all relationships at one time or another, remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives — remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.
“Honor and Harmony"
About this reading:
Commonly attributed to Cherokee tradition, this blessing calls upon the natural elements—earth, fire, wind, and water—to symbolize qualities desired in a marriage: growth, warmth, protection, peace, cleansing, and enduring love. Its reverence for the natural world makes it particularly fitting for a ceremony surrounded by Yosemite’s granite, forests, rivers, and mountains.
A note about its origins:
The reading is widely circulated as a Cherokee wedding blessing, but I wasn’t able to verify its status as an authenticated traditional Cherokee ceremony from authoritative Cherokee sources. I’d therefore present it as commonly attributed to Cherokee tradition, rather than describing it as an ancient or traditional Cherokee blessing.
“Honor and Harmony”
God in heaven above please protect the ones we love.
We honor all you created as we pledge our hearts and lives together.
We honor Mother Earth and ask for our marriage to be abundant and grow stronger through the seasons.
We honor fire and ask that our union be warm and glowing with love in our hearts.
We honor wind and ask that we sail through life safe and calm as we are in our father’s arms.
We honor water to clean and soothe our marriage that it never thirst for love.
We pray for harmony and true happiness as we forever grow young together. Aho.
