– sylvia plath
{via appleday}
No sweat, right? 😉
So like every creative project i take on, i started out my vow making with some soul searching and some inspiration hunting. I was looking for marriage poems and prose that made my heart sing and could give me a starting point.
and after all of that, i’ve narrowed it down to these four that take my breath away every time…
* * *
{via max wanger}
My Top 4 Marriage Poems
may our love always be as constant and unchanging
as these never-ending waves that pour beneath our feet,
flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea;
your love came softly upon my heart,
just as the foam comes softly upon the sand,
and just as there will never be a morning
without the ocean’s flow,
so there will never be a day
without my love for you.
i pledge myself to you this day.
our love will be as unchanging
and dependable as the tide;
as these waters nourish the earth
and sustain life, may my constant devotion
nourish and sustain you
until the end of time.”
* * *
{source}
happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
a good marriage must be created.
in the art of marriage: the little things are the big things.
it is never being too old to hold hands.
it is remembering to say ‘i love you’ at least once a day.
it is never going to sleep angry.
it is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years.
it is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
it is standing together facing the world.
it is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
it is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
it is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
it is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel.
it is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
it is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
it is finding room for the things of the spirit. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
it is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
it is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
– paul newman & joanne woodward
* * *
{source}
“the best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more,
that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds,
and that’s what you’ve given me.
that’s what i hope to give to you forever.”
– the notebook
* * *
{our labor of love via here}
“i could promise to hold you, and to cherish you. i could promise to be there in sickness and in health. i could say to death do us part.
but i won’t…
those vows are for optimistic couples. the ones full of hope.
and i do not stand here on my wedding day optimistic or full of hope.
i am not optimistic, i am not hopeful –
i am sure, i am steady.
and i know that i’m a heart man, i take them apart, put them back together. i hold them in my hands. i am a heart man.
so this i am sure – you are my partner, my lover, my very best friend.
my heart beats for you.
and on this day, the day of our wedding i promise you this: i promise to lay my heart in the palm of your hands –
i promise you me.”
– grey’s anatomy
* * *
For my hopelessly romantic friends, what are the vows, marriage poems or quotes that strike a chord with you in the name of love? Would you rather write your own or celebrate through the perfect words of another?
s
what a sweet little blog!
http://www.clotheshorsenyc.com
I like:
“Be there at the finish line.”
My absolute favorite is:
“Where have I known you before
Where have we played amongst galaxies bright
Laughing and dancing, creating each night
Deciding the course, then to venture on out
Love, you, space and I
Free from fear, free from doubt
Where have I known you before
Where have I loved you before
Was it just yesterday or a millenia ago
I kissed, touched, held and needed you so
Yet you, you’re you, just you
Still glowing and silvery bright
Wondrous dancingly bright
I knew you the moment you entered my room
That infinite eternal light
Where have I loved you before
Where have I hurt you before
Where did I hurt you so deep – so deep
To hear you say you knew me not
When you alone could take me there
And free me from that tyrant’s kep
Defender of the vulcan worlds
Where filled my mind with blackened sleep.
Where did I lose you before
Was it when you gave your life
To save that pharoah king
Or when our Golden Mothership too flight
Far away from Saturn’s Rings
Was it when we made the past
Then drifted it off into violet space
So certain we would meet the other side
But there wss no such place
Where did I lose you before
Where have I known you before
The moment I saw you I knew
I had found the singer of a thousand songs
That haunted every dream
The painter of the colors in my mind
Reminding me of places we have been
I’m seeing clearer now – the truth unfolds
The past all drifts away
You’re back again my dearest friend
You never went away
Oh, Sylvie… you touch my heart with nearly every post. I’m ridiculous because the Notebook and Grey’s are my fave. I could also share my own (handwritten!) wedding vows (but maybe I’ll do that in a personal email!
Whatever you write, be it 5 words or 50, as long as it’s from from your heart, there won’t be a dry eye in the house.
P.S. – a tip: whenever inspired, jot down a thought or two in a notebook. I actually gave myself a little quiz “Rick is…” and I wrote down any word that came to mind. This helped me complete my vows. (And I still have those scrap pieces of paper in our wedding memory box)
OK – longest comment ever! But wishing you so much luck and love.
xx
November Grey
I adore the first one!! And of course, I always love me some Grey’s : )
I think they are all incredibly romantic and sweet. I’m sure it will be a lovely ceremony!
-Samantha
http://sincerelysamantha.com
I’m tearing up at work! This was such a beautiful, romantic, heart-melting post, and I know that fancy English degree or not, you’re going to bring the house down, too.
Oh! Quotes from Grey Anatomy always strike a chord among many other dialogues and poems! 🙂