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Is this an acceptable wedding reading for someone who has a toddler?

93 replies

Dilemmaemmaaa · 17/07/2022 23:39

I saw this clip on Facebook today and balled my eyes out at it 😭 If you have little kids get your tissues ready before watching!

www.facebook.com/1623394992/posts/pfbid0HthuYejjGeRi2Pxst16jdYjfQdXfsRsEawK3GeS93vJ6mLfZbtyfuPSovWAZmXjnl/?d=n

We’ve got a toddler and we’re getting married in September. I know it’s not your traditional soppy wedding reading but it does sum up our life and love for each other. I think I’d change a few bits that refer to ‘kids’ to make it suit someone with just one child but is this an acceptable reading for a wedding ceremony do you think?
I will attach the reading below.

The Future Can Wait

Dear Husband,
There’s a life in the future with little faces in photo frames instead of before our eyes, and artwork and abc magnets won’t adorn our fridge.
There’s a bed big enough, where little elbows & knees won’t prod us in our sleep and only our feet will swing out in the morning.
There’s a vase placed in reach of little arms because there aren’t any, & mugs will daringly sit on the edge of the table.
There’s a bank balance that looks a bit more forgiving & a bag I leave with that isn’t overflowing.
There’s a free calendar that isn’t packed with swimming lessons, dance classes and muddy sports shoes. And we’ll get to know each other for a third time, before them, with them, & then when only two jackets hang at the door.
There’s a clean car, the only noise is the hum of the radio. There will be no endless questions in a high pitched voice from the back seat, there may even be days we don’t hear from them at all.

There’s a date night with no curfew, my mums not needed for babysitting, & we aren’t sleeping with one eye open waiting for the shuffle of feet down the hallway. A type of freedom that feels heavy.
There’s a house that’s clean, maybe our couch is new, we aren’t stepping on Lego or toy cars either. In fact there’s not much colour anywhere. Remember how it came with so much happiness?
There’s a dinner table that feels big, we aren’t negotiating bites of vegetables or wiping little hands & mouths. But sometimes there’s a knock on the door & the table is full once more.

There’s a shower that doesn’t sound like baby cries, a coffee that is warm and my body will be my own. We won’t wear tired the same way but time will have aged us anyway.
There will be hard moments to come that will make these moments look easy, but we’ll remember.
We’ll remember the first words, the curls, the “I love you’s” the moments we almost broke, & how we held each other through it all.
There’s a life in the future and it’s coming for us. So let’s get swept up in the beautiful chaos in front of us.
Let’s make the future wait a little longer. Because I love this life with you so much, this one right now.

OP posts:
cathcath2 · 18/07/2022 00:31

Maybe this one? www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/412360909629884754/

RicherThanYew · 18/07/2022 00:39

Do yourself a favour and skip all readings, poems, speeches and other drivel, stick to one very brief toast to your future with your DF and leave it there. Romance is lovely and all that but urrgggghhhhh.

HuffleWoof · 18/07/2022 00:40

He never leaves the seat up by Pam Ayres

He never leaves the seat up
Or wet towels upon the floor
The toothpaste has the lid on
And he always shuts the door!
She’s very clean and tidy
Though she may sometimes delude
Leave your things out at your peril
In a second they’ll have moved!
He’s a very active person
As are all his next of kin
Where as she likes lazy days
He’ll still drag her to the gym!
He romances her and dines her
Home cooked dinners and the like
He even knows her favourite food
And spoils her day and night!
She’s thoughtful when he looks at her
A smile upon his face
Will he look that good in 50 years
When his dentures aren’t in place?!
He says he loves her figure
And her mental prowess too
But when gravity takes her over
Will she charm with her IQ?
She says she loves his kindness
And his patience is a must
And of course she thinks he’s handsome
Which in her eyes is a plus!
They’re both not wholly perfect
But who are we to judge
He can be pig headed
Where as she won’t even budge!
All that said and done
They love the time they spent together
And I hope as I’m sure you do
That this fine day will last forever.
He’ll be more than just her husband
He’ll also be her friend
And she’ll be more than just his wife
She’s be his soul mate ‘till the end.

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Agapornis · 18/07/2022 01:23

To me it implies your relationship will be lifeless and grey once your kids have moved out; surely you'll see the marriage lasting beyond that?
Pick a dirty bit of the bible, I'm not religious but I favour Songs of Songs ("My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him.") Grin

Puffalicious · 18/07/2022 01:38

You can't go wrong with a bit of big Billy (Shakespeare).

LaPerduta · 18/07/2022 03:52

Not only is it toe-curlingly awful, it would be a thousand unnecessary stabs through the heart for anyone there who is childless (not by choice).

byejacques · 18/07/2022 04:36

I would assume anyone choosing that for a wedding reading was only getting married/ staying together for the kids

Whadda · 18/07/2022 04:39

How about a bit of Seamus Heaney?

Scaffolding.

Masons, when they start upon a building,
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;

Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.

And yet all this comes down when the job’s done
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.

So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me

Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall
Confident that we have built our wall.

Weatherwax13 · 18/07/2022 04:44

OMFG 🤣
I can tell you're in the thick of toddler wrangling: your brain isn't functioning. Keep it simple and you'll have a lovely day to look back on rather than something your family are still pissing themselves over at your Silver Wedding anniversary.
Congratulations:)

BirdWatch · 18/07/2022 04:54

In my humble opinion, no. It sounds like a country song, not a wedding reading, or speech.

Kinsters · 18/07/2022 04:54

I enjoyed reading it! Maybe not for a wedding reading but I appreciate you posting it!

We didn't have any readings at our wedding and that worked well for us - much better to get the formalities over so we can enjoy the food, drink and entertainment!

Alloftheboys · 18/07/2022 05:13

I like this:

A Lovely Love Story

by Edward Monkton

The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice.
Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.

Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.

The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with
kind words and loving thoughts.

“I like this Dinosaur,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
“Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny.
He is also quite clever though I will not tell him this for now.”

“I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur,” thought the Dinosaur.
“She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice.
She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.”

“But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
“He is also overly fond of things.
Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?”

“But her mind skips from here to there so quickly,” thought the Dinosaur.
“She is also uncommonly keen on shopping.
Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?”

“I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur, “for they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.”

“I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping,” thought the Dinosaur, “for she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either."

Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old.
Look at them.
Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.

And that, my friends, is how it is with love.

Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together.
For the sun is warm.
And the world is a beautiful place.

numberthirtytwowindsorgardens · 18/07/2022 06:53

The Orange

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

— Wendy Cope

Doidontimmm · 18/07/2022 07:02

Do you need a reading? These are all cringey & awful - my guests would have gone to sleep or laughed!!

It sounds like something for a christening not a wedding!

FloralHandbag · 18/07/2022 07:08

Alloftheboys · 18/07/2022 05:13

I like this:

A Lovely Love Story

by Edward Monkton

The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice.
Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.

Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.

The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with
kind words and loving thoughts.

“I like this Dinosaur,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
“Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny.
He is also quite clever though I will not tell him this for now.”

“I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur,” thought the Dinosaur.
“She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice.
She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.”

“But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
“He is also overly fond of things.
Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?”

“But her mind skips from here to there so quickly,” thought the Dinosaur.
“She is also uncommonly keen on shopping.
Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?”

“I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur, “for they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.”

“I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping,” thought the Dinosaur, “for she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either."

Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old.
Look at them.
Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.

And that, my friends, is how it is with love.

Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together.
For the sun is warm.
And the world is a beautiful place.

Was coming on to suggest this. We just swapped out what the dinosaur likes/flaws were. It got a laugh.

ShirleyPhallus · 18/07/2022 07:10

I think I’ve realised from this thread that I absolutely hate poetry

None of it is profound or interesting. You know there’s always an old fella in a pub who has had several drinks and talks drivel to anyone who will listen? They’re all like that. Awful.

mummyh2016 · 18/07/2022 07:12

No but I can see why you were drawn to it, I watched the video on tik tok the other day of the radio presenter reading it and I did well up.

FeliciaFancybottom · 18/07/2022 07:14

Skip a reading it's unnecessary, specially if it's that kind of crap.

acuteanxiety · 18/07/2022 07:22

Awful

Summersdreaming · 18/07/2022 07:25

ShirleyPhallus · 18/07/2022 07:10

I think I’ve realised from this thread that I absolutely hate poetry

None of it is profound or interesting. You know there’s always an old fella in a pub who has had several drinks and talks drivel to anyone who will listen? They’re all like that. Awful.

Agreed. I don't think I've been to a wedding with poetry, thank god, so I'll be swerving it if I get married.

ChagSameachDoreen · 18/07/2022 07:36

Drivel!

Discovereads · 18/07/2022 07:41

I agree it’s a no. It’s not a wedding reading at all unless it’s a renewal of vows for an already old married couple with adult children. Even then I don’t like it as it portrays parenting as some ordeal and they’re now celebrating their “freedom” from children.

Lolly86 · 18/07/2022 07:47

We had this 10 years ago.
www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/313774299029411326/

Jericha · 18/07/2022 07:51

We didn't have any readings as not our bag but the one @numberthirtytwowindsorgardens suggested is fab.

AnuSTart · 18/07/2022 08:16

My teeth just fell out.

What fresh hell is that?!