Giving a speech at a mixed marriage ceremony

April 20, 2009 2:09 PM

Can anyone suggest an appropriate reading for a mixed marriage ceremony?

I am looking for suitable material for a speech I have been asked to give at a wedding for a couple from different racial backgrounds (English and Indian/Hindu). Something special - both meaningful and beautiful to listen to. Any ideas?

posted by booksprite to society & culture (6 comments total)

How about Khalil Gibran? Or do you want something that specifically is about the 2 cultures?

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, 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.
posted by Houstonian at 2:22 PM on April 20

This is going to depend in no small part on their various religious persuasions. If they're marrying across religious bounds, that's one thing. If they're of the same persuasion, you can probably mine their traditional texts for something meaningful, but without knowing what we're dealing with it's hard to make specific recommendations.
posted by valkyryn at 2:31 PM on April 20

Indie Bride is great for things like this and has several wonderful repositories of readings.
posted by canine epigram at 3:04 PM on April 20

Non-religious poetry often does the trick, as do certain passages from literature. e.g. A friend had a bit from The Velveteen Rabbit read at his mixed-religion wedding.

My parents had a similar ceremony to the one in the question and had readings from the Bible, the Talmud, and the Bhagavad Gita.

Can the couple guide you at all? :)
posted by knile at 5:00 PM on April 20

Non-religious poetry does indeed work - and don't overlook a lighthearted approach. One of my cousin-in-law's aunts got a round of applause at their wedding when she read a passage from Dr. Seuss "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

I also found a lot of options at this site when I was trying to find a reading for my brother's wedding.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:33 PM on April 20

I have a friend in a similar situation. She's Indian, and she's marrying a white guy. They are having a "traditional wedding"(read: desi style) in May...and a "white wedding" later in the summer.

Just for kicks, I gotta tell you that the "white wedding" is taking place in Utah. Freaking Utah. Who would have guessed?

Would having 2 separate ceremonies work?
posted by hal_c_on at 9:51 PM on April 20