Hymns and Readings

Adding Atmosphere to Your Church Wedding

If you’re not the most avid church visitor you might  not be sure of what hymns and readings to have at your wedding. Well never fear!

When I went to the National Wedding Show last April, I was able to speak to the people at the Church of England stand and they gave me heaps of advice!

Hymns

If you do choose to have hymns at your wedding your vicar or your organist will be happy to help you choose some, and also you can visit yourchurchwedding.org for more tips on choosing hymns.

The top five hymns are:

• Amazing Grace
• Give Me Joy in My Heart
• All Things Bright and Beautiful
• Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
• Lord of the Dance
• Shine Jesus Shine

But there are many more you can choose from. Maybe you know some favourites. But do remember, these songs have lots of verses so make sure you only choose two or three songs.

Readings

All weddings in the Church of England include one or more readings from the Bible. You  could include a favourite poem as well, or maybe your friends could write you a poem.

• The most popular reading from the Bible is 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13
  ’… Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails….’
• A love poem between two lovers, Song of Solomon, Chapter 8, verses 6 & 7
  ’Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death.’
• Having the perfect relationship, Colossians, Chapter 3, verses 12-17
  ’.. And over these virtues put on love, which binds them together in all unity.’
• Being a good lover, 1 John, Chapter 4, verses 7 – 12
  ’Dear friends, let us love one and other, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God..’

Poems

An alternative reading for your friends who may not want to read a Bible passage is a nice, romantic poem. You may have a favourite, but here are a few popular poems:

• Sonnet From The Portugese XLIII Elizabeth Barrett Browing (1806-1861)
  ’How do I love thee, let me count the ways. I love thee the depth, breadth and height
  my soul can reach…’

• This Day I Married My Best Friend, Author Unknown
  ’This day I married my best friend
  ...the one I laugh with as we share life's wonderous zest’
  

• Today I Married My Best Friend, Rachel Elizabeth Cooper (b.1977)
  ’Today I married my best friend,
  Our bond complete, it hath no end…’
  
• Love's Philosophy, Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) [Bysshe is pronounced Bish]
  ’The fountains mingle with the river,
  And the rivers with the ocean;
  The winds of heaven mix forever,
  With a sweet emotion;’