meaningful ceremony readings pt. 1

When we first got engaged, I looked up "wedding ceremony" online because, well, in my 20-ish years on earth, I've only been to a handful of weddings... most of which I don't remember, so I (naively) figured there must be a formula for wedding ceremonies that everyone followed. Traditional readings of bible verses have been in the wedding business for a long time and as beautiful as 1 Corinthians 13 is, I started longing for something more unique, something not so overused, and something that expresses us better as a couple. As much as I understand why people use the traditional formula for a wedding ceremony, I think weddings everywhere could benefit from a little sprucing and personalization to fit the couple standing at the alter, under the chuppah, or barefoot on the grass.

So, in an effort to make every part of our wedding ceremony meaningful and personalized to us as a couple, I've been researching unique ceremony readings like a mad woman. And I have to say... I love the internet more than ever. I have found so many unique, amazing, and special readings that I wish I could include them all. And I probably would. If I wanted our ceremony to be 4 hours long, that is.

Since that's not the case, we've had to do some serious trimming. Only the essentials. Only the readings that best illustrate us as a couple will do. And after reading Weddingbee posts by Mrs. Candy Corn and Miss Scissors about Sandol Stoddard Warburg's children's book "I Like You" a few months ago, we've definitely got at least one reading that fits the bill. While I read the excerpts from the book in these posts, I was fighting back tears, thinking about how perfect this book was for us, and praying that I could find a copy for the wedding.

Thankfully, I did. And $8.95 cents later, I was able to order it into a local book store to love it in person. And boy, do I ever. We've had our copy for over two months and I still get choked up every time we read it. And just in case any of you haven't read it yet, here's some of my favorite parts (and by parts, I mean 'here's almost the entire book' because I love the whole thing).

I like you
And I know why
I like you because
You are a good person
To like

When I think something is important
You think it's important too

When I say something funny
You laugh I think I'm funny and
You think I'm funny too
Hah-hah

You know how to be silly
That's why I like you
Boy are you ever silly
I never met anybody sillier than me
till I met you


If I am a goofus on the roofus
Hollering my head off
You are one too

That's because
You really like me
You really like me
Don't you
And I really like you back

And you like me back
And I like you back
And that's the way we keep on going
Every day


And I like you because
When I am feeling sad
You don't always cheer me up right away
Sometimes it is better to be sad
You can't stand the others being so googly and gaggly every single minute
You want to think about things
It takes time


If you find two four-leaf clovers
You give me one
If I find four I give you two
If we only find three
We keep on looking
Sometimes we have good luck
And sometimes we don't


I like you because I don't know why but
Everything that happens
Is nicer with you I can't remember when I didn't like you
It must have been lonesome then

I like you because because because
I forget why I like you
But I do
So many reasons


Even if it was way down at the bottom of January
Even if it was no place particular in January
I would go on choosing you
And you would
go on choosing me
Over and over again

That's how it would happen every time
I don't know why
I guess I don't know why I like you really
Why do I like you
I guess I just like you
I guess I just like you

Because I like you

Like Miss Scissors, I have no idea how I'm going to keep it together at the wedding ceremony with this book on our list of readings.

Speaking of reading, I would love to have one of the kids at our wedding read this, but I'm still a little apprehensive about putting such a big spotlight on a lil' one. So we need to find someone who is young at heart and able to do the book justice because it wouldn't be nearly as special if it were read in a monotonous, blazay kind of way.

Just to insert a little egotism into the conversation, I personally think I'd be the best one to do it given the fact that I act like a child 92% of the time, but I think I might be a little busy getting married that day to swing it.

In addition to this book, I've found some other great suggestions for readings for those in the children's book groove like us:

"Guess How Much I Love You?" Sam McBratney
"All the Ways I Love You" Piggy Toes Press
"I Love You More" Laura Duksta

Alright, come on, give them up, I want some more suggestions for readings! I can guarantee you I will poach your ideas for our wedding if they're really good ones...