66 Best Romantic Wedding Poems For Your Marriage Ceremony

The beauty of wedding poems is that they add a personal touch to your special day. A poem can convey more emotions, thoughts, or words than any speech ever. Therefore, a poem has timeless appeal. When poems are recited, the room fills with laughter, love, and happy tears. You can read these poems at the ring exchange or before the blessing is pronounced. A wedding poem adds a unique, romantic touch to your big day, allowing you to express your deepest feelings.

Jennica Rose, a state auditor and blogger, shares her appreciation for creativity on special occasions: “I always love how celebrations reinvent and promote artistry. Personally, I love to see works that are thoroughly crafted and thought about (i).”

We will present you with our collection of 66 wedding poems to help you express your wedding sentiments. Choose whatever resonates with you, and enjoy your big day!

Romantic Poems For The Wedding Ceremony

As you prepare for your wedding, finding the perfect wedding vows for him or wedding vows for her can help you articulate your deepest feelings. Here are some poems that celebrate your bond:

1. Love’s Philosophy – Percy Bysshe Shelley

The fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one spirit meet and mingle.
Why not I with thine?—
See the mountains kiss high heaven
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth
And the moonbeams kiss the sea:
What is all this sweet work worth
If thou kiss not me?

2. A Wedding Toast – James Bertolino

May your love be firm,

and may your dream of life together

be a river between two shores—

by day bathed in sunlight, and by night

illuminated from within. May the heron

carry news of you to the heavens, and the salmon bring

the sea’s blue grace. May your twin thoughts

spiral upward like leafy vines,

like fiddle strings in the wind,

and be as noble as the Douglas fir.

May you never find yourselves back to back

without love pulling you around

into each other’s arms.

3. At Nightfall – Charles Hanson Towne

I need so much the quiet of your love,
After the day’s loud strife;
I need your calm all other things above,
After the stress of life.

I crave the haven that in your dear heart lies,
After all toil is done;
I need the star shine of your heavenly eyes,
After the day’s great sun.

4. Love Song– Henry Dumas

Beloved,

I have to adore the earth:

The wind must have heard

your voice once.

It echoes and sings like you.

The soil must have tasted

you once.

It is laden with your scent.

The trees honor you

in gold

and blush when you pass.

I know why the north country

is frozen.

It has been trying to preserve

your memory.

I know why the desert

burns with fever.

It was wept too long without you.

On hands and knees,

the ocean begs up the beach,

and falls at your feet.

I have to adore

the mirror of the earth.

You have taught her well

how to be beautiful.

5. The Portrait Of A Lady (Excerpt) – Henry James

It has made me better loving you…
it has made me wiser, and easier, and brighter.
I used to want a great many things before,
and to be angry that I did not have them.
Theoretically, I was satisfied.
I flattered myself that I had limited my wants.
But I was subject to irritation;
I used to have morbid sterile hateful fits of hunger, of desire.
Now I really am satisfied,
because I can’t think of anything better.
It’s just as when one has been trying to spell out a book in the twilight,
and suddenly the lamp comes in.
I had been putting out my eyes over the book of life,
and finding nothing to reward me for my pains;
but now that I can read it properly I see that it’s a delightful story.

Trivia

William Archibald turned the novel into a Broadway play, which debuted in December 1954 and starred Barbara O’Neil as Madame Serena Merle. The Portrait of a Lady was turned into a television miniseries by the BBC in 1968, with Suzanne Neve as Isabel and Richard Chamberlain playing Ralph Touchett.

6. I Belong In Your Arms – Deborah Bridea

I belong in your arms
Finally, I have found a place
Into which I fit perfectly, safely
And securely with no doubts,
No fears, no sadness, no tears.

This place is filled with happiness and laughter
Yet it is spacious enough, to allow me
The freedom to move around,
To live my life and be myself.

This wonderful place, which
I never believed really existed,
I have found finally
Inside your arms, inside your heart, inside your love.

7. I Carry Your Heart With Me – E. E. Cummings

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in

my heart) I am never without it (anywhere

I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling).

I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you.

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart.

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

Trivia

This poem, published in 1952, is one of E. E. Cummings’ most well-known love poems. The speaker addresses the poem to an unnamed lover and implies that everything in life has become imbued with their romanticism because of their strong emotional connection.

8. Love Listen – Ann Gray

Let’s love, listen, take time
when time is all we have.
Let’s be unafraid to be kind,
learn to disregard the bad
if the good outweighs it daily.
Let’s make a gift of silence,
the day’s hushing into dark,
and when we hold each other
let’s always be astonished
we are where we want to be.
Let’s hope to age together,
but if we can’t, let’s promise now
to remember how we shone
when we were at our best,
when we were most ourselves.

9. I Promise To Love You — Sean Short

I promise to Love you through the good times and bad

I’ll Love you when I’m angry, hurt and mad

Love is a choice I’ve made to devote my life

To making you, my world, my wife

Nothing will ever change that choice that I’ve made

Even when we feel our Love start to fade

It’s inside my soul, and nothing can shake

My Love for you, that’s a promise I won’t break.

10. Now Touch The Air Softly – William Jay Smith

Now touch the air softly, step gently, one, two…
I’ll love you ’til roses are robin’s-egg blue;
I’ll love you til gravel is eaten for bread,
And lemons are orange, and lavender’s red.

Now touch the air softly, swing gently the broom.
I’ll love you ‘til windows are all of a room;
And the table is laid, and the table is bare,
And the ceiling reposes on bottomless air.

I’ll love you ‘til heaven rips the stars from his coat,
And the moon rows away in a glass-bottomed boat;
And Orion steps down like a river below,
And earth is ablaze, and the oceans aglow.

So touch the air softly, and swing the broom high.
We will dust the grey mountains, and sweep the blue sky:
And I’ll love you as long as the furrow the plough,
As however is ever, and ever is now.

11. In Your Light I Learn How to Love – Rumi

In your light I learn how to love.
In your beauty, how to make poems.
You dance inside my chest, where no one sees you,
but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.

12. Touched By An Angel – Maya Angelou

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.
Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.
We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love’s light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.

13. It Was Said With Such Authority – Gary E. McCormick

I’ll give you the gist of
what was said
It was about love
and the sayer
said it had nothing to do with receiving
He said
love was all about giving
plain and simple
You could tell this guy
walked the talk
He made it clear
you must love yourself
before you can
begin to love another
The guy reminded me
of that lover from Galilee.

14. How Do I Love Thee? – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

15. Our Souls Are Mirrors – Rupi Kaur

God must have kneaded you and i
from the same dough
rolled us out as one on the baking sheet
must have suddenly realized
how unfair it was
to put that much magic in one person
and sadly split that dough in two
how else is it that
when i look in the mirror
i am looking at you
when you breathe
my own lungs fill with air
that we just met but we
have known each other our whole lives
if we were not made as one to begin with.

16. The Prophet (Excerpt) – Kahlil Gibran

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise on your lips.

17. With You In My Heart – Mick Jennings, Perfect Words Ceremonies

With you in my heart, my life is complete,
You’re the air that I breathe and the food that I eat.
You are my soul mate, the beat in my heart,
It feels like a year each second we’re apart.

With you in my heart I’m walking on air,
I can imagine your perfume and the touch of your hair.
Your beautiful eyes, so kind and so green,
The loveliest sight I ever have seen.

With you in my heart, I am brim full of pride,
It’s as though i can achieve anything with you by my side.
You’re my rock, you’re my angel, my one true love,
You’re my present from heaven, my gift from above.

With you in my heart, I love you so much,
How caring you are, my soul you do touch.
You’re a beautiful princess, a pleasure to know,
My love for you just continues to grow.

With you in my heart, I’m the happiest man on earth,
I feel God has planned this since the day of my birth.
I could never love anyone the way I love you,
I hope and I pray that you feel the same way too.

With you in my heart, through the good and the bad,
I’ll be there when you need me, when you’re hurting or sad.
In fact I’ll be there for you any night, any day,
Whenever you need me, you just have to say.

With you in my heart, it really makes my day,
With the things that you do and the things that you say.
You and Eva deserve happiness and I will ensure,
From now, only good times come knocking at your door.

With you in my heart, I hope it feels good,
And that I am caring for you the way that I should.
I will always be happy, just by the love that you give,
I will protect you and love you for as long as I live.

Mischievous friends and relatives play a pivotal role in keeping the party going and making it enjoyable for all. Scroll down for some quick-witted and comical poems that are a perfect fit for this day.

Funny Poems For The Bride And Groom From Friends

18. The Promise – Eileen Rafter

The sun danced on the snow with a sparkling smile;

As two lovers sat quietly, alone for a while.

Then he turned and said, with a casual air

(though he blushed from his chin to the tips of his hair),

“I think I might like to get married to you.”

“Well then,” she said, “there’s a thought.

But what if we can’t promise to be all that we ought?

Can you promise me, say, that you won’t rage and shout,

If I’m late yet again, when we plan to go out,

For I know I can’t promise I’ll learn to ignore

Dirty socks or damp towels strewn all over the floor.

So if we can’t vow to be all that we should

I’m not sure what to do though the idea’s quite good.”

But he gently smiled and tilted his head

Till his lips met her ear and softly he said,

“I promise to weave my dreams into your own,

that wherever you breathe will be my heart’s home.

I promise that, whether with rags or with gold I am blessed,

Your smile is the jewel I will treasure the best.

Do you think then, my love, we should marry – do you?”

“Yes,” she said smiling, “I do.”

19. He Never Leaves The Seat Up – 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.

20. Be My Homer – C.J. Munn

Be my Homer

I wanna be your Marge.

If I’m your Norfolk Broads

Will you be my barge?

Let’s please be Tom and Barbara,

I will show you The Good Life.

Even though we’re not yet married

I would love to be your wife.

I’ve the passion Lily Munster

has for her dear Herman.

I would love you if you were ginger,

I would love you if you were German.

Like Mr. and Mrs. Huxtable,

We’d smooch even when we’re wrinkly.

I’ll even consider ironing your shirts,

But I hope you like them crinkly.

Like Mr. and Mrs. Incredible

I’m flexible and you’re tough.

But if you promise to be my true love

That will always be enough.

Like Bonny and that Clyde guy

without all the dying.

Like Gwyneth and that Coldplay man

without all the crying.

My partner in crime, the love of my life.

21. What’s Mickey Without Minnie? – Anonymous

What’s Mickey without Minnie,
Or Piglet without Pooh,
What’s Donald without Daisy?
That’s me without you.

When Ariel doesn’t sing,
and Pooh hates honey,
when Tigger stops bouncing,
and Goofy isn’t funny.

When Peter Pan can’t fly,
and Simba never roars,
when Alice no longer fits
through small doors.

When Dumbo’s ears are small,
and happily ever after isn’t true,

Even then, I won’t stop loving you.

22. When I’m Sixty-Four – The Beatles

When I get older losing my hair

Many years from now

Will you still be sending me a Valentine

Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?

If I’d been out till quarter to three

Would you lock the door?

Will you still need me, will you still feed me

When I’m sixty-four?

You’ll be older too

And if you say the word

I could stay with you

I could be handy, mending a fuse

When your lights have gone

You can knit a sweater by the fireside

Sunday mornings go for a ride

Doing the garden, digging the weeds

Who could ask for more?

Will you still need me, will you still feed me

When I’m sixty-four?

Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight

If it’s not too dear

We shall scrimp and save

Grandchildren on your knee

Vera, Chuck and Dave

Send me a postcard, drop me a line

Stating point of view

Indicate precisely what you mean to say

Yours sincerely, wasting away

Give me your answer, fill in a form

Mine forevermore

Will you still need me, will you still feed me

When I’m sixty-four?

23. Yes, I’ll Marry You – Pam Ayres

Yes, I’ll marry you, my dear.
And here’s the reason why;
So I can push you out of bed
When the baby starts to cry,
And if we hear a knocking
And it’s creepy and it’s late,
I hand you the torch you see,
And you investigate.

Yes, I’ll marry you, my dear,
You may not apprehend it,
But when the tumble-drier goes
It’s you that has to mend it,
You have to face the neighbour
Should our Labrador attack him,
And if a drunkard fondles me
It’s you that has to whack him.

Yes, I’ll marry you,
You’re virile and you’re lean,
My house is like a pigsty
You can help to keep it clean.
That sexy little dinner
Which you served by candlelight,
As I do chipolatas,
You can cook it every night!

It’s you who has to work the drill
And put up curtain track,
And when I’ve got PMT
It’s you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
But none of them for you,
And so before you see the light,
I do, I do, I do!

24. Love Me When I’m Old – Bee Rawlinson

Love me when I’m old and shocking
Peel off my elastic stockings
Swing me from the chandeliers
Let’s be randy bad old dears.
Push around my chromed bath chair
Let me tease your white chest hair
Scaring children, swapping dentures
Let us have some great adventures
Take me to the dogs and bingo
Teach me how to speak the lingo
Bone my eels and bring me tea
Show me how it’s meant to be
Take me to your special places
Watching all the puzzled faces
You in shorts and socks and sandals
Me with warts and huge love-handles
As the need for love enthrals
Wrestle with my damp proof smalls
Make me laugh without constraint
Buy me chocolate body paint
Hold me safe throughout the night
When my hair has turned to white
Believe me when I say it’s true
I’ve waited all my life for you.

25. I Wanna Be Yours – John Cooper Clarke

I wanna be your vacuum cleaner
breathing in your dust
I wanna be your Ford Cortina
I will never rust

If you like your coffee hot
let me be your coffee pot
You call the shots
I wanna be yours

I wanna be your raincoat
for those frequent rainy days
I wanna be your dreamboat
when you want to sail away

Let me be your teddy bear
take me with you anywhere
I don’t care
I wanna be yours

I wanna be your electric meter
I will not run out
I wanna be the electric heater
you’ll get cold without

I wanna be your setting lotion
hold your hair in deep devotion
Deep as the deep Atlantic ocean
that’s how deep is my devotion.

26. Wedding Vow Haiku – Tracy Davidson, Hitched

I promise to love
and will gladly honour you
but obey? No way!

27. I’ll Be There For You – Louise Cuddon, Wedding Forward

I’ll be there my darling, through thick and through thin
When your mind’s in a mess and your head’s in a spin
When your plane’s been delayed, and you’ve missed the last train.
When life is just threatening to drive you insane
When your thrilling whodunit has lost its last page
When somebody tells you, you’re looking your age
When your coffee’s too cool, and your wine is too warm
When the forecast said “Fine”, but you’re out in a storm
When your quick break hotel, turns into a slum
And your holiday photos show only your thumb
When you park for five minutes in a resident’s bay
And return to discover you’ve been towed away
When the jeans that you bought in hope or in haste
Just stick on your hips and don’t reach round your waist
When the food you most like brings you out in red rashes
When as soon as you boot up the bloody thing crashes
So my darling, my sweetheart, my dear…
When you break a rule, when you act the fool
When you’ve got the flu, when you’re in a stew
When you’re last in the queue, don’t feel blue ’cause
I’m telling you, I’ll be there.

28. The Owl And The Pussy Cat – Edward Lear

I

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea
In a beautiful pea green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
‘O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!’

II

Pussy said to the Owl, ‘You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! Too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?’
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

III

‘Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?’ Said the Piggy, ‘I will.’
So they took it away, and were married the next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

29. Marriage – Dawn Moore, Hitched

Weeks and weeks to prepare
Running here and there
Arranging the church
Your vows to rehearse
Hoping your day will be bliss
Preparing the guest list none amiss
Flowers, rings, the wedding cake
Present list for you to make
Wedding cars, ribbons to tie
Emotions running high
Finally the day is here
Time is drawing near
Meet your man, make your vow
Happiness at least for now
Two people joined together as one
Hanky panky when guests have gone.

30. The Good-Morrow – John Donne

I wonder by my troth, what thou and I
Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?
But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?
Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?
‘Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be;
If ever any beauty I did see,
Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.

And now good-morrow to our waking souls,
Which watch not one another out of fear;
For love all love of other sights controls,
And makes one little room an everywhere.
Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone;
Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown;
Let us possess one world; each hath one, and is one.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,
And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;
Where can we find two better hemispheres
Without sharp north, without declining west?
Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;
If our two loves be one, or thou and I
Love so alike that none can slacken, none can die.

31. Roll on the Wedding! – Catherine Smith, Hitched

The band has been booked, the cake has been made,
the photographer’s chosen, all bills have been paid.
The guests are decided, the menu too;
Something borrowed? Check! Ditto old and blue.

The stationery’s been ordered, along with the flowers,
favours are done after fiddling for hours.
The stag do’s a blur, same goes for the Hen –
won’t be drinking that much in one sitting again!

The dress has been picked, accessories bought;
there’s nothing to schedule, no more to sort.
After endless to-do lists for over a year,
it’s time to relax; the big day is here!

Sitting here with my girls as our hair gets done,
I can’t help feeling lucky to have found ‘the One’ –
Just think, by lunchtime I’ll be his new wife!
Roll on the wedding, and our new married life!

32. Dear Heart – Hayley Gait-Golding, Hitched

Dear Heart,

I’d like it if you’d tell me
How you measure love.
Do you deal in ounces and quarters?
Or stroke it with kid gloves?

How do you pick who gets it
Because I’d really like a say
And why is it that some people
Get more and more each day?

Another thing I’d like to know
Is how love measures time?
Is it founded in an instant?
Then lasts a whole lifetime?

Does it grow and grow your whole life through
So I have more and more
Or is there just a set amount
You get at birth then store?

What happens if it’s stolen?
Or if I cease to love
Does it all come back untarnished?
With interest on the above.

How can I know its importance?
Do you give it certain ranks?
Could I say that’s 1st or 2nd class?
Like I do with postage stamps.

Is true love like in stories?
Like old fashioned fairy tales
Cinderella meets Prince Charming
And only love prevails

Why is it then that nowadays?
Love sometimes takes the course
Of starting off with marriage
But ending in divorce

Is love equal in proportions?
For families and for friends
For husbands, wives and children
Where does it ever end?

To let me know what’s going on
Lets strike a little deal
Beat slowly for the phoneys
And fast if it’s for real!

For couples who like to keep it short and sweet or prefer to say a lot in fewer words, the next section has just the stuff for you. Profess your love and declare unfaltering devotion with these short yet awe-inspiring poems.

Short Poems For The Wedding Ceremony

33. Love Sonnet 17 – Pablo Neruda

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don’t know any other way of loving
but this, in which there is no I or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.

34. You Give Light – Anonymous

You gave light to my soul
You helped me to be whole
I have felt love for you before
And it will be more and more,
You are mine, my dear
You are the angel from above
Who taught me how to love.
Please, forever keep me near.

 35.  Love Is – Adrian Henri

Love is…

Love is feeling cold in the back of vans

Love is a fan club with only two fans

Love is walking holding paint-stained hands

Love is.

Love is fish and chips on winter nights

Love is blankets full of strange delights

Love is when you don’t put out the light

Love is

Love is the presents in Christmas shops

Love is when you’re feeling Top of the Pops

Love is what happens when the music stops

Love is

Love is white panties lying all forlorn

Love is pink nightdresses still slightly warm

Love is when you have to leave at dawn

Love is

Love is you and love is me

Love is prison and love is free

Love’s what’s there when you are away from me

Love is…

36.  Pathways – Rainer Maria Rilke

Understand, I’ll slip quietly
away from the noisy crowd
when I see the pale
stars rising, blooming, over the oaks.

I’ll pursue solitary pathways
through the pale twilit meadows,
with only this one dream:

You come too.

37. To Be One With Each Other – George Eliot

What greater thing is there for two human souls,

than to feel that they are joined for life –

to strengthen each other in all labor,

to rest on each other in all sorrow,

to minister to each other in all pain,

to share with each other in all gladness,

to be one with each other in the silent unspoken memories.

38. When Someone Dries Your Tears – Anonymous

When someone dries your tears,
When someone wins your heart.
Love has come and set you free,
A whole new life shall start!

Today is beginning of the rest of your life,
Together forever as husband and wife.
Your dreams will come true with love and much more,
Happiness to share and the world to explore!

39. Beauty That Is Never Old – James Weldon Johnson

When buffeted and beaten by life’s storms,
When by the bitter cares of life oppressed,
I want no surer haven than your arms,
I want no sweeter heaven than your breast.

When over my life’s way there falls the blight
Of sunless days, and nights of starless skies;
Enough for me, the calm and steadfast light
That softly shines within your loving eyes.

The world, for me, and all the world can hold
Is circled by your arms; for me there lies,
Within the lights and shadows of your eyes,
The only beauty that is never old.

40. When I Feel The Warmth In Her Heart – Anonymous

When I feel the warmth in her heart,
I know she is the one
from whom I shall never depart.
When I rest my head on her knees,
I can weave a future of dreams
as my love I silently profess
To my darling princess.

41. It’s All I Have To Bring Today – Emily Dickinson

It’s all I have to bring today—

This, and my heart beside—

This, and my heart, and all the fields—

And all the meadows wide—

Be sure you count—should I forget

Some one the sum could tell—

This, and my heart, and all the Bees

Which in the Clover dwell.

42. In One Another’s Souls – Rumi

The moment I heard my first love story
I started looking for you,
not knowing how useless that was.
Lovers don’t meet somewhere along the way.
They’re in one another’s souls all along.

43. These I Can Promise – Mark Twain

I cannot promise you a life of sunshine;
I cannot promise riches, wealth, or gold;
I cannot promise you an easy pathway
That leads away from change or growing old.
But I can promise all my heart’s devotion;
A smile to chase away your tears of sorrow;
A love that’s ever true and ever growing;
A hand to hold in yours through each tomorrow.

44. Falling Stars – Rainer Maria Rilke

Do you remember still the falling stars
that like swift horses through the heavens raced
and suddenly leaped across the hurdles
of our wishes–do you recall? And we
did make so many! For there were countless numbers
of stars: each time we looked above we were
astounded by the swiftness of their daring play,
while in our hearts we felt safe and secure
watching these brilliant bodies disintegrate,
knowing somehow we had survived their fall.

45. To My Dear and Loving Husband – Anne Bradstreet

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov’d by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay.
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persever
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

46. Wedding Prayer – Robert Louis Stevenson

Lord, behold our family here assembled.
We thank you for this place in which we dwell,
for the love that unites us,
for the peace accorded us this day,
for the hope with which we expect the morrow,
for the health, the work, the food,
and the bright skies that make our lives delightful;
for our friends in all parts of the earth.

47. Love Is A Place – E. E. Cummings

Love is a place
& through this place of
love move
(with brightness of peace)
all places
yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
(skilfully curled)
all worlds

48. You Came, Too – Nikki Giovanni

I came to the crowd seeking friends
I came to the crowd seeking love
I came to the crowd for understanding
I found you
I came to the crowd to weep
I came to the crowd to laugh
You dried my tears
You shared my happiness
I went from the crowd seeking you
I went from the crowd seeking me
I went from the crowd forever
You came, too

49. Fidelity – D.H. Lawrence

Man and woman are like the earth, that brings forth flowers
in summer, and love, but underneath is rock.
Older than flowers, older than ferns, older than foraminiferae,
older than plasm altogether is the soul underneath.
And when, throughout all the wild chaos of love
slowly a gem forms, in the ancient, once-more-molten rocks
of two human hearts, two ancient rocks,
a man’s heart and a woman’s,
that is the crystal of peace, the slow hard jewel of trust,
the sapphire of fidelity.
The gem of mutual peace emerging from the wild chaos of love.

 The wedding day is all about celebrating your love and promising each other a lifetime of togetherness. Head to the next section for poems that are sure to convey your commitment in all sincerity. Be aware! They could be quite the tear-jerkers.

Poems On Marital Devotion

50. On Your Wedding Day – Anonymous

Today is a day you will always remember

The greatest in anyone’s life

You’ll start off the day just two people in love

And end it as Husband and Wife

It’s a brand new beginning the start of a journey

With moments to cherish and treasure

And although there’ll be times when you both disagree

These will surely be outweighed by pleasure

You’ll have heard many words of advice in the past

When the secrets of marriage were spoken

But you know that the answers lie hidden inside

Where the bond of true love lies unbroken

So live happy forever as lovers and friends

It’s the dawn of a new life for you

As you stand there together with love in your eyes

From the moment you whisper ‘I do’

And with luck, all your hopes, and your dreams can be real

May success find its way to your hearts

Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys

But today is the day it all starts.

51. Marriage – Anonymous

Marriage is about giving and taking
And forging and forsaking
Kissing and loving and pushing and shoving
Caring and sharing and screaming and swearing

About being together whatever the weather
About being driven to the end of your tether
About sweetness and kindness
And wisdom and blindness

It’s about being strong when you’re feeling quite weak
It’s about saying nothing when you’re dying to speak
It’s about being wrong when you know you are right
It’s about giving in, before there’s a fight
It’s about you two living as cheaply as one
(you can give us a call if you know how that’s done!)

Never heeding advice that was always well meant
Never counting the cost until it’s all spent
And for you two today it’s about to begin
And for all that the two of you had to put in
Some days filled with joy, and some days with sadness
Too late you’ll discover that marriage is madness.

52. A Good Wedding Cake – Anonymous

4Lb of love
1/2Lb of sweet temper
1Lb of butter of youth
1Lb of blindness of faults
1Lb of pounded wit
1Lb of good humour
2Lbs of sweet argument
1 Pint of rippling laughter
1 Wine glass of common sense
A dash of modesty

Put the love, good looks, and a sweet temper into a well-furnished house.
Beat the butter of youth into a cream and mix well together with the blindness of faults.
Stir the pounded wit and good humour into the sweet argument,
then add the rippling laughter and common sense.
Work the whole together until everything is well mixed and bake gently for ever.

53.  And I Have You – Nikki Giovanni

Rain has drops
Sun has shine
Moon has beams
That make you mine
Rivers have banks
Sands for shores
Hearts have heartbeats
That make me yours
Needles have eyes
Though pins may prick
Elmer has glue
To make things stick
Winter has Spring
Stockings feet
Pepper has mint
To make it sweet
Teachers have lessons
Soup du jour
Lawyers sue bad folks
Doctors cure
All and all
This much is true
You have me
And I have you.

54. The Best Is Yet To Be – Joanna Fuchs

On your joyful wedding day,
You begin a brand new life.
Friends and family give their gifts
To joyful husband, blissful wife.

But the greatest gift you’ll ever get,
A gift from heaven above,
Is love forever, ending never,
Everlasting love.

You’ll share life’s joy and pleasure;
You’ll have plenty of that, it’s true.
But love is the real treasure
For your new spouse and you.

And if life hands you challenges,
As it does to one and all,
Your love will hold you steady
And never let you fall.

Your wedding day is full of joy;
Tomorrow you cannot see.
But one thing’s sure for the two of you:
The best is yet to be.

55. Bride’s Vows – Joanna Fuchs

My wonderful (groom’s name),

On our wedding day, I think of all the reasons

I am blessed to be your wife:

You are the joy of my life.

In you I found much more than I ever hoped,

more than I ever dreamed a man could be.

In your arms, I feel happy, safe, protected.

You’re my hero, my defender, my soul mate, my love.

I was born for you.

There was a space in my heart that you fill perfectly.

I fall in love with you again every time I see you.

We are alike, and yet we are different.

Our similarities bond us together,

and our differences keep things interesting.

And no matter what,

you let me be me, just as I am.

I am so grateful for that.

I want to keep discovering you.

I love so many things about you now,

and I know I will find many more to love.

The many little things you to do please me

touch me more than you know.

You see me with your heart,

and you always make me feel beautiful.

This is the beginning

of the rest of our lives together.

We have so much happiness ahead of us,

a lifetime of love,

a lifetime to create wonderful memories.

Nothing matters more than being with you.

I love you; I trust you; I am totally open to you.

Everything that’s woman in me responds to the man in you,

And as we become husband and wife,

I want you to know that there will never be

anyone else for me but you,

my husband, my love, my life.

56. The Art of Marriage – Wilferd A. Peterson

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.

A good marriage must be created.

In 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 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.

57. Married Love – Kuan Tao-Sheng

You and I
Have so much love,
That it
Burns like a fire,
In which we bake a lump of clay
Molded into a figure of you
And a figure of me.
Then we take both of them,
And break them into pieces,
And mix the pieces with water,
And mold again a figure of you,
And a figure of me.
I am in your clay.
You are in my clay.
In life we share a single quilt.
In death we will share one bed.

58. To Love Is Not To Possess – James Kavanaugh

To love is not to possess,
To own or imprison,
Nor to lose one’s self in another.
Love is to join and separate,
To walk alone and together,
To find a laughing freedom
That lonely isolation does not permit.
It is finally to be able
To be who we really are
No longer clinging in childish dependency
Nor docilely living separate lives in silence,
It is to be perfectly one’s self
And perfectly joined in permanent commitment
To another—and to one’s inner self.
Love only endures when it moves like waves,
Receding and returning gently or passionately,
Or moving lovingly like the tide
In the moon’s own predictable harmony,
Because finally, despite a child’s scars
Or an adult’s deepest wounds,
They are openly free to be
Who they really are—and always secretly were,
In the very core of their being
Where true and lasting love can alone abide.

59. New Beginnings – Barbara Crooker

May this be a day of new beginnings
the sun, like a fragrant apple; the summer air,
soft on your hands as the kiss of a child.
May berries melt like honey on your tongue.
May your heart rise in wonder
at the clouds drifting across the sky.
May the trails under your boots
be covered in pine quills,
let the leaves rain down
like memories
in the autumn of your heart.
May the snow beneath your skis
run as fast as watered silk,
may the cold air kiss your cheeks,
turn them red as summer’s roses.
May the rivers always flow
with their unexpected beauty,
the first freshets of snowmelt,
the rush of early spring. May you always walk in gladness
through whatever path or highway;
may you always walk within the golden circle of your love.

60. I Saw Two Clouds At Morning – John G. C. Brainard, Brides

I saw two clouds at morning,
tinged by the rising sun,
and in the dawn they floated on,
and mingled into one;
I thought that morning cloud was blest,
it moved so sweetly to the west.
I saw two summer currents
flow smoothly to their meeting,
and join their course, with silent force,
in peace each other greeting;
calm was their course through banks of green,
while dimpling eddies played between.
Such be your gentle motion,
‘till life’s last pulse shall beat;
like summer’s beam and summer’s stream,
float on in joy, to meet
a calmer sea, where storms shall cease,
a purer sky, where all is peace.

61. The Gift – Pam Brown

In you are flowers and firelight,
stars and songbirds,
the scent of summer,
the stillness just before dawn.
I love you today,
dressed in glory.
I will love you always-
dancing, singing, reading, making, planning, arguing.
I will love you cantankerous, and tired,
courageous and in terror,
joyful, fearful and triumphant.
I will love you through all weathers and all change.
For all you are is precious to me.
And every day I live with you
and share your love
is a gift to me.

62. Devoted – Lori Eberhai, Hello Magazine

My heart can be your home,
my soul can be your refuge.
You can turn to me when you are weak,
you can call to me when the way is not clear.
I will be your promise and your prayer,
I will always be there,
Constant and complete.
Run to me,
reach out for me,
and I will love you in a unique and tender way.
Bring your love to me,
share your love with me,
sing your love to me,
and I will offer you peace, ease and comfort.

63. The Privileged Lovers – Rumi

The moon has become a dancer at this festival of love.
This dance of light, this sacred blessing, this divine love,
beckons us to a world beyond, only lovers can see with their eyes of fiery passion.
They are the chosen ones who have surrendered.
Once they were particles of light, now they are the radiant sun.
They have left behind the world of deceitful games.
They are the privileged lovers who create a new world
with their eyes of fiery passion.

64. Variation on the Word Sleep – Margaret Atwood

I would like to watch you sleeping,
which may not happen.
I would like to watch you,
sleeping. I would like to sleep
with you, to enter
your sleep as its smooth dark wave
slides over my head

and walk with you through that lucent
wavering forest of bluegreen leaves
with its watery sun & three moons
towards the cave where you must descend,
towards your worst fear

I would like to give you the silver
branch, the small white flower, the one
word that will protect you
from the grief at the center
of your dream, from the grief
at the center. I would like to follow
you up the long stairway
again & become
the boat that would row you back
carefully, a flame
in two cupped hands
to where your body lies
beside me, and you enter
it as easily as breathing in

I would like to be the air
that inhabits you for a moment
only. I would like to be that unnoticed
& that necessary.

65. The Passionate Shepherd To His Love – Christopher Marlowe

Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove,
That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the Rocks,
Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow Rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing Madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of Roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and Ivy buds,
With Coral clasps and Amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.

The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May-morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me, and be my love.

66. Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms – Thomas Moore

Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,
Which I gaze on so fondly to-day,
Were to change by to-morrow, and fleet in my arms,
Live fairy-gifts fading away,
Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art,
Let thy loveliness fade as it will,
And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart
Would entwine itself verdantly still.

It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,
And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear,
That the fervor and faith of a soul may be known,
To which time will but make thee more dear!
No, the heart that has truly loved never forgets,
But as truly loves on to the close,
As the sunflower turns on her god when he sets
The same look which she turned when he rose!

With so many poem examples, it can be overwhelming to decide which one to recite on your special day. Consider some vital factors such as your personal feelings, event setting, and the sentimental vibe when choosing the right poem or crafting a personal one. Scroll down to learn more.

How To Select The Perfect Wedding Poem

Consider the following tips to select the best wedding poem.

• Understand the vibe of your wedding, whether romantic, humorous, or emotional, and choose a wedding poem that perfectly reflects it.
• Choose a poem that reflects your values and expresses the shared moments that are meaningful to both you and your partner. You may also center your poem around your personalized vows to make it even more meaningful and memorable.
• Pick a poem that is easy to understand and can resonate with the audience.
• Opt for a poem that is not too long yet conveys your emotions beautifully and flows smoothly to keep the audience engaged.

Infographic: 3 Heartfelt Poems To Read At Your Wedding

While a wedding ceremony is, in itself ,extremely special, you can make the moment more precious by reading a heartwarming wedding poem. It will not only help you dedicate your love towards your partner but will surely get an “aww…” and some tears from your guests as well. Check out the infographic below for three beautiful wedding poems that you can read at your marriage ceremony.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you write in a poem on a wedding card?

You can go about this in a few ways. You can either take inspiration from some of the literary greats or write something romantic, funny, and personal to the both of you.

How do you write a poem for a friend’s wedding?

You can use metaphors or rhymes to write a funny poem for your friend’s wedding. If poetry is not your cup of tea, you can keep it short, simple, and sentimental and just write what is in your heart.

What sort of tone will my Wedding Poem have?

Your wedding poem can have a light-hearted, affectionate, ecstatic, sentimental, or celebratory tone. You may look for a poem that matches your desired tone or even write one on your own.

Illustration: Best Romantic Wedding Poems For Your Marriage Ceremony

Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team

Nothing beats a stirring poem to express your love. Check this heartwarming wedding poem from the movie Love Actually that will remind you to hug the love of your life!

Was this article helpful?

Reviewer Author Editor

Amira MartinLicensed Clinical Social Worker & Psychotherapist

     

Amira Martin, LCSW-R, is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience. She obtained her master’s degree from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in 2002 and specializes in treating children and adults.

Read full bio of Amira Martin

Sneha TeteBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

 

Sneha has a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad, a professional Relationship Coach diploma, and over four years of experience in writing. She writes about relationships and lifestyle.Sneha began her career as an instructional designer, shifted to freelance technical and research writing, and self-published a novella on the theme of adolescent mental health.

Read full bio of Sneha Tete

Subhrojyoti MukherjeeAssociate Editor

Subhrojyoti is an associate editor at StyleCraze with four years of experience. He has a master’s degree in English from Presidency University, Kolkata, and has also done a post-graduate certificate course in Editing and Publishing from Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

Read full bio of Subhrojyoti Mukherjee