If you want to add a little fun into your wedding readings, children’s books offer plenty of poignant and universal themes about love and friendship, for the perfect alternative to the traditional.
From Dr. Seuss and Winnie the Pooh, to Tolkien and Harry Potter, SoGlos has scoured the libraries to find 16 of the sweetest wedding readings from children’s books.
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Taken from Philip Pullman's beloved children's book The Amber Spyglass — the second book in His Dark Materials trilogy — this epic quote about love lasting forever is the perfect way to demonstrate 'till death do us part'.
'I will love you forever, whatever happens. Till I die and after I die, and when I find my way out of the land of the dead, I'll drift about forever, all my atoms, till I find you again. I'll be looking for you every moment, every single moment. And when we do find each other again, we'll cling together so tight that nothing and no one'll ever tear us apart.
'Every atom of me and every atom of you. We'll live in birds and flowers and dragonflies and pine trees and in clouds and in those little specks of light you see floating in sunbeams. And when they use our atoms to make new lives, they won't just be able to take one, they'll have to take two, one of you and one of me.'
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Beloved by millions, Winnie the Pooh offers plenty of beautiful quotes and mantras to live by, with its classic tales offering lessons on friendship, love and happiness, offering some beautiful alternative wedding readings.
’If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart… I’ll always be with you.’
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
A classic reading for weddings, The Velveteen Rabbit teaches about unconditional love, friendship and maturity, all strong themes in any marriage.
’Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand. But once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.’
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
An iconic romantic fantasy fiction, this extract from The Princess Bride is perfect for couples looking for a reference that is both funny and touching.
’I have not known a moment in years when the sight of you did not send my heart careening against my rib cage. I have not known a night when your visage did not accompany me to sleep. There has not been a morning when you did not flutter behind my waking eyelids.’
Matilda by Roald Dahl
One of the best-loved children’s books of all time and perfect for literature-lovers’ weddings, Matilda offers some solid advice for couples looking to take the leap.
’Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it’s unbelievable.’
Dr. Seuss
While Dr. Seuss’s iconic books are funny and catchy, they are also packed with insight, with this reading perfect for couples who have found someone who they can be their true selves with.
’We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.’
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Harry Potter books are packed with quotes about love, friendship and loyalty, perfect for Potterheads looking to inject a little magic into the big day.
’She was kissing him as she never kissed him before, and Harry was kissing her back, and it was a blissful oblivion, better than firewhiskey; she was the only real thing in the world.’
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum’s classic The Wizard of Oz teaches us to treasure the friends we have, and to look within ourselves and find that we don’t need anyone else to grant us the traits that are always within us. The Tin Man sums up the best part about having a heart, without even believing he has one.
’I shall take the heart. For brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.’
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Little Prince teaches about responsibility and caring for something once you have tamed it, providing the perfect parallel to traditional wedding vows.
’She is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe; because it is she that I have sheltered behind the screen; because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars; because it is she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing. Because she is my rose.’
The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket
Author of A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket is also praised for writing 'the love letter to end all love letters', with his unique style and humour providing a funny and endless list of ways to love someone.
'I will love you as a drawer loves a secret compartment, and as a secret compartment loves a secret, and as a secret loves to make a person gasp, and as a gasping person loves a glass of brandy to calm their nerves, and as a glass of brandy loves to shatter on the floor, and as the noise of glass shattering loves to make someone else gasp, and as someone else gasping loves a nearby desk to lean against, even if leaning against it presses a lever that loves to open a drawer and reveal a secret compartment. I will love you until all such compartments are discovered and opened, and until all the secrets have gone gasping into the world.’
The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
An increasingly popular wedding reading, The Little Yellow Leaf is perfect for couples tying the knot, as it teaches about patiently waiting for the right time and the right partner before taking the leap.
’And then, high up on an icy branch, a scarlet flash, one more leaf, holding tight. ‘You’re here’ cried the little yellow leaf. ‘I am’ said the little scarlet leaf. ‘Like me’ said the little yellow leaf. Neither spoke. Finally… ‘Will you?’ asked the little scarlet leaf. ‘I will’ said the little yellow leaf. And, one two three, they let go, and soared…’
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Dubbed The Ent and the Ent-Wife, this poem from Lord of the Rings is perfect for Tolkien fans, telling the tale of a love that is deeply rooted, resilient and lasting.
’When Winter comes, and singing ends, when darkness falls at last; When broken is the barren bough, and light and labour past; I’ll look for thee, and wait for thee, until we meet again; Together we will take the road beneath the bitter rain. Together we will take the road that leads into the West; And far away will find a land where both our hearts may rest.’
The Love Monkey by Edward Monkton
The Love Monkey is a sweet and simple story about loving someone for who they are, highlighting the importance of laughing and having fun with each other.
’Then they looked into each other’s eyes and, feeling the joy of truth in their souls for the first time, they began to laugh. And often they sit together still, holding each other’s hearts in their warm hands, lifting them to the light and laughing. Always laughing.’
The Whale and the Seagull by Toon Tellegen
A sweet tale of an unlikely friendship, The Whale and the Seagull will add a touch of humour to the wedding readings as well as a subtle nod to the traditional first dance.
’They straightened their backs and the whale rested a fin on the seagull’s shoulder, while the seagull draped a wing around the whale’s middle. Then they danced, silently and seriously, on the moon-drenched beach, to the sound of the slow surf. Everyone held their breath and thought: ‘No one has ever danced like this before.’
Moomins by Tove Jansson
Author of the popular children's series, Moomins, Tove Jansson offers a romantic image of falling in love, with a wedding representing the journey a couple has made together.
’I love borders. August is the border between summer and autumn; it is the most beautiful month I know. Twilight is the border between day and night, and the shore is the border between sea and land. The border is longing: when both have fallen in love but still haven’t said anything. The border is to be on the way. It is the way that is the most important thing.’
Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton
Sure to make your wedding guests laugh, Your Personal Penguin is a sweet children's tale about loyalty and how things are always better when you are with someone.
’I like you a lot. You’re funny and kind. So let me explain what I have in mind. I want to be Your Personal Penguin. I want to walk right by your side. I want to be Your Personal Penguin. I want to travel with you far and wide.’
