Here are some of our favorite romantic and loving sentiments expressed in poetry, prose and song:
"On Marriage" by Kahlil Gibran from The Prophet
"Sonnets from the Portuguese (XLIII)" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
"Apache Song" - A traditional Apache marriage blessing
"Devoted to You" by Annette Jones White
"Harlem Sweeties" by Langston Hughes
"Wedding Song" by Naomi Long Madgett (This poem was read during our wedding ceremony)
"On the Wings of Love" by Jeffrey Osborne (This was our first dance song)
"A Whole New World" by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle (Featured on this website)
"Kevin's wedding vows to Kristel"
"Kristel's wedding vows to Kevin"
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Love is patient; love is kind;
Love is not envious, or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way;
It is not irritable or resentful;
It does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.
On Marriage
Then Almitra spoke again and said, "And what of Marriage, master?"
And he answered saying:
You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, 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.
Sonnets from the Portugese (XLIII)
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 everyday'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.
Love Is
Some people forget that love is
tucking you in and kissing you "Good night"
no matter how young or old you are
Some people don't remember that love is
listening and laughing and asking questions
no matter what your age
Few recognize that love is
commitment---responsibility---no fun at all
unless
Love is
You and me
Apache Song
Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness for you,
Now there is no more loneliness.
Now you are two bodies,
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place.
Enter into your days together.
And may your days be good and long on the earth.
Devoted to You
I'm glad we drink from the same cup
Whether honey or whether brine,
I'll always drink my portion up
For your lot is cast with mine.
I'm glad we dance to the same song
Though the tune may vary some,
For we're still in step as we go along
Though you sing while I may hum.
As we travel along life's thoroughfare
Often uphill, stop and start,
We share a love so fine and rare
We're close even when we're apart.
I'll gladly share your joy and pain
If you cry, I'll dry your tears,
I'll stand by you in sun or rain
Through all of our earthbound years
Harlem Sweeties
Have you dug the spill
Of Sugar Hill?
Cast your gims
On this sepia thrill:
Brown sugar lassie,
Caramel treat,
Honey-gold baby
Sweet enough to eat.
Peach-skinned girlie,
Coffee and cream,
Chocolate darling
Out of a dream.
Walnut tinted
Or cocoa brown,
Pomegranate-lipped
Pride of the town.
Rich cream-colored
To plum-tinted black,
Feminine sweetness
In Harlem's no lack.
Glow of the quince
To blush of the rose.
Persimmon bronze
To cinnamon toes.
Blackberry cordial,
Virginia Dare wine--
All those sweet colors
Flavor Harlem of mine!
Walnut or cocoa,
Let me repeat:
Caramel, brown sugar,
A chocolate treat.
Molasses taffy,
Coffee and cream,
Licorice, clove, cinnamon
To a honey-brown dream.
Ginger, wine-gold,
Persimmon, blackberry,
All through the spectrum
Harlem girls vary--
So if you want to know beauty's
Rainbow-sweet thrill,
Stroll down luscious
Delicious, fine Sugar Hill.
Wedding Song
I cannot swear with any certainty
That I will always feel as I do now,
Loving you with the same fierce ectasy,
Needing the same your lips upon my brow.
Nor can I promise stars forever bright
Or vow green leaves will never turn to gold.
I cannot see beyond this present night
To say what promises the dawn may hold.
And yet I know my heart must follow you
High up to hilltops, low through vales of tears,
Through golden days and days of somber hue,
And love will only deepen through the years
Becoming sun and shadow, wind and rain,
Wine that grows mellow, bread that will sustain.
On the Wings of Love
Just smile for me and let the day begin
You are the sunshine that lights my heart within
And I'm sure that you're an angel in disguise
Come take my hand and together we will ride
On the wings of love
Up and above the clouds
The only way to fly
Is on the wings of love
On the wings of love
Only the two of us together flying high
Flying high upon the wings of love
You look at me and I begin to melt
Just like the snow when a ray of sun is felt
And I'm crazy 'bout you baby can't ya see
I'd be so delighted if you would come with me
On the wings of love
Up and above the clouds
The only way to fly
Is on the wings of love
On the wings of love
Only the two of us together flying high
Flying high upon the wings of love
Yes you belong to me
And I'm yours exclusively
And right now we live and breathe each other
Inseparable it seems
We're flowing free like a stream running free traveling
On the wings of love
On the wings of love
Up and above the clouds
The only way to fly
Is on the wings of love
On the wings of love
Only the two of us together flying high
Together flying high
On the wings of love
Up and above the clouds
The only way to fly
Is on the wings of love
On the wings of love
Only the two of us together flying high
Flying high upon the wings of love
Our love....
A Whole New World
I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess,
now when did
You last let your heart decide?
I can open your
eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic
carpet ride
A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one
to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming
A whole new
world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
It's
crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you
Now I'm in a
whole new world with you
Unbelievable sights
Indescribable
feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond
sky
A whole new world
Don't you dare close your eyes
A hundred
thousand things to see
Hold your breath - it gets better
I'm like a
shooting star
I've come so far
I can't go back to where I used to
be
A whole new world
Every turn a surprise
With new horizons to
pursue
Every moment red-letter
I'll chase them anywhere
There's time to
spare
Let me share this whole new world with you
A whole new
world
That's where we'll be
A thrilling chase
A wondrous place
For
you and me
Kevin's wedding vows to Kristel
Well, here we are. It’s a lot different than what we
thought it’d be like when we were kids. Since we found each other again, and
fell in love again, I’ve come to understand what the perfect woman is for me.
She’s someone who complements me, fills in the gaps and makes me whole. She’s someone who knows what I’m thinking about before I say it and knows what I need before I need it. She’s patient and she’s kind. She’s intelligent and forgiving. She’s funny and inventive. She’s outgoing and adventurous. A woman who can plan parties in her sleep, cook red velvet cake with one hand and read her favorite book, which changes as soon as she’s finished, in the other.
She knows etiquette. She knows what should be worn, when it should be worn. Who should be called and why. If something needs doing, she does it. Usually before it even occurs to me that it needs to be done. She watches the most God-awful movies with me. She finishes singing whatever song has popped into my head and remembers the words that I’ve forgotten.
She plays mp3’s, the legal ones of course, on the computer that used to be mine but have been banned from touching without her permission. She surprises me with balloons and cake when I’ve passed a test. She pats my shoulder and says ok when I think I’m right and she knows I’m wrong.
She makes me happy, and proud and honored even when she doesn’t know it. Most importantly she loves me, she completes me, and today she makes me her husband. Kristel, I love you.
Kristel's wedding vows to Kevin
Kevin,
I have known you for more than half my life. Yet, I feel as if we’ve known each other forever. We are perfect compliments for one another and without you my life would be incomplete.
You have supported all of my goals, dreams and endeavors. You were there for me during my times of infirmity as well as during my times of happiness. You have come to accept my family as your own.
I am honored that you have chosen me as your life’s partner. And I look forward to us experiencing all that life has to offer - holding hands, right by each other’s side.
You are my best friend, my knight in shining armor and now you will be my husband. Let us keep the laughter and fun alive in our relationship but above all – let us never stop loving one another. I love you with all my heart.