Est. 1999 · The wedding reference
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Readings · Ceremony

What Greater Thing Is There for Two Human Souls

Read aloud about 35 secondsBest read by a parentTone Steadfast

“Then we’ll never part any more, Dinah, till death parts us.”

And they kissed each other with a deep joy.

What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life—to strengthen each other in all labour, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting?

Where it fits in the ceremony

In most ceremonies the readings follow the officiant’s welcome, before the vows; a second reading can come between the vows and the exchange of rings. In a civil ceremony, some registrars ask to see readings in advance to confirm they contain no religious content — this one will pass.

Pair it with

Two readings that balance this one, one sacred and one secular:

  • Proverbs 31:10–12, 25–31 — “Her price is far above rubies” — the Bible’s portrait of a capable, respected wife.
  • Romans 12:9–18 — “Let love be without dissimulation” — Paul’s practical rules for loving well.

All 104 wedding readings · The order of the ceremony