Some of the best wedding ceremony readings are passionate declarations of love. If you're looking for a gorgeous excerpt about sparks flying you can't go wrong with the Elizabethan love lyric My True Love by Sir Philip Sidney. Part of Arcadia, the long prose written by the acclaimed English poet and courtier towards the end of the 16th century, it tells the story of a shepherdess pledging her love to a shepherd. She paints a vivid picture of their mutual attraction. His heart was "wounded" after seeing her as Cupid, the Roman god of love, had shot him with an arrow. If you're on the hunt for a ceremony reading which beautifully portrays two hearts becoming one, this is it.

My True Love by Sir Philip Sidney

My true love hath my heart and I have his,
By just exchange one for another given,
I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss,
There never was a better bargain driven,
My true love hath my heart and I have his.

His heart in me keeps him and me in one,
My heart in him his thoughts and senses guides,
He loves my heart, for once it was his own,
I cherish his because in me it bides,
My true love hath my heart and I have his.

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