Spoken by one to the other
“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 candlelight.
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.”
For a couple that wants to say everything in fourteen lines: by sun and candlelight, freely, purely, for life.
How to choose a poem
Read both poems aloud together. The one that lands with both of you is the right one. If you want a poem spoken by one person to the other, How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning counts the ways. If you want a poem about marriage itself and love that holds through change, Sonnet 116 by Shakespeare names marriage in its first line.
Think about the tone of the day too. A church wedding asks for something different than a ceremony in a backyard. When in doubt, pick the one your reader says most easily. A minute of reading is enough.
Where the poem goes
In a civil ceremony a friend or a member of the wedding party often reads the poem after the officiant's welcome, or right before the vows. In a church it fits after the welcome, after the vows or at the close. Ask the pastor or officiant where it belongs. The wedding program maker puts the poem where you choose and adds the poet's name. For scripture, see the readings for a wedding.
A poem does not have to be read aloud. On the first or last page of the program, next to a photo of the two of you, it reads just as well.
Which poems are here
Both poets died more than a century ago, so their work is in the public domain in the United States. You can print it, read it and share it online. We copy each text from an early printing, named on the poem's page, with its spelling and punctuation. Each page tells you what the poem says, when it fits and how to read it aloud.
A poem by a recent poet
Is your favorite poem by a poet who is alive or died recently? Then it is protected by copyright, and you need permission from the rights holder to print it. Paste the text into the builder and name the poet; the program adds the credit line.