[Question] Help! What do I say at my wedding?

Update: This is what I wrote as my vow

Dearly beloved, believe me when I say that, back in 2019, I would have gladly dug myself a nuke shelter to avoid your vibrant radiance.

Yet a few days ago, late at night and settling into the quiet comfort of your soothing voice, I thought to myself: If this were to be the autumn of humanity, if we’re destined to fizzle out in a lonely universe, I would be glad that you’re here to share with me this thin sliver of eternity.

By inviting you into my life as partner and wife, I vow to be your rock and your stronghold in times of strife. When you explore, I will be your basecamp. When you fall, I will be your trampoline. When you speak, I will listen; when you ask, I will tell. Whatever you design I will build with you. Whomever you cherish I will consider my friend.

I consider myself lucky to have been chosen so staunchly by you, and I look forward to meeting you as you return from your journeys, and being the part to your whole.

Update: as the wedding day draws close we’re converging on a plan. But we have rooms for last minute edits and for the purpose of other people who look to lesswrong for wedding readings, please still leave your favorite quotes down in the comment section!

Hi!

I’m getting married. My bride is secular, but not into rationalism. Her maid of honor is a Unitarian Universalist, and my best man is a Christian who’s constantly in an existential crisis and very open to talk about the possible nonexistence of God. My officiant is a tiny muscular software engineer who is kind yet cynical in a soft-spoken “I don’t give a fuck about anything but your feelings” kind of way and will show up at the reception in dinosaur pajamas because my fiancee likes dinosaurs.

We’re trying to cater to a group of 30 or so friends that are a mix of cynical software engineers, aspiring classics majors, English majors who are forced to do accounting, and starry eyed environmentalists.

Things I’m currently considering:

  1. Ursula K. LeGuin “to be whole is to be part; true journey is return”. But I don’t know where to put it. I don’t know how weddings work. There seem to be various speeches and vows.

  2. Creation Day by G.K. Chesterton (the stanza I like reproduced below)

Never again with cloudy talk Shall life be tricked or faith undone, The world is many and is made, But we are sane and we are one.

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