The Art of Marriage – It Worked for Paul and Joanne
Wedding Goddess Wisdom
Hoping that the odds are in your favor for a long lasting marriage? Why not have “The Art of Marriage” read at your ceremony?
Las Vegas lore has it that the first four lines of this classic wedding reading by Wilfred Arlan Peterson were included as part of the Las Vegas ceremony of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. They were married January 29, 1958 in Las Vegas and with 48 years together they remain one of the longest Hollywood marriages on record.
“The Art of Marriage” worked for them!
It is important for all of us to remember that a good marriage must be created, nurtured, built over time. Marriage is an art unto itself. And …
In the Art of Marriage the little things are the important things.
It means never being too old to hold hands, or to say I love you.
It's never going to bed angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should
not end with the honeymoon. Allow it to continue through the years.
It's having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It's standing together facing the world.
It's forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It's doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or
sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It's speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in
thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other and yet seeing each
other perfect as you are.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of
humor.
It's having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It's giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding room for things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is
equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It's not only marrying the right partner, it's being the right partner.
Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway is an interfaith and non-denominational wedding officiant. She creates unique ceremonies for couples of all backgrounds and faiths, and is also widely recognized as a bridal stress expert. She is author of WEDDING GODDESS: A Divine Guide To Transforming Wedding Stress into Wedding Bliss (Perigee Books, May 2005). Visit Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway at WeddingGoddess.com.
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