Summer Solstice Wedding Readings
Considered lucky by some, getting hitched on the ‘longest day’ of the year is becoming increasingly desirable— But why?
This is the time of year when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, meaning it takes a little longer to set in the evening.
Summer Solstice weddings are perfect for outdoor ceremonies and bohemian-style celebrations, as the sun is far more likely to be shining.
Image from: https://www.elizabethgrantphotography.com/
The celebration of the Summer Solstice or Midsummer is considered sacred and dates back thousands of years. In recent years it has become synonymous with dreamy tales and romantic notions; possibly elevated by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
What Makes a Good Summer Solstice Wedding Reading?
Planning a Summer Solstice wedding can be tricky, especially finding the perfect readings.
Nature is a key theme in most Summer Solstice wedding readings. You can thank old Pagan tradition for this, as they celebrated the day by wearing garlands of herbs and flowers to ward away evil spirits.
Light is an important aspect of the Summer Solstice. For generations, people have marked the day with large bonfires and gatherings in a celebration of light. The sun’s energy is the focus of this festival, making it key to a great Summer Solstice wedding reading.
Need some inspiration?— Look no further!
We’ve hunted down the best (and most romantic) poems, quotes, passages, and blessings. These are perfect for wedding readings or can even be incorporated into the ceremony, decorations, speeches, and vows.
Image from: https://seacoastweddings.com/2015/12/01/summer-solstice/
Summer Solstice Wedding Poems
The sun has burst the sky
by Jenny Joseph
The sun has burst the skyBecause I love youAnd the river its banks.The sea laps the great rocksBecause I love youAnd takes no heed of the moon dragging it awayAnd saying coldly ‘Constancy is not for you.’The blackbird fills the airBecause I love youWith spring and lawns and shadows falling on lawns.The people walk in the street and laughI love youAnd far down the river ships sound their hootersCrazy with joy because I love you.
Freedom
by Olive Runner
Give me the long, straight road before me,A clear, cold day with a nipping air,Tall, bare trees to run on beside me,A heart that is light and free from care.Then let me go! – I care not whitherMy feet may lead, for my spirit shall beFree as the brook that flows to the river,Free as the river that flows to the sea.
The Sun and the Moon
by Nikita Gill
Aim for a lovethat reminds youof the devotionthe sun has to the moon.Whether she is in fractionsor she is whole,he still shrouds his intense lightin the darkness of the night.To give her the entire sky,without judgment,so she can shine in any way she wants to.You deserve someonewho adores youon the days you arein broken fragments too.You deserve someonewho lets you glowin every wayyou need to.
Sonnet XVII
by Pablo Neruda
I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,in secret, between the shadow and the soul.I love you as the plant that never bloomsbut carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;so I love you because I know no other way than this:where I does not exist, nor you,so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
Shiver
by Maggie Stiefvater
I fell for her in summer, my lovely summer girl,From summer she is made, my lovely summer girl,I’d love to spend a winter with my lovely summer girl,But I’m never warm enough for my lovely summer girl,It’s summer when she smiles, I’m laughing like a child,It’s the summer of our lives; we’ll contain it for a whileShe holds the heat, the breeze of summer in the circle of her handI’d be happy with this summer if it’s all we ever had.
Two Happy Lovers…
by Pablo Neruda
Two happy lovers make one bread,a single moon drop in the grass.Walking, they cast two shadows that flow together;waking, they leave one sun empty in their bed.Of all the possible truths, they chose the day;they held it, not with ropes but with an aroma.They did not shred the peace; they did not shatter words;their happiness is a transparent tower.The air and wine accompany the lovers.The night delights them with its joyous petals.They have a right to all the carnations.Two happy lovers, without an ending, with no death,they are born, they die, many times while they live:they have the eternal life of the Natural.
Summer Solstice Wedding Quotes
“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair…”
—Susan Polis Schutz
“O, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.”
—Roman Payne
“Summer afternoon— summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English Language”
—Henry James
“In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different”
—John Steinbeck, The Winter of Discontent
“You are so much sunshine in every square inch”
—Walt Whitman
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
“I would that I could have stopped time and preserved that day forever. It was a perfect day. There was the shadow of sorrow, yes. It would always be there. But that was the nature of life. The bright mirror and the dark, reflecting one another. And today there was so much brightness”
—Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel’s Mercy
Image from: https://www.tylerbranchphoto.com/
Summer Solstice Wedding Passages and Blessings
“The sun shines brightly overhead as witches dance around a bonfire and feast on fruits and vegetables fresh from the fields. Children laugh and play, rolling wheels that symbolize the sun and chasing shining bubbles that float through the air like fairies. It is the Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer or Litha. The earth rejoices in abundance and light, and so do we.”
—Deborah Blake in Midsummer: Rituals, Recipes, and Lore for Litha
“People have always looked up at the sun with wonder and gratitude. From earliest times, the sun has been recognized as the source of warmth and light…The sun was so important to ancient people, it was sometimes viewed as a god. People wanted to celebrate the day when the sun was at its highest point in the sky – the summer solstice.”
—Ellen B. Jackson in The Summer Solstice
“Behold the season of high summer and the Summer Solstice. We celebrate as joy and happiness flow within all on this day. The Sun God is at his peak in the sky. The Goddess is heavy with pregnancy. Today we celebrate the light, for tomorrow the light will begin to wane and sink deeper and deeper into the night.”
—M. Flora Peterson in The Simple Sabbat:
A Family-Friendly Approach to the Eight Pagan Holidays
“Sunlight was everywhere, glittering gold of the bright green leaves of the garden. A blackcap, concealed within the foliage of a nearby willow, sang a sweet fanfare and a pair of mallards fought over a particularly juicy snail. The orchestra was rehearsing a dance number and music skimmed across the surface of the lake. How lucky they were to get a day like this one! After weeks of agonizing, of their studying the dawn, of consulting Those Who Ought to Know, the sun had risen, burning off any lingering cloud, just as it should on Midsummer’s Eve. The evening would be warm, the breeze light, the party as bewitching as ever.”
—Kate Morton, The Lake House
“Two TreesA portion of your soul has beenentwined with mineA gentle kind of togetherness, whileseparately we stand.As two trees deeply rooted inseparate plots of ground,While their topmost branchescome together,Forming a miracle of laceagainst the heavens.”
—Janet Miles, Images of Women in Transition
“Above you are the stars, below you are the stones.As time passes, remember…Like a star should your love be constant,Like the earth should your love be firm.Possess one another, yet be understanding.Have patience with each other,For storms will come, and they will go quickly.Be free in giving of affection and of warmth.Have no fear, and let not the ways or words of theUnenlightened give you unease.For the Old Gods are with you,Now and always!”
—Ed Fitch, ‘Traditional Pagan Blessing’
“May the sun bring you new energy by day,May the moon softly restore you by night,May the rain wash away your worriesAnd the breeze blow new strength into your being,And all of the days of your life may you walkGently through the world and know its beauty.”
—“Apache Blessing”
“Today we celebrate light and honor the wisdom of the shadows. In connecting with the natural world in a way that honors the sacred immanence in all things, we establish a resonance with the seasons.”
—Dacha Avelin
