Here’s a wedding ceremony reading from a book some of you might remember from the Leaving Cert reading list – Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. Little would you think that years later you might revisit it for your wedding but life is is funny that way – you never know where your path will lead you, sometimes back to places you’ve been before.

The heart of this excerpt from Far fFrom the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is all about paths and journeys – how life leads us all in different directions and along the way we find the right person to walk alongside. We’ve even created a useful and pretty print and go download of this excerpt below.

Paths and Journeys (from Far From the Madding Crowd) by Thomas Hardy

We are all on our own paths, all on our own journeys. Sometimes the paths cross, and people arrive at the crossing points at the same time and meet each other. There are greetings, pleasantries are exchanged, and then they move on. But then once in a while the pleasantries become more, friendship grows, deeper links are made, hands are joined and love flies. The friendship has turned into love.

Paths are joined, one path with two people walking it, both going in the same direction, and sharing each other’s journeys. They will now skip together in harmony and love, sharing joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, strengthening and upholding each other as they walk along side by side. At home by the fire, whenever I look up, there you will be. And whenever you look up, there I shall be.

Ceremony Reading: Paths and Journeys from Far From the Madding Crowd

Still looking for the perfect wedding ceremony reading? See our Essential List of Ceremony Readings which are broken down into categories to make it super easy and be sure to follow us on Instagram!