We firmly believe that your wedding day is about celebrating all the bonds of love in your life as well as the one you share with your partner. Afterall, these are the people that shaped who you are today! Including a ceremony reading that gives a nod to the sister or friend who was there through thick and thin, from heartbreak right through to lasting love is a wonderful way to celebrate sisterhood on your big day. This beautiful poem The Bridesmaid’s Speech by Kate J Baer does just that and is from her fourth collection of poems. We think you’ll love it.

The Bridesmaid’s Speech by Kate J Baer

I have known her all her life.

And by that I mean I’ve seen her

in the impossible light of girlhood.

The spaces in between —  the car

on the way to the birthday dinner,

the moment before the photograph.

I have stood outside the bathroom stall,

held tight while her shoulders shook

with sorrow. I’ve watched joy arrive,

midnight and unexpected, repeated

stories until they were my own. It’s

true there is a cost to this devotion — 

but I’ll let you in on a little secret:

there is very little women choose

to keep from one another. How

lucky are we to know a love like this.

Still looking for the perfect wedding ceremony reading? See our Essential List of Ceremony Readings broken down into handy categories. Be sure follow us on Instagram for more!