Six Italy-infused readings for your Italian wedding

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One of the ways to infuse your day with a touch of la dolce vita is through the words you share. Italian literature is known for being irresistibly romantic and has given us some of the most beautiful, heartfelt words on love and connection.

We’ve gathered some of our favourite readings that are either penned by Italian writers or have a strong connection to Italy. So, whether you’re standing in a Tuscan vineyard or by the sparkling Amalfi coast, these readings are sure to capture the magic of the moment.

Untitled
by Christina Rossetti

What is the beginning? Love 
What the course. Love still 
What the goal. The goal is love. 
On a happy hill 
Is there nothing then but love? 
Search we sky or earth 
There is nothing out of Love 
Hath perpetual worth; 
All things flag but only Love 
All things fail and flee 
There is nothing left but Love 
Worthy you and me.

Why: Christina Rossetti was born in England to Italian parents. The influence of the work of Dante Alighieri, Petrarch and other Italian writers filled the home and influenced Rossetti’s writing. This poem ponders the purpose of life, and finds that the answer is love. It concludes that when all is said and done, what remains is love.

Tra le tue Braccia (In Your Arms)
by Alda Merin

There is a place in the world
where the heart beats strong,
where you remain breathless,
no matter how much emotion you feel,
where time stops
and you are no longer old;
that place is in your arms
where the heart does not age,
while the mind never ceases to dream…
I cannot escape from there
because the enchanting fantasy feels our warmth and no…
I will never allow
that I can give up on the one
who knows how to make me fly with love.

Why: Alda Merin was a contemporary Italian poet and writer, whose writing is described as intense, passionate and mystic. This translation of her poem – a favourite of Andrea Bocelli – speaks of a place where the heart races and is left breathless but never ages, and ultimately reveals that place to be “in your arms.”

Excerpt from La Vita Nuova (The New Life)
by Dante Alighieri

In that book which is my memory,
On the first page
Of the chapter
That is the day when I first met you,
Appear the words,
‘Here begins a new life’.

Why: La Vita Nuova is a collection of poems written by Dante for his lifelong love, Beatrice. It is famous for being written in Tuscan vernacular, rather than Latin, so would be especially significant for weddings in Tuscany. This excerpt is perfect for couples who want a reading that is short but meaningful, and it beautifully portrays the feeling of life beginning when you meet your person.

Sonnet 116
by William Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments; love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring bark
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come.
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom:
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Why: While Shakespeare of course was English, his works are closely tied to Italy with many of his most famous plays set there, including Romeo & Juliet, Othello, and Two Gentlemen of Verona. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 talks about how true love is constant and unchanging, even when the people in love change over time or if they experience obstacles. Its sentiment is perfect alongside the promises you’ll make to each other on your wedding day.

Core Analfabeta (Illiterate Heart)
by Antonio De Curtis (Totò)

This illiterate heart
You brought it to school,
and it learnt to write,
and it learnt to read
but only one word:
“Love” and nothing else.

Why: Antonio De Curtis, best known by his stage name Totò, was an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter, dramatist, poet, singer and lyricist. He is considered an iconic figure in Italy, particularly in Naples where he is from. This love poem is immortalised in a light installation in his neighbourhood of Rione Sanità.

Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Why: Catholicism is the dominant religion in Italy, and is deeply embedded into Italian culture and traditions. Traditionally, wedding readings in Italy are of a religious nature and this is a popular choice from the Bible, written about the nature of love.

Are you planning to use any of these Italy-inspired readings at your wedding? Tell us at ciao@italyeverafter.com

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