Wedding reading

Apache Wedding Blessing

Traditional, widely anthologised

“Apache Wedding Blessing” (traditional, widely anthologised) is a blessing read at a wedding ceremony. It takes about 40 seconds read aloud, usually by a guest reader. We do not reprint the words here — the note below says why, and what to bring instead.

Why the words are not printed here

Widely printed, but of disputed and probably twentieth-century authorship rather than Apache origin. If the couple want it, bring a printed copy from the source they prefer, and consider saying nothing about where it comes from rather than saying something wrong.

Pieces still in copyright are listed by title and author only — we name them and tell you where to get them, but we do not reproduce the words. Public-domain text is printed in your script in full.

Where it comes from

The blessing was written in 1947 by the non-Native novelist Elliott Arnold for his Western Blood Brother, and the 1950 film of that novel, Broken Arrow, is what made it famous.

What it says

The blessing promises the couple shelter in each other. Rain, cold and loneliness are named one by one, and each time the answer is the other person: one will be the cover, the warmth, the company for the other. It then says that though there are two of them there is now one life, and sends them off to their home and the days they will share, wishing those days long and good. It is gentle, simple and built for reading aloud.

Often asked for. Its origin story is not what people think — worth knowing. Read at a wedding ceremony. Themes: now you feel no rain · two bodies one life · often requested · disputed origin.

Who it suits

Outdoor, rustic and nature-centered ceremonies, and couples who want a blessing with no religious vocabulary. Because its Apache label is a twentieth-century invention, it is a poor choice for couples who would use it as a nod to Native heritage, and some Native guests may find the label uncomfortable.

Where it goes in the ceremony

Works as a closing blessing, read after the rings and before the pronouncement, or as a short opening reading. The officiant can read it as part of the closing words, or a friend can read it standing near the couple.

Reading it aloud

Allow about 40 seconds at a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, from the reader’s first word to their last.

Introduce it by its words, not its label. Calling it a traditional Apache prayer repeats an origin that is not true; a simple “a blessing for the two of you” is honest and enough.
The repeated pattern, a hardship and then the other person as its answer, carries the piece. Keep the rhythm steady so the guests hear it build.
Turn toward the couple for the final lines. It reads as something said to them, not about them.

Questions about reading it aloud

How long does “Apache Wedding Blessing” take to read aloud?

“Apache Wedding Blessing” takes about 40 seconds read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.

Who usually reads “Apache Wedding Blessing”?

Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Apache Wedding Blessing” runs about 40 seconds, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.

Can “Apache Wedding Blessing” be printed in a ceremony script?

Not by us. Widely printed, but of disputed and probably twentieth-century authorship rather than Apache origin. If the couple want it, bring a printed copy from the source they prefer, and consider saying nothing about where it comes from rather than saying something wrong.

A reading is two minutes of the hour.

The rest is the welcome, the vows, the ring exchange, the pronouncement — and the timing that holds them together. Answer some questions about the couple and get the whole ceremony, written out, with this reading in its place.

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