Wedding reading
A Lovely Love Story
Edward Monkton
“A Lovely Love Story” by Edward Monkton is a prose reading read at a wedding ceremony. It takes about a minute and a half 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
Still in copyright. "Edward Monkton" is a pen name of Giles Andreae, so a licensing search under Monkton dead-ends — look for Andreae. It is a short illustrated fable; print it from the book or the card and let the reader hold that.
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
Edward Monkton is the humorous artist and philosopher created by Giles Andreae, the British writer behind Purple Ronnie and Giraffes Can’t Dance.
What it says
A fierce dinosaur meets another dinosaur, a lovely one, and the story is about what happens when the two come together. It is a fable of only a few sentences, told with Monkton’s cheerful, deadpan simplicity: one is fierce, the other is lovely, and together they make something better than either alone. It does not try to be profound. Its charm is that it says something true about couples in words a child would understand, and it makes a room smile. Most couples recognize themselves at once in which of them is the fierce one, and guests usually have an opinion too.
The dinosaur one. A minute long, and about as easy as a reading gets. Read at a wedding ceremony. Themes: the fierce dinosaur and the lovely other dinosaur · a very short illustrated fable · sweet and silly · a nervous reader · children present.
Who it suits
Couples with children, playful couples and families who would like one light moment in the ceremony. It is short and simple enough for a young reader or a guest who does not enjoy public speaking. It is too slight to be the only reading at a formal ceremony.
Where it goes in the ceremony
A good second reading, after something more serious, or an opening reading to relax the room. A child, niece or nephew, or a playful friend can read it, ideally holding the book.
Reading it aloud
Allow about a minute and a half at a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, from the reader’s first word to their last.
- Read it from the book or card itself if you can. The illustrations are part of the joke, and holding the book up between lines gets a laugh.
- Keep the voice simple and straight. The humor comes from reading it seriously.
- At about a minute, it is easy to finish too quickly. Pause before the final line so it lands.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “A Lovely Love Story” take to read aloud?
“A Lovely Love Story” takes about a minute and a half 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 “A Lovely Love Story”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “A Lovely Love Story” runs about a minute and a half, 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 “A Lovely Love Story” be printed in a ceremony script?
Not by us. Still in copyright. "Edward Monkton" is a pen name of Giles Andreae, so a licensing search under Monkton dead-ends — look for Andreae. It is a short illustrated fable; print it from the book or the card and let the reader hold that.
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.
Other readings that suit the same service
- from The House at Pooh Corner — "I just wanted to be sure of you"15 secondsAnother gentle children’s-book reading
- Oh, the Places You'll Go!a minute and a halfAnother picture book read at weddings
- How Falling in Love Is Like Owning a Dog3 minutesFunny, then sweet, and much longer
- On Becoming Real, from The Velveteen Rabbit55 secondsMargery Williams
- On Marriage, from The Propheta minute and a halfKahlil Gibran
- from Obergefell v. Hodgesa minute and a halfJustice Anthony Kennedy