Weddings are very expensive and the invitations, whilst important, need not become one of the major financial headaches if a little creativity is involved. Whilst most people think primarily of the lettering style and layout of the invitation, few consider how the words are put together and then read. Instead of boring and unoriginal prose, one should consider instead a poem that will both welcome the recipient and convey clearly the details and time of the wedding day.

Poetic wedding invitations do not have to be incredibly long. In a few short lines, all the information required can be presented in a memorable, sophisticated, attractive and even humorous fashion. The names of the bride and groom will of course need to be incorporated at the beginning, followed by the date, time and location of the wedding ceremony. Whilst they can be written in the classical but rather uninspiring format, it is understandably better if the words scan poetically and leave guests reading the invite again and again just for the sheer enjoyment of the poem.

The wedding invitation card itself can then be decorated depending on the location and/or theme of the wedding. For example, if the event is taking place on a beach in summer, then tropical palm trees, sand and sea motifs will be an idea. Alternatively, if the ceremony is in church and you and your guests are devout Christians, then symbols of Christianity will be most suitable. In the latter case, religious terminology can also be used in the invitation poem.

Are you getting married soon and want to send poetic wedding invitations to family and friends? I can write you a beautifully simple invite in the form of a poem with the time, date, location and names of the lucky couple as well as any other information or phrases you would also like incorporated. Contact me.

Desert Voices: Bedouin Women’s Poetry in Saudi Arabia

As the title suggests, this book is a collection of Bedouin poetry written by women over the centuries. In fact, it’s closer to the truth to say the poetry preserved in this collection has been passed down orally from generation to generation of Arab women. Desert Voices has been compiled by Moneera Al-Ghadeer who is a professor of Arabic Language and Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the United States.

Lyrics of love and desire are explored in the first English translations of the rich tapestry of Bedouin women’s poetry. The book is also a progressive move in opening up the sphere of Arabic poetry to the wider world which in turn will lead to contemporary examinations and critiques. The more negative aspects of human existence are also explored such as a grievance and mourning, which together with the positive aspects provide an insightful exploration into the cultural heritage of the Bedouins (desert dwellers).

Moneera Al-Ghadeer herself is a talented writer and a deep thinker. Along with the poems, she offers her own interpretations and examinations of the works as well as making a case that Bedouin women’s poetry can become a literary theory to take its place beside the canons of European and American literary theories.

If you have a fondness for Arab culture, literature and in particular an interest in women’s rights in the Middle East, then ‘Desert Voices’ will provide a stimulating read. You can read further reviews of this popular poetry book here: ‘Desert Voices: Bedouin Women’s Poetry in Saudi Arabia‘.

Dr Matthew Lieberman of the above mentioned university stated:

“It seems to regulate our distress. I don’t think that people sit down in order to regulate their emotions but there is a benefit,”

Lieberman and his colleagues studied the brains of 30 individuals whilst they were in the process of describing distressing situations. He found that the act of writing poetry tended to reduce activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain connected with emotion and fear and increased activity in the pre-frontal cortex, the mind’s regulator.

This points to an already widely accepted view that by writing down their emotions, people can decrease the reaction to negative feelings and thoughts.

“If you ask people then they don’t think that it serves an emotion regulation but when you look at the brain that looks like what is going on,” he added. “The more frontal activity we see, the less amydala response. There seems to be a see-saw affect…”

Apparently it matters little the skill level of the writer and is even more effective when the poem is kept as simple as possible. Bringing in too much emotional baggage into a piece of writing can cancel out the positive effects.

“I think it could play a role in why many people write diaries or write bad lyrics to songs – the kind that should never be played on the radio.”

It’s hoped after further research and testing that it can somehow be implemented in new special therapies in order to help ease social fears and phobias in patients.

The study and the resulting data were presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in a lecture entitled Putting Feelings Into Words (Link is to a pdf document).

Religious Views

Is religion to be included in the wedding ceremony or do the marrying couple want a more secular approach? This factor alone will play a large part in the style of vows you choose to use.

All in Agreement

Does your partner want to write their own vows as well? You both must be agreement as to the process that will be involved. Maybe your future wife prefers the more traditional approach. Talk also with the official who will be leading the service and ask for his or her advice. Then discuss various possibilities and ideas with your family and friends.

Work Together

If you have agreed to spend the rest of your lives together then this part should be easy. Discuss thoroughly what you want included and the general pattern of the special moment. Talk about the past, about when you first met, fell in love and proposed. Grooms, recollect what made you ask for her hand in marriage and how nervous or excited you were. Brides, do the same but how you felt to be on the receiving end of his proposal.

Spend time alone together writing poetry, reading creative writing books, listening to music whilst all the time contemplating using any little snippets of inspiration you get from such sources as material to build into your vows.

When you’re in the right mood, talk to one another about your feelings, your love and your future dreams. You’ll find many treasures that you share by doing this which would be ideal to use on the special day.

Finally decide on the number of lines you will create or a general time frame. This will prevent one partner speaking for ten minutes and the other for only ten seconds, which would cause much embarrassment.

Write and Practice

Once you have all the main points you want to include, then start writing the vows individually. Prepare to spend a lot of time on this and do not be afraid to rip pages up and toss them away if they are not to your liking. The vows in any type of wedding ceremony are the most important aspect of the whole day for you are making promises to your spouse in front of everyone, thereby solidifying your union as a married couple. You need to make them perfect.

Once you have the final scripts, then practice in front of a mirror. Stand upright and annunciate clearly and with confidence. Repeat over and over again until you have fully memorised your vows and can say them without slipping up or pulling faces. By saying them out loud you will also discover whether anything needs changing.

By following these steps you will enter into the special day with a renewed sense of conviction and self-assurance about the choices you have made and what the future holds. You will also make your spouse’s day more memorable.

Alternatively you can hire a professional writer to create a unique and very personalised set of wedding vows that you will remember for the rest of your lives. I can do this for you for a very reasonable fee. Contact Me.