Children in Weddings

Of course you can include your children - whether they are young, or old enough to hold the rings and be part of the ceremony. Always ask your officiant for creative ways to add children to a ceremony. We have had them pour sand and water, present the rings, receive wedding necklaces and tokens from parents, sing songs, read passages - etc. This little cheery toddler has 'presented' the rings to his parents, in Tompkins Square Park in NYC.

Ethical readings, gay marriage rights

Another common wedding reading is from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status...

Article 16: Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution".

Of course you may interpret Article 16 to mean same-sex marriage, if you wish. A historic declaration was launched at the 60th anniversary of the UDHR at the UN in December 2009 to de-criminalize homosexuality. Co-sponsored by France and the Netherlands, the declaration was signed by all 27 European Union members, as well as Japan, Australia, Mexico and three dozen other countries. 66 of the U.N.'s 192 member countries signed the nonbinding declaration, which backers called a historic step to push the General Assembly to deal more forthrightly with anti-gay discrimination. There was broad opposition from Muslim nations, and the Vatican, and the United States refused to sign,

The Dutch foreign affairs minister, Maxime Verhagen, said countries that endorsed the 1948 document had no right to carve out exceptions based on religion or culture that allowed discrimination against gays. "Human rights apply to all people in all places at all times," he said. "I will not accept any excuse."