A Free Ceremony Resource

Celebrating Life. The words that carry the moment.

Randy Stratton, founder of Randy Stratton Wedding Officiants

Celebrating Life · Ceremony Poems and Verses · June 2026 edition

A free 28-page collection of ceremony poems, verses, and songs for weddings, celebrations of life, and funerals. Co-authored by Randy Stratton and six other Canadian and American poets, and offered without cost to any couple or family planning a ceremony in Ontario.

28Pages, free to download
22Poems, verses & songs
7Featured writers
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What Celebrating Life is

Celebrating Life is a free 28-page booklet of ceremony poems, verses, and songs, published in June 2026 by Rosie, Maggie, Clare (RMC) Productions. It gathers 22 works, organized in two sections: readings for weddings, and readings for celebrations of life and funerals. Wedding officiant Randy Stratton is a co-publisher and one of seven featured writers, alongside Terah Cox, Linda Ellis, Doreen Harvey, Peter J. Meschino, Michelle Sim, and Bill Wood. Every couple and family Randy Stratton Wedding Officiants works with is welcome to browse it, quote from it, and use it as a starting point for their own ceremony.

The Booklet

A quick reference for the words worth speaking.

Every couple sits down to plan a ceremony wanting it to mean something, and quickly runs into the same question: what do we say? Randy Stratton has been writing ceremonies since 2015 and gathering the readings couples returned to most often. Celebrating Life is that collection.

The book pulls together 22 pieces across weddings, celebrations of life, and funerals. Some are classics you already know. Linda Ellis's “The Dash,” Paul's letter to the Corinthians, Ecclesiastes 3, Richard Bach's “The Bridge Across Forever.” Some are original works written by Randy and his co-authors specifically for these moments. All of them are ready to lift from as they are, or to inspire something entirely your own.

The booklet is published under ISBN 978-1-0695863-2-2 and is provided free to any couple or family planning a ceremony. Please note we will be updating the book on a regular basis, so check back for new editions.

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Free PDF, 28 pages, roughly 500 KB. No sign-up required.

Randy Stratton, founder of Randy Stratton Wedding Officiants

Celebrating Life · Ceremony Poems and Verses · June 2026 editiont

What's Inside

Twenty-two works, ordered by moment.

The booklet is organized in two sections. Feel free to choose any of these verses, poems, or songs for your ceremony, or suggest other readings you love. Every piece is used with permission of the writer for this publication.

Section One

Funerals & Celebrations of Life
13 readings
The Dash
by Linda Ellis
A Time To
by Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
A Psalm of David
by Psalm 23
Waves
by Randy R. Stratton
The Hole In Your Heart
by Peter J. Meschino
The Last of The Firsts
by R. Stratton & P. Meschino
The Dime
by Randy R. Stratton
A Precious Gift (Wise Elders)
by Peter J. Meschino
Cardinal
by B. Wood & D. Harvey
Until We Meet Again
by Bill Wood
More Than
by Michelle Sim
Death Is Nothing At All
by Henry Scott Holland
Sing You Home
by Ennis Sisters

Section Two

Weddings
9 readings
Time Travelers
by Terah Cox
Paul's Love Letter
by 1st Corinthians 13
Seasons
by Randy R. Stratton
The Art of Marriage
by Wilferd A. Peterson
The Bridge Across Forever
by Richard Bach
The Wedding Song
by Paul Stookey
Let Me Be The One
by Rik Emmett
Come And Dance With Me
by Michelle Sim
The Law of Love
by Beinsa Duono / Peter Dunov

Please note we will be updating the book on a regular basis, so check back for new editions. To use any of these works outside of the booklet, please obtain permission directly from the individual writer.

“
A year has passed by quickly. Can't believe how this still hurts.
Peter J. Meschino & Randy R. Stratton, from “The Last of The Firsts” in Celebrating Life

Featured Writers

Seven poets, one project,
a shared conviction.

Every writer in this collection agreed to lend their work to help couples and families put words to their most important moments. Additional pieces from The Ennis Sisters, Rik Emmett, and other classic contributors round out the collection.

Terah Cox
Poet and writer; wedding readings
Linda Ellis
Author of “The Dash,” the poem that inspired this collection
Doreen Harvey
Songwriter, co-writer of "Cardinal" and editor
Peter J. Meschino
Poet; co-writer with Randy on “The Last of The Firsts”
Michelle Sim
Songwriter and poet (“More Than,” “Come And Dance With Me”)
Randy R. Stratton
Officiant and co-publisher; four original works in this collection
Bill Wood
Poet and songwriter; “Until We Meet Again” and “Cardinal” co-writer
Design by Adam Bogle. Published in June 2026 by Rosie, Maggie, Clare (RMC) Productions. ISBN 978-1-0695863-2-2.

Book Fact Sheet

Everything,
in one place.

Title
Celebrating Life
Subtitle
Ceremony Poems and Verses
Edition
June 2026, first edition
ISBN
978-1-0695863-2-2
Length
28 pages
Format
Free PDF download · roughly 500 KB
Works Included
22 poems, verses, and songs
Sections
Weddings (9 pieces) · Funerals and Celebrations of Life (13 pieces)
Featured Writers
Terah Cox · Linda Ellis · Doreen Harvey · Peter J. Meschino · Michelle Sim · Randy R. Stratton · Bill Wood
Additional Contributors
Rik Emmett · The Ennis Sisters · Paul Stookey · Wilferd A. Peterson · Richard Bach · Henry Scott Holland · Beinsa Duono (Peter Dunov)
Publisher
Rosie, Maggie, Clare (RMC) Productions
Design
Adam Bogle
Distributed by
Randy Stratton Wedding Officiants, Mississauga, Ontario

Where the Booklet Fits

Three ceremonies, one philosophy.

Celebrating Life reflects how Randy Stratton Wedding Officiants approach every ceremony we lead: the same care, the same attention to language, whether the moment is a wedding, a memorial, or a farewell. Here is where each of the works in the booklet is designed to be used.

Weddings & Vow Renewals

Nine wedding readings ranging from Paul's letter to the Corinthians and Wilferd Peterson's “The Art of Marriage” to newer works by Terah Cox and Randy's own “Seasons.” Something to fit whether your ceremony is spiritual, secular, or somewhere in between.

Celebrations of Life

Twelve readings for celebrations of life, focused on gratitude, memory, and the arc of a life well lived. Linda Ellis's “The Dash” and Randy's “Waves” both live in this section. Suitable for services led weeks, months, or years after the loss.

Funeral Services

Readings including Psalm 23, Henry Scott Holland's “Death Is Nothing At All,” and Peter J. Meschino's “The Hole In Your Heart.” All chosen for the tone and pacing of a service held in the immediate aftermath of loss, with pastoral presence at the centre.

How the Booklet Fits Your Ceremony

A starting point, not a script.

Every ceremony we write is custom, from a blank page. The booklet is designed to help couples and families find language, spark ideas, and skip the anxious hours of Googling for readings. Here is how we typically use it together.

1

Download and browse

Read through the collection at your own pace. Mark the pieces that resonate, and note anything that reminds you of a reading you have loved elsewhere.

2

Bring it to your planning call

When we meet, we work through what fits your ceremony and what does not. Some couples use one reading from the booklet, some use three, some use it purely as inspiration and go a different direction.

3

We write around your choices

Whether a chosen reading is Ecclesiastes, “The Wedding Song,” or something you send us from your own life, we write a ceremony that holds it in the right context and lets the moment breathe.

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Words that last the day, and beyond.

Whether you use one reading from Celebrating Life or none at all, Randy Stratton Wedding Officiants writes every ceremony from scratch, for the specific couple or family in front of us. Start with a free 30-minute consultation.

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Good to Know

Questions about the
booklet, answered.

Yes. There is no cost and no sign-up required. Download the PDF directly, share it with your family, print it if you find that easier. If you like, you can also request a printed copy when you book a consultation with us.

Not at all. The booklet is a starting point, not a requirement. Many of our couples arrive with readings from their own family history, favourite books, or scripture we would not have known to include. We work with whatever moves you.

The booklet is offered for personal reference. Every writer granted permission specifically for this publication. If you would like to reproduce a specific poem outside your own ceremony (in a printed program, on a memorial website, or in another commercial context), please contact the individual writer to request permission. For the classical readings (Ecclesiastes, Corinthians, Psalm 23), no permission is needed.

Seven writers contributed original works: Terah Cox, Linda Ellis, Doreen Harvey, Peter J. Meschino, Michelle Sim, Randy R. Stratton, and Bill Wood. Randy wrote four of the pieces (Waves, The Dime, Seasons, and co-wrote The Last of The Firsts with Peter J. Meschino). Additional readings by Rik Emmett, The Ennis Sisters, Paul Stookey, and classic authors round out the collection.

Yes. The June 2026 edition is the first release. Randy and the team plan to update the booklet on a regular basis as new works are contributed and new permissions come in. Check back or ask us at your consultation for the current edition.

Yes, this is part of what Randy does. Four of the works in the booklet were written by him specifically for the ceremonies he was leading. If you have a particular story you want captured in words, mention it at your consultation and Randy can write for your day.

The booklet was published in June 2026 by Rosie, Maggie, Clare (RMC) Productions, an independent Canadian imprint. Design is by Adam Bogle. ISBN 978-1-0695863-2-2.

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