The Blessing of the Hands poem is a 180-word wedding reading credited to Rev. Daniel L. Harris, a wedding officiant in the Chicago area. It is built from eight sentences, and each one starts with the same phrase, “These are the hands.” Together they trace a marriage from the wedding day to old age. That is why couples often choose it for the moment their hands are joined.
The reading has no religious references and no gendered pronouns, so it fits church weddings, civil ceremonies and same-sex weddings alike.
This guide gives you the poem’s words, what is known about who wrote it, how its wording changes from site to site, and how to shorten it or pair it with a Bible verse for your ceremony.
Blessing of the Hands Poem Words
Blessing of the Hands
Rev. Daniel L. Harris
These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are
holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and
forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with
the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow,
and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.
These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.
And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for
yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.
The reading is written as one prose paragraph, not in stanzas, and it is usually shared that way. Some couples break it into eight short lines, one for each “These are the hands” sentence, so the reader can pause between them.
Who Wrote the Blessing of the Hands Poem?
Rev. Daniel L. Harris is the name attached to the reading. He is a wedding officiant based in Lombard, Illinois, who has been part of the wedding industry since 1999 and performs custom, non-denominational, interfaith and civil ceremonies.
The detail most wedding sites miss sits on Harris’s own website. His list of romantic readings credits the piece as “Blessing of the Hands”, revised by Rev. Daniel L. Harris. The word “revised” suggests he reworked an earlier text, so it may not be wholly his own. An older version of the wording also appears in a 2010 wedding forum post with the same “revised by” credit.
No published source names an earlier author or gives a date for the original text. The safest credit for your program is “Blessing of the Hands by Rev. Daniel L. Harris,” since his is the version couples read today.
What the Blessing of the Hands Poem Says, Sentence by Sentence
The poem moves through married life in order, from the wedding day to the couple’s final years. Each sentence gives the partner’s hands one new job.
| Sentence | Stage of married life | What the hands do |
| 1 | The wedding day | Hold the partner’s hands as vows are made |
| 2 | Building a life | Work side by side on a shared future |
| 3 | Everyday love | Love, cherish and comfort with a touch |
| 4 | Hard times | Hold the partner through fear and grief |
| 5 | Tears | Wipe away tears of sorrow and of joy |
| 6 | Family | Hold children and keep the family together |
| 7 | Support | Give strength when it is needed |
| 8 | Old age | Still reach for the partner when wrinkled and aged |
Two choices in the writing explain why the poem works so well aloud. The first is the repeated opening. Guests catch the pattern by the second sentence, so each new line lands as an answer to “what will these hands do next?”
The second is the order. Grief and tears come before children and old age. So the reading admits marriage has hard seasons, but it does not end on them. The last sentence jumps decades ahead to aged hands that still reach out, and that is the image the reading closes on.
Why the Wording Changes From Site to Site
The reading circulates online in at least three slightly different versions. If you copy it from one site and your reader copies it from another, the words spoken at the ceremony may not match your program.
| Line | Version on Harris’s site | Common variations |
| Tears (sentence 5) | Includes a short aside tying the tears of joy to “today” | Aside dropped, leaving “tears of sorrow, and tears of joy” |
| Children and family (sentence 6) | One sentence covering children and holding the family as one | Split into two separate “These are the hands” sentences, or reworded to keeping the family “together as one” |
| Closing line | Opens with “And lastly” | Same on most sites |
None of the variations changes the meaning. Pick one version, give the same printed copy to your reader and your officiant, and use it for the program too.
[IMAGE: Printed wedding reading card with the Blessing of the Hands reading in simple script on cream paper | alt text: Printable Blessing of the Hands reading card for a wedding ceremony]
Using It as a Blessing of the Hands Wedding Reading
The Blessing of the Hands wedding reading works best at a point in the ceremony where the couple is already holding hands. Harris’s own site recommends reading it just before the exchange of rings, so the last image of hands reaching for each other leads straight into placing the rings.
The reading also suits a handfasting, where a cord or ribbon is tied around the couple’s joined hands. It can be read while the cord is wrapped or right after it is tied.
A few practical points help on the day:
- Who reads it: the officiant, a close friend or a family member. Because the poem speaks to the couple as “you,” the reader faces the couple, not the guests.
- Length: at about 180 words, it takes a minute or two to read at a calm pace.
- Who it fits: the gender-neutral wording means nothing needs changing for any couple, and the lack of religious language suits secular and interfaith ceremonies.
- Printing: credit Rev. Daniel L. Harris in your program.
A Short Blessing of the Hands Poem for the Wedding Ceremony
To make a short blessing of the hands poem for wedding ceremony use, keep three sentences from the full reading: the first (the wedding day), the fourth or fifth (fear, grief and tears) and the eighth (old age). That cut keeps the reading’s full arc, from the present to the far future, in under half the length.
If you trim it, keep the “These are the hands” opening on every sentence you use, because the repetition is what holds the reading together. It is courteous to mark it as “adapted from” Harris’s reading in your program.
Pairing the Poem With a Bible Verse
The reading itself has no Bible verse in it. Christian couples who want scripture in the same part of the service can use these three passages, which share the poem’s focus on two people joined and supporting each other:
| Verse | Why it pairs well |
| “Two are better than one,” and one lifts the other when they fall. Verse 12’s “threefold cord” fits a handfasting cord. | |
| Mark 10:9 | “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (KJV). Good right after the hands are joined. |
| Song of Solomon 8:6 | “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm” (KJV). Echoes the poem’s physical imagery. |
A simple order is to read the verse first and the poem second. The ceremony then moves from scripture to the couple’s own hands and then to the rings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Provide a Script for the Blessing of the Hands at a Wedding?
Yes. A simple script: the officiant says, “Please face each other and join hands.” Then: “Look at the hands you are holding, and listen to what they promise.” The reader then reads the poem. The officiant closes with, “May these hands always reach for each other,” and moves straight into the ring exchange.
What is a Good Blessing Message for a Wedding?
A good wedding blessing message is short, warm and focused on the couple’s future. Examples: “May your home be full of laughter and your hands never too busy to hold each other.” Or: “May you find in each other a best friend, a safe place and a lifelong partner.” Keep it to one or two sentences for cards or toasts.
What is a Hand Blessing Ceremony?
A hand blessing ceremony is a wedding ritual in which the couple joins hands while an officiant or reader speaks over them about the life those hands will build. It often sits next to the ring exchange or a handfasting, where a cord is tied around the joined hands. Guests see the promise as a physical act as well as hear it.
What are Some Good Poems to Read During a Wedding Ceremony?
Popular choices include William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet 43 (“How do I love thee?”) and Pablo Neruda’s Sonnet 17. For something less traditional, The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer also appears on officiants’ reading lists. Choose one that sounds natural when read aloud and fits your ceremony’s tone.
Is the Blessing of the Hands Poem Right for Your Ceremony?
The Blessing of the Hands poem is a strong choice for couples who want a reading that is short, easy to follow and suitable for any kind of ceremony. Its eight “These are the hands” sentences picture a whole marriage in under two minutes.
If you also want words for your vows or a card to your partner, our collection of I love you poems has short, sincere options to pair with it.
