After our discussion earlier in the week about what on earth you can write in the wedding guestbook we set John Thorp the task of finding some good quotations about love that weren't entirely vomit-inducing.

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Love is a many-splendored thing. Love makes the world go round. All you need is love. All famous quotes about love that frankly have been done to death now. If you’re looking for a few lines about love to cram in a wedding card, or pep up your speech and make it look as if you’ve actually read a book, then have we got a treat for you. Purloined from different sources around the world/web, we’ve put together quotes about love and marriage for you to use and abuse, and we’ve even highlighted some that perhaps you should avoid.

“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

When Harry Met Sally

This one's good, as it's quite lovely and thanks to Meg Ryan faking an orgasm in a restaurant, nobody remembers this part.

“For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked.”

Bill Cosby

Ah, good old Bill. This is best delivered perched on a stool, sporting a seasonal sweater.

"And in the end, the love we take will be equal to the love we make."

The End, The Beatles

Guaranteed to send the reception into a psychedelic emotional love-in, just by the power of your very words.

“Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth. Deal with it.”

George Carlin

This recently deceased US comic's quote might seem cynical at first glance, but is actually quite sweet and supportive at a second. Could bring the funnies with the right crowd. Certainly a better idea than his famous 'Seven Words You Can't Say on Television' routine.

“Love and Marriage/Love and Marriage/Go together like a Horse and Carriage.”

Frank Sinatra

Rhythmic simplicity from famous crooner Frank Sinatra. For maximum effect as a speech, keep repeating constant, then slowly turn it into a song, and begin clapping.

“Now Join your Hands. And with your Hands, your Hearts.”

William Shakespeare

This hotly-tipped young writer really seems to have it down with this one, eh?

“Who, being loved, is poor?”

Oscar Wilde

Another of England's great writers provides one of his endearingly consistent quotes that will fit in perfectly after any wedding costs joke, or indeed, during a national recession. Bottoms up!

“When you are in Love, You can't fall asleep, because reality is better than your dreams”

Dr. Suess

Across the pond, the world's daft-as-old-hats children's author has gotten all sentimental, although for all the sentiment here, where's the rhyme?!

“To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love; but then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer, to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love; to be happy then is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy; therefore to be unhappy one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down.”

Woody Allen

As this is spoken by Allen in Love and Death, this is best as a verbal pronouncement, but it can be tricky, let's say if you've got the wit and delivery of one of the greatest satirists of all time, it's worth a punt.

“Love is in all things a most wonderful teacher …”

Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend

You said it Chuck.

Five to avoid

“Marriage is like a tense, unfunny version of Everybody Loves Raymond, only it doesn't last 22 minutes. It lasts forever.”

Paul Rudd, Knocked Up

“For you see, marriage is a lot like an orange. First, you have the skin… then the sweet, sweet innards…”

Homer Simpson

“If variety is the spice of life, marriage is the big can of leftover Spam.”

Jonny Carson

"I've sometimes thought of marrying, and then I've thought again."

Noel Coward

“When a man opens the car door for his wife, it's either a new car or a new wife.”

Our very own Prince Phillip