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Memorable Wedding Readings

You can have wedding readings at your ceremony whether it is religious or a non-religious service. Many couples will choose a reading that conveys the love they have for each other but without being too cheesy! The only rule with readings is that you run them past your wedding officiant first and get their approval; remember a civil ceremony must have no religious reference in it at all, so a bible reading would not be appropriate. Likewise some churches may not allow secular (non-religious) readings.

What is a Wedding Reading?
A wedding reading is often a poem, bible reading or a short story read out by someone chosen by you both. Many couples will choose a poem, perhaps one that is a favorite of theirs or suggested by a family member. Short stories, such as how the couple met can also make for nice wedding readings, although you may feel these are better saved for the wedding speeches.

Other popular readings come from the bible, prayers, sonnets and literature, some of which may already be familiar. It is worth taking some time to research your wedding readings carefully and to choose one which you feel has significance to you both. You can have more than one reading but you need to be aware of time constraints, so talk to your wedding officiant about the number of readings you can have and the schedule for your ceremony.

Popular Wedding Readings
Poems
• My Luve – By Robert Burns
• Sonnet from the Portuguese – By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• ‘A Dedication to my Wife’ – By T S Eliot
• Song of the Open Road – By Walt Whitman
• The Bargain – By Sir Philip Sidney

Prayers and the Bible
• Wedding Prayer – By Robert Louis Stevenson
• Song of Solomon 2:10-13
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
• Ruth 1:16-17

Literature
• The Symposium – By Plato
• Letters – By Rainer Maria Rilker
• Speak to Us of Love (from the Prophet) – By Kahlil Gilbran
• Foundations of Marriage – By Regina Hill

Who Gives the Reading?
When it comes to choosing someone to give a reading you need to consider two things – do they have any other duties to perform on the day? And are they good at public speaking? For some people the thought of giving any kind of speech be it a reading or otherwise, is too daunting and they wouldn’t be comfortable doing it, which would show when the time came to give the reading.

It is usual to choose someone who is close to you both i.e. a relative or close friend to give your wedding reading. When you chose the members of your wedding party – bridesmaids, best man, ushers etc, you may have been conscious of leaving someone out simply because there were just too many people to choose from. It would be a nice thought therefore to give them the task of giving your wedding reading and if you felt confident in doing so, allowing them to choose or even write the reading themselves.

Finally, don’t overlook your wedding programs. These are a nice addition to any wedding ceremony be it religious or civil and make lovely keepsakes for your guests. Many couples simply list the elements of the service inside, but it is also a nice idea to include your wedding readings or other poems etc, along with a brief account of how the two of you met.