Crafting The Perfect Wedding Reading: A Guide To Writing A Heartfelt Tribute

Wedding readings are a great way to personalise your ceremony and bring in additional voices. They can be used to deepen the theme of the wedding and are a chance to include something meaningful to you and your partner.

Wedding readings can be almost anything, from scripture from a religious text, to a poem, song lyrics, a movie quote, a literary passage, or something written especially for the couple.

If you've been asked to do a reading at a wedding, it's an honour, but it's also completely normal to feel nervous about standing up and reading in front of all the other guests. It's a good idea to practise your reading until you know it well, and to visualise yourself delivering it confidently.

If you're choosing a reading for a wedding, it's worth considering the couple's personalities, their sense of humour, and the style and tone of the wedding.

Choosing a wedding reading that reflects your personality

• Think about what's meaningful to you as a couple: Consider passages from literature, poetry, movies, or songs that have spoken to you over the years and clarified what love, marriage, and commitment mean to you. Opt for something that resonates with your relationship or fits the style of your wedding.
• Look for inspiration in your favourite books and movies: If you share a love for a particular novel, include a romantic excerpt from it. You can also draw inspiration from movies or TV shows, especially if there's a quote that holds a special meaning for you.
• Incorporate your sense of humour: Adding a touch of humour to your wedding ceremony can lighten the mood and make it more enjoyable for your guests. Consider a funny poem or a lighthearted passage from a book or movie that reflects your playful side.
• Make it personal: If you and your partner enjoy writing to each other, consider sharing your love letters or emails as wedding readings. It's a unique and intimate way to showcase your personalities and your journey together.
• Think outside the box: Don't be afraid to choose a non-traditional wedding reading. Lyrics from your favourite songs, quotes from children's books, or even lines from a beloved TV show can be just as meaningful and impactful as a classic poem or literary passage.
• Involve your loved ones: If you're having trouble choosing a reading, consider the people who will be speaking at your ceremony. You can tailor the reading to the reader's interests or strengths, such as a Shakespeare buff or a young child who can deliver a passage from a children's book.
• Keep it concise: Remember that each reading should ideally be no longer than three minutes to maintain your guests' engagement. When selecting a reading, time yourself reading it slowly and clearly to ensure it fits within this timeframe.

How to deliver a wedding reading

Preparation

Being asked to do a reading at a wedding is a huge honour, but it can also be nerve-wracking. The key to delivering a confident reading is preparation. Here are some tips to help you prepare:

• Know your place: Find out where in the ceremony you will be reading and ask the celebrant what your cue will be. Spend a few minutes before the wedding starts with the celebrant to make sure you are clear on where you will be standing and whether you will be using a microphone.
• Practise: Get to know your reading really well. You don't have to memorise it, but you should be very familiar with it. Read it out loud at least 15 times. Record yourself doing the reading so that you can notice more easily if there are any parts that need to be emphasised or where the pace could change to make it have more impact.
• Mark up your copy: Make sure you have a clear, printed copy of your reading with annotations to help you. Place a '//' where you want to pause, highlight or underline words you want to emphasise and draw squiggles to show where you need to speed up, slow down or watch out for tear-triggering moments.
• Visualise: Visualisation is a powerful technique. Spend a few minutes each day visualising yourself delivering your reading clearly and confidently. 'See' yourself standing tall and happy, and 'hear' the words you've been practising coming out just the way you want them to.
• Look after yourself: Get plenty of rest the night before the wedding and stay hydrated. Avoid dairy, which can affect the voice.
• Warm up: Warm up your face and voice before the wedding. Try pulling big grins, yawning, rolling your neck and shoulders, singing scales, lip trilling and saying tongue twisters.

Delivery

When it's time to deliver your reading, remember:

• Don't rush: Take your time. Stop and take a deep breath before you start. Use that moment to remember your visualisation and ground yourself.
• Slow down and enunciate: Nerves can make people speak faster, so make a conscious effort to slow down. Pause between sentences and focus on delivering each word clearly.
• Use a microphone: If there is one, use a microphone, but still speak clearly. If there is no microphone, project your voice so that you can be heard at the back of the room.
• Don't worry about crying: If you feel yourself getting emotional, don't be afraid to stop for a moment. Take another breath, ground yourself and carry on.

Choosing a reading

If the couple hasn't given you a specific reading, you could try searching for something that reflects their personalities, sense of humour and wedding style. Think about their favourite films, books, songs or poems, or try searching for something related to their interests, e.g. 'poem for dog lovers'. You could also consider song lyrics or a passage from a favourite book.

How to introduce a wedding reading

Wedding readings are a great way to personalise your ceremony and bring in additional voices. They can be used to deepen the theme of the wedding and are a wonderful opportunity to include a reading that resonates with both the couple and the person delivering the reading.

• Know your place in the ceremony: Ask the officiant where in the ceremony you will be reading, so you can relax and fully enjoy the ceremony.
• Prepare and practise: Get to know your reading well. You don't have to memorise it, but you should be very familiar with it. Practise reading it out loud at least 15 times.
• Mark up your copy: Make sure you have a clear, marked-up copy of your reading. Highlight or underline words you want to emphasise and make notes to help with your delivery.
• Visualise your reading going well: Visualisation is a powerful technique. Spend a few minutes each day visualising yourself delivering your reading confidently and calmly.
• Look after yourself: Get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and eat something light before you set off. Avoid dairy, which can negatively affect the voice.
• Warm up: Warm up your face and voice before the wedding. Try exaggerated yawning, rolling your neck and shoulders, singing scales, and saying tongue twisters.
• Take your time: Don't rush when you walk up to deliver your reading. Stop and take a deep breath before you start.
• Ground yourself: Take a moment to feel the floor beneath your feet and imagine yourself rooted to the ground. This can help to calm your nerves.
• Slow down and enunciate: Nerves can make people speak faster, so make a conscious effort to slow down. Take breaths between sentences and pause where necessary.
• Use a microphone: If you're given a microphone, use it, but still speak clearly. If there's no microphone, project your voice so that everyone can hear you, especially those with hearing difficulties.

Choosing a wedding reading

Wedding readings can be almost anything, from religious texts and poems to song lyrics, movie quotes, literary passages, or something written especially for the couple. Here are some tips on choosing a wedding reading:

• Consider the couple's personalities, sense of humour, and wedding style: Think about what the couple likes and what you know about their wedding style. This will help you choose something that suits them.
• Get specific with your searches: Try search terms like 'poem for dog lovers', 'quotes from their favourite film', or 'lyrics to one of their favourite songs'.
• Consider the length: If you're choosing a long reading, make sure you practise to build up your stamina. Readings should be no longer than three to five minutes.
• Don't limit yourself to traditional readings: Think outside the box. Consider song lyrics or even the lyrics to one of their favourite songs.
• Make a long list and narrow it down: Make a list of all the readings you like and then narrow it down to the best options.
• Get help: If the couple is working with a celebrant, ask them for suggestions and advice. Celebrants will know the couple and their wedding style and can offer ideas and support.

When to include a wedding reading in the ceremony

Wedding readings are an excerpt of text often included in a wedding ceremony script. They are used to personalise the ceremony and bring in additional voices, so it's not just the officiant talking the whole time. They are also used to further develop and deepen the theme of the ceremony or the wedding in general.

Typically, readings take place toward the beginning of the ceremony, after the officiant has made their introduction and before the wedding vows. However, depending on your ceremony style, your officiant may have suggestions for other appropriate times for ceremony readings.

The readings portion of your ceremony should last no more than five minutes, and each individual reading should be one to three minutes each.

How many readings to include

Firstly, it is important to keep in mind the length of your wedding ceremony. If you are having a shorter ceremony, you may want to limit the number of readings to one or two. The readings portion of your ceremony should ideally last no more than five minutes, and each individual reading should be one to three minutes long.

Secondly, you should consider who you want to include in your ceremony. Wedding readings are a great way to honour loved ones and give them a special role in your big day, especially those who are not in the wedding party. If you have a lot of loved ones you would like to include, you can have multiple people perform a single reading, with each person reading a short portion.

Lastly, you should choose readings that reflect your personalities and love story. You can include a variety of readings such as religious readings, poetry readings, cultural readings, readings from literature, song readings, movie readings, and quotes from people you admire.

Ultimately, the number of readings you include in your wedding ceremony is up to you and your partner. Whether you choose to include one, two, or more readings, make sure they are meaningful and add depth and personality to your ceremony.

Frequently asked questions