There are so many options available today to help make weddings
special that the happy couple planning their marriage ceremony
may have to make some difficult choices as far as just what
features to include. One semi-traditional aspect of the wedding
ceremony that can help lend a spark of romance to the event is
the literary wedding reading. Recitation of romantic poetry,
heartfelt prose, or Shakespearean verse during the wedding
ceremony can add a refined touch to an already beautiful
occasion.

Selections of wedding readings can run the gamut of available
literature; from writings as old as Biblical passages to the
more modern works of authors and poets like Amy Tan and Maya
Angelou. Any piece that relates a theme of love, devotion, or
commitment can be appropriate as a wedding reading. The choice,
really, is up to the couple as far as what they'd like to have
as a wedding reading. Following are some traditional, modern,
and more unusual wedding readings.

Love Poems/Prose:

Poetry and prose about love and devotion make for wonderful
wedding readings and it is selections from this category that
you will hear most often. Favorites here include Shakespearean
sonnets, the famous How Do I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, and selections from The Prophet by Kahil Gibran, but
can, again, include virtually anything that the couple would
like to include. Thoughtful, insightful, and moving passages
are the key to having your wedding reading stand out in the
minds of your guests.

Inspirational Readings:

A favorite of religious wedding services, inspirational wedding
readings are also quite common. The Bible is a fantastic source
for these types of readings and certain passages have become
standard fare in many church wedding services. Most familiar
here is the instantly recognized "Love is patient and kind…"
reading from I Corinthians and the "husbands love your wives"
passage from the fifth chapter of Ephesians. Inspirational
poetry can be used here as well as quotations from
inspirational speakers. Anything that is spiritually uplifting
and appropriate for the occasion will work here.

Out of the Ordinary Wedding Readings:

Some wedding readings can be very creative, while others are
just plain odd. I attended a wedding between two aspiring
actors. Both the bride and the groom as well as several members
of the wedding party were active in community theater. They used
their wedding ceremony as an opportunity to perform for their
guests and actually acted out the famous balcony scene from
Romeo and Juliet, complete with Elizabethan costumes. Another
wedding experience featured the bride and groom reciting the
lyrics to Meat Loaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Light which,
while certainly an inappropriate selection for most weddings,
seemed to fit their personalities and got quite a laugh from
the guests. Clearly readings like this are not going to work
for every wedding, but the examples do serve to show that the
choices in wedding reading selection are really unlimited. The
choice of whether to include a wedding reading in your
ceremony, as well as what material to use, lies entirely with
you.


About The Author: Kirsten Hawkins is an event planner from
Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.wedding411.net/ for more event
planning tips, strategies, and resources.