50 Best Wedding Readings For Your Ceremony

You’ve said ‘yes’ to the love of your life, now it’s time to share that special moment with wedding readings! Whether you’re looking for a traditional wedding reading or something more modern, there are tons of unique and meaningful wedding readings from literature, film, music, and other sources that can add an extra touch of romance to your wedding ceremony. Here we’ll explore some of the best wedding readings to help you pick the perfect one for your special day.

Brides Often Ask

Beautiful Wedding Readings from Literature

“This is what love does: It makes you want to rewrite the world. It makes you want to choose the characters, build the scenery, guide the plot. The person you love sits across from you, and you want to do everything in your power to make it possible, endlessly possible. And when it’s just the two of you, alone in a room, you can pretend that this is how it is, this is how it will be.” – Every Day by David Levithan.

“Once upon a time, there was a boy. He lived in a village that no longer exists, in a house that no longer exists, on the edge of a field that no longer exists, where everything was discovered, and everything was possible. A stick could be a sword, a pebble could be a diamond, a tree, or a castle. Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived in a house across the field, from a girl who no longer exists. They made up a thousand games. She was queen and he was king. In the autumn light, her hair shone like a crown.” – A History of Love by Nicole Krauss.

“At night, there was the feeling that we had come home, feeling no longer alone, waking in the night to find the other one there, and not gone away; all other things were unreal. We slept when we were tired and if we woke the other one woke too so one was not alone. Often a man wishes to be alone and a woman wishes to be alone too and if they love each other they are jealous of that in each other, but I can truly say we never felt that. We could feel alone when we were together, alone against the others. We were never lonely and never afraid when we were together.” – A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.

“What I’m feeling, I think, is joy. And it’s been some time since I’ve felt that blinkered rush of happiness. This might be one of those rare events that last, one that’ll be remembered and recalled as months and years wind and ravel. One of those sweet, significant moments that leaves a footprint in your mind. A photograph couldn’t ever tell its story. It’s like something you have to live to understand. – Excerpt from Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.

“I am, he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. ‘I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, that oblivion is inevitable, that we’re all doomed, and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.” – The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

Readings from the literature are hypnotic and are a way for literature enthusiasts to express what they feel. There are many literature excerpts that talk about love and marriage in words that speak to everyone.

Traditional Religious Wedding Readings

Traditional religious ceremony readings have depth and some elements of spirituality. These readings are for couples who want to keep it traditional and religious but interesting at once. Whether Irish wedding readings, union by Robert Fulghum, or religious readings from other cultures, there is something to pick from here.

Traditional Irish Blessing

“May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.”

“The Prayer” by St. Francis of Assisi

“Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;
O, Divine Master, Grant that we may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.”

A Chinese Wedding Poem

“I want to be your friend forever and ever.
When the hills are all flat
And the rivers run dry;
When the trees blossom in winter
And the snow falls in summer;
When heaven and earth mix,
Not till then will I part from you.”

Buddhist Blessing

“Do not deceive, do not despise each other anywhere. Do not be angry nor bear secret resentments; for as a mother will risk her life and watches over her child, so boundless be your love to all, so tender, kind and mild.

Cherish goodwill right and left, early and late, and without hindrance, without stint, be free of hate and envy, while standing and walking and sitting down, whatever you have in mind, the rule of life that is always best is to be loving-kind.”

Catholic Wedding Readings

“Two is better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart… I’ll always be with you.” – “Winnie the Pooh,” by A. A. Milne.

“His hello was the end of her endings.
Her laugh was their first step down the aisle.
His hand would be hers to hold forever.
His forever was as simple as her smile.
He said she was what was missing.
She said instantly she knew.
She was a question to be answered.
And his answer was “I do.” – Sex and the City.

“So this is love
So this is what makes life divine
I’m all aglow
And now I know
The key to all heaven is mine
My heart has wings
And I can fly
I’ll touch every star in the sky
So this is the miracle
That I’ve been dreaming of
So this is love.” – Cinderella.

“You were you and I was I;
we were two before our time
I was yours, before I knew,
and you have always
been mine too.” – Always, by Lang Leav.

“Madly in love after so many years … they enjoyed the miracle of loving each other as much at the table as in bed, and they grew to be so happy that even when they were two worn-out old people they kept on blooming like little children and playing together like dogs.” – 100 Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez.

Looking for non-religious readings that fit your theme, with emotions and all the right words? All that you will find in this category. This category is for the couple that wants to do away with all semblance of religion while maintaining the intimacy of words. Some of our favorites are below.

Inspiring Wedding Readings from Movies

“I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because 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.

“I want to make you smile whenever you’re sad, to carry you around when your arthritis is bad. All I want to do is grow old with you. I’ll get your medicine when your tummy aches, Build you a fire if the furnace breaks. Oh, it could be so nice, growing old with you I’ll miss you Kiss you Give you my coat when you are cold Need you Feed you Even let you hold the remote control So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink Put you to bed if you’ve had too much to drink I could be the man who grows old with you I want to grow old with you.” – The Wedding Singer.

“For so long I wondered if I would ever find my prince, my soulmate. Then three years ago, at another wedding, I turned to a friend for comfort. And instead, I found everything that I’d ever been looking for my whole life. And now here we are with our future before us, and I only want to spend it with you, my prince, my soulmate, my friend.” – Friends.

“You know when I said I knew little about love? That wasn’t true. I know a lot about love. I’ve seen it, centuries and centuries of it, and it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable. All those wars. Pain, lies, hate it made me want to turn away and never look down again. But when I see the way that mankind loves you could search to the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful. So yes, I know that love is unconditional.” – Excerpt Quote from Yvaine in Stardust.

“I haven’t been together with Topanga for twenty-two years, but we have been together for sixteen. ‘Kay, that’s a lot longer than most couples have been together. I mean, when we were born, you told me that we used to take walks in our strollers together in the park. When we were two, we were best friends, I mean, I, I knew everything about this girl. I knew her favorite color. I knew her favorite food. Then we became six, you know, and Eric made fun of me because it wasn’t cool to have a best friend that was a girl or even know a girl, so for the next seven years I threw dirt at her.” – Excerpt from Boy Meets World.

This category is for couples who binge on movies to pass time. This is an opportunity to include those movie quotes that they love in their wedding. From the oldies to new movies, there’s something to pick from. Get all the best readings from all of the best movies.

Unique Wedding Readings for Non-Traditional Couples

Lyrics from “Red Right Ankle” by the Decemberists

“This is the story of your red right ankle,
and how it came to meet your leg
and how the muscle, bone, and sinews tangled,
and how the skin was softly shaped,
and how it whispered, “Oh, adhere to me
for we are bound by symmetry.
And whatever differences our lives have been
we together make a limb.”
This is the story of your red right ankle.”

“II” from “Twenty-One Love Poems” by Adrienne Rich

“I wake up in your bed. I know I have been dreaming.
Much earlier, the alarm broke us from each other,
you’ve been at your desk for hours. I know what I dreamed:
our friend the poet comes into my room
where I’ve been writing for days,
drafts, carbons, poems are scattered everywhere,
and I want to show her one poem
which is the poem of my life. But I hesitate,
and wake. You’ve kissed my hair
to wake me.”

Two Fragments by Sappho

“Love holds me captive again
and I tremble with bittersweet longing
As a gale on the mountainside bends the oak tree
I am rocked by my love”

Excerpts from “The Good-Morrow” by John Donne

“I wonder by my troth, what thou and I
Did, till we loved? were we not weaned till then?
But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?
Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?
‘Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be;
If ever any beauty I did see,
Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.”

“To Diego and Frida” A Toast by Tina Modotti Excerpt

“I don’t believe in marriage. No, I really don’t. Let me be clear about that. I think at worst it’s a hostile political act, a way for small-minded men to keep women in the house and out of the way, wrapped up in the guise of tradition and conservative religious nonsense. At best, it’s a happy delusion.”

For the non-traditional couple who want unique readings at their weddings, this is your category. These marriage readings stand out and draw emotion from everyone. These are words that’ll give your wedding a lift.

Funny Ceremony Wedding Readings

Excerpt from the Sandman by Neil Gaiman

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn’t it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life… You give them a piece of you.”

Excerpt from “Oh, The Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. You’ll look up and down streets. Look ’em over with care. About some, you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”

Some Things Go Together by Charlotte Zolotow

“Pairs of things that go together. Pigeons with parkStars with dark. Sand with seaand you with me.… Hats with heads. Pillows with beds. Sky with blue and me with you.”

Excerpt From “To My Valentine” by Ogden Nash

“More than a catbird hates a cat, Or a criminal hates a clue, Or the Axis hates the United States, That’s how much I love you. I love you more than a duck can swim, And more than a grapefruit squirts, I love you more than a gin rummy is a bore, And more than a toothache hurts. As a shipwrecked sailor hates the sea, Or a juggler hates a shove, As a hostess detests unexpected guests, That’s how much you I love.”

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

“And then, high up on an icy branch, a scarlet flash. One more leaf holding tight.”You’re here?” called the Little Yellow Leaf. “I am,” said the Little Scarlet Leaf. “Like me!” said the Little Yellow Leaf. Neither spoke. Finally “Will you?” asked the Little Scarlett Leaf. “I will!” said the Little Yellow Leaf. And one, two, three, they let go and soared.””

Weddings are days of joy, merriment, and most importantly, emotions. If you do not want something cheesy, but light-hearted enough to make everyone laugh, choose funny readings. They would leave the guests laughing at every single line. This is without losing its essence while putting out everything you feel.

Romantic Secular Wedding Readings

Romantic secular wedding readings are for hopelessly romantic couples who want to get creative. Those who want some romance without any traditional flavor to it. The inspiration for some of these readings comes from song lyrics. Lyrics filled with romantic quotes that tell stories of love which couples can relate to.

Edward Monkton

“That still and settled place
In that still and settled place
There’s nobody but you
You’re where I breathe my oxygen
You’re where I see my view
And when the world feels full of noise
My heart knows what to do
It finds that still and settled place
And dances there with you.”

That’s Relativity by Albert Einstein

“Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love.
How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?
Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour.
Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity.”

They Brought you to me by Pablo Neruda

“I love your feet because they have wandered over the earth and through the wind and water until they brought you to me.”

Mutual Weirdness by Robert Fulghum

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutual weirdness and call it love.”

To Love Is Not To Possess by James Kavanaugh

“To love is not to possess, to own or imprison, nor to lose one’s self in another.
Love is to join and separate, to walk alone and together, to find a laughing freedom that lonely isolation does not permit.
It is finally to be able to be who we really are, no longer clinging in childish dependency nor docilely living separate lives in silence, it is to be perfectly one’s self and perfectly joined in a permanent commitment to another and to one’s inner self.”

Short Wedding Readings For Ceremony

From The Road by Cormac McCarthy

“Lying under such a myriad of stars. The sea’s black horizon. He rose and walked out and stood barefoot in the sand and watched the pale surf appear all down the shore and roll and crash and darken again. When he went back to the fire he knelt and smoothed her hair as she slept and he said if he were God he would have made the world just so and no different.”

Excerpt from Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton

“I like you a lot. You’re funny and kind. So let me explain what I have in mind. I want to be Your Personal Penguin. I want to walk right by your side. I want to be Your Personal Penguin. I want to travel with you far and wide.”

From The Princess Bride

“True love is the greatest thing, in the world-except for a nice MLT mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe.”

I Love You by Freya Matthews

“This is the only sacred word in my keeping. This is the last trace, the last print in our hearts’ waste, of the migration of a thousand traditions, a thousand embodiments of wisdom. I stand with useless hands, and out of the transparency of my poverty, I offer you this, my single gift.”

The Love Of God by Dante Alighieri

“The love of God, unutterable and perfect, flows into a pure soul the way light rushes into a transparent object. The more love we receive, the more love we shine forth; so that, as we grow clear and open, the more complete the joy of loving is. And the more souls who resonate together, the greater the intensity of their love, for, mirror-like, each soul reflects the other.”

As much as couples want to express how they feel with the right words, most couples want snappy. Why make it so long when it can be concise, powerful, and hit its proposed target? In this category, you will get all the inspiration you need for your short readings.

Wedding Reading about Love with Examples

Excerpt from the Promise by Heather Berry

“Within this blessed union of souls, where two hearts intertwine to become one, there lies a promise. Perfectly born, divinely created, and intimately shared, it is a place where the hope and majesty of beginnings reside. Where all things are made possible by the astounding love shared by two spirits.

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

“People are like cities: We all have alleys and gardens and secret rooftops and places where daisies sprout between the sidewalk cracks, but most of the time all we let each other see is a postcard glimpse of a skyline or a polished square. Love lets you find those hidden places in another person, even the ones they didn’t know were there, even the ones they wouldn’t have thought to call beautiful themselves.”

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

“I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who’s ever lived: I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.”

Excerpt From The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach

“A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. .”

Adam Bede by George Eliot

“What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life — to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting?”

A wedding reading about love goes beyond taking readings for the sake of having readings at a wedding. This type of wedding reading concentrates and talks about love, its essence, its strength, and how one relates to it. Get your inspiration from our favorite picks on readings about love.

Wedding Readings for Gay Couples

“Love is a great thing, yea, a great and thorough good. By itself it makes that is heavy light; and it bears evenly all that is uneven. It carries a burden which is no burden; it will not be kept back by anything low and mean; it desires to be free from all wordy affections, and not to be entangled by any outward prosperity, or by any adversity subdued.” – Excerpt from Love Is a Great Thing by Thomas a Kempis.

“My true love hath my heart and I have his,
By just exchange one for another given
I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss,
There never was a better bargain driven
My true love hath my heart and I have his.
His heart in me keeps him and me in one,
My heart in him his thoughts and senses guides
He loves my heart, for once it was his own,
I cherish his because in me it bides
My true love hath my heart and I have his.” – My True Love by Sir Phillip Sydney.

“When I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv’d with plaudits in the capitol, still it was not a happy night for me that follow’d,
And else when I carous’d, or when my plans were accomplish’d, stillI was not happy,
But the day when I rose at dawn from the bed of perfect health, refresh’d, singing, inhaling the ripe breath of autumn…” – Excerpt From Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.

“All through eternity
Beauty unveils His exquisite form
in the solitude of nothingness;
He holds a mirror to His Face
and beholds His own beauty.
He is the knower and the known,
the seer and the seen;
No eye but His own
has ever looked upon this Universe….” – Excerpt From All through eternity By Rumi.

“He seems to be a god, that man
Facing you, who leans to be close,
Smiles, and, alert and glad, listens
To your mellow voice
And quickens in love at your laughter
That stings my breasts, jolts my heart
If I dare the shock of a glance…..” – Excerpt From The Arbor By Sappho.

We find love in all places and it’s a universal word that defies gender or race. Our readings for gay couples express the special love they share and how they don’t take it for granted. They combine traditional, modern, and alternative readings which give the day some spice.

Wedding ceremony readings make a very important part of a wedding day, one you cannot do without. These marriage blessings help you express all you cannot say in words that speak. Ensure you do it right by making a choice from our round-off of popular wedding readings. Regardless of your wedding packages, theme, or type, whether religious, traditional, or same-sex weddings. There is something here to serve everyone. Read through, make your pick, and have a wedding day to remember.