Choosing a Reading For Your Ceremony.

Your wedding officiant has asked you if there's a special reading you'd like to have in your ceremony, and you draw a blank.  What's a reading?  Do I need one?  Where do I find one?  Can I have more than one?  Am I going to have to memorize it and say it myself?  Why are there so many decisions to make when planning a ceremony????

No worries!  That's what I'm here for!  A reading is a way to add personality into a ceremony.  It doesn't have to be a passage from the Bible, Quran or Bhagavad Gita, although it can be if you'd like.  You can choose to do something other than the usual "Love is patient.  Love is kind" passage, even if you decide to do a reading from the Bible.

If you're looking at a more traditional ceremony, you might choose something from sacred texts.  There are many passages in the Bible that work well beside 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  

You can choose a favorite poem.  You can choose the lyrics from a song that means something special to the two of you.  Perhaps there's a favorite bit of dialogue in movie you'd like to quote.  There are also ethnic marriage blessings that make wonderful readings, such as the Apache marriage blessing.   You can Google 'wedding readings' and there is a world of information available.  I have a wide selection available for my couples as well.

Who reads the reading?  Anyone you'd like to have read it, assuming they're willing to do so.  I can be a family member, friend, or you can have your officiant read it.  No need to have it memorized - no one expects that.  A piece of paper or note card is great.

One or two readings is all you need.  If your officiant is writing your ceremony for you, your personality and love will come through many other parts of your ceremony as well, such as a unity tradition, handfasting, rose tradition and more.