Make Sure They're Meaningful to You
One of the most significant ways to personalize your wedding—and particularly, your ceremony—is to choose wedding ceremony readings that are meaningful to you. Here are a few ideas to consider when choosing passages:
Are you a literary person? If so, you have a wealth of material to choose from. Start by thinking about your favorite quotes. Do they express how you feel about each other? Or, do they make some sort of large statement about the world and your commitment to each other? Do they inspire you? If you are having trouble deciding on a passage, you can even look up quotes online, and then try to find the context in which they were spoken (or written). Sometimes, you will find some great passages that surround the famous quote (that people are not as familiar with but will enjoy hearing).
If you are not particularly fond of books, Shakespeare or poetry, then perhaps think of your favorite songs and consider reading the lyrics, if they are appropriate to your relationship. Perhaps you both have a song that really captures the time when you first met, or expresses the way you feel about each other. Lyrics are poetry, just as much as Shakespeare. Make sure that the song you choose is meaningful to both of you, and worthy to be read on your big day.
Are you spiritual? If your relationship is grounded in a certain religion, then choosing a quote from a sacred text may be the perfect option for wedding ceremony readings. Most religious and/or spiritual books have plenty to say about unconditional love, often the basis for a lasting marriage.
If you are bilingual, you could read a text in your native language. The nuances of language are endless, and a text in one language can have a different feel when translated to another. If you choose to do this (and there are people at your wedding who do not speak the language), it is a good idea to either read the passage in English afterward, or to print it in your program as a reference. Your guests will want to know what was said! In a 2011 wedding in Long Beach, CA, most of the attendants were Chinese, but many were also American. The parents of the bride and groom each read some passages, first in Chinese and then in English. It was very special, and everyone understood and could relate to what was said. This was a great way to incorporate Chinese wedding ceremony traditions (namely, the reverence given to the wisdom of elders and parents) at an otherwise Western wedding.
Write your own readings and/or wedding ceremony vows. This is perhaps the most difficult of all of the options, but completely worth the undertaking. You do not have to be the best writer, or the most eloquent person. Just write simple statements that capture how you feel about the person and how you intend to make them happy. You can always have a writer friend look over your work to make sure your writing flows!