When I was an actor, it was easy to take public speaking for granted. Back in the day I used to role play in major financial institutions, for people in what I used to term as ‘normal jobs’ – which isn’t even a thing anymore – and it suddenly dawned on me, that I was probably the exception. I was being hired because of my soft skills, not because I could manage a hedge fundhttps://www.abifishercelebrant.co.uk/about/.
Think About Who and Why
Wedding readings also mean speaking in public. They are personal reflections of who you are, your family, your friends, your pets, your struggles, your joys and your journey to this exact moment in time. But how do you find the right one for you? How on earth do you distil all of that into a few stanzas? There is also the person reading it to consider. Are they a nervous speaker or do they boldly revel in flamboyancy? And who is speaking? A friend, a sibling, your Mum, your Dad, your grandparents or YOU? There is a lot to think about.
To help take the pressure off, I’ve rounded up x 10 of my favourites to get you going. Some of the below are ambiguous and offer great flexibility when it comes to who is reading. A mix of short and longer pieces, storytelling, inspiration from films and books, songs, musical theatre and how could I forget – a bit of Shakespeare.
My 10 Choices:
For the magic in the mundane – Dust; by Harry Baker
It’s not the flowers, it’s the weeding in the mud with you.
It’s not the champagne, it’s the cuppa in the favourite mug you use.
It’s not the chocolate, ok yes it is but not one or two
It is becoming Bruce Bogtrotter or Augustus Gloop.
It’s voting frozen pizza over fancy grub with you
because some nights nothing can beat a slice of comfort food.
It’s knowing anything I eat will include some for you
because you’re not hungry but you might just have a couple of spoons.
It’s not the dreaming, it’s the waking up with you;
I want to be here long enough to gather dust with you.
For the hopefuls – Love is the Answer; Donna Ashworth
When I say that love is the answer
I mean it
you have to love
with every inch of your soul.
Love your people
love them as though your love is the answer
because it is.
Love things
not material things
things that come for free
and when you find the things
that you particularly love
love the heck out of them.
Get passionate
every day
about things which spark your spirit.
LOVE your life
Love your LIFE.
You’re not here to walk on broken glass
you’re here to find your joy
so find it
in every moment you can.
When I say that love is the answer
I mean it.
For the musos – The Power of Love; Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
Dreams are like angels
They keep bad at bay, bad at bay
Love is the light
Scaring darkness away
I’m so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on, burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
I’ll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down I’ll be around
With my undying, death-defying love for you
Envy will hurt itself
Let yourself be beautiful
Sparkling love, flowers
And pearls and pretty girls
Love is like an energy
Rushin’ an’ rushin’ inside of me,
This time we go sublime
Lovers entwine, divine, divine
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love is pure, the only treasure
The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
A sky-scraping dove
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal.
For the film buffs – The New Years Eve Scene from When Harry Met Sally; Nora Ephron
‘“I love that you get cold when it’s seventy-one 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 realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
For the theatricals – Sonnet 116; William Shakespeare
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments; love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring bark
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come.
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom:
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
For another chance – Later Love; Liz Lefroy
This later love is better, worse,
Knows all, forgives, but not all,
Is filled with contradictions
Of terror and lust, desiring
Both distance, and sudden intimacy.
It shadows itself, is itself shadowed
By recollections not its own.
It is the palate of the wise,
And has forgotten what this tasted like.
This love is slender, it mends itself
And everything that it will break.
I know it. It will. It will.
For the romantics- Invisible Kisses; Lemn Sissay
If there was ever one
Whom when you were sleeping
Would wipe your tears
When in dreams you were weeping;
Who would offer you time
When others demand;
Whose love lay more infinite
Than grains of sand.
If there was ever one
To whom you could cry;
Who would gather each tear
And blow it dry;
Who would offer help
On the mountains of time;
Who would stop to let each sunset
Soothe the jaded mind.
If there was ever one
To whom when you run
Will push back the clouds
So you are bathed in sun;
Who would open arms
If you would fall;
Who would show you everything
If you lost it all.
If there was ever one
Who when you achieve
Was there before the dream
And even then believed;
Who would clear the air
When it’s full of loss;
Who would count love
Before the cost.
If there was ever one
Who when you are cold
Will summon warm air
For your hands to hold;
Who would make peace
In pouring pain,
Make laughter fall
In falling rain.
If there was ever one
Who can offer you this and more;
Who in keyless rooms
Can open doors;
Who in open doors
Can see open fields
And in open fields
See harvests yield.
Then see only my face
In reflection of these tides
Through the clear water
Beyond the river side.
All I can send is love
In all that this is
A poem and a necklace
Of invisible kisses.
For the realities- Scaffolding; Seamus Heaney
Masons, when they start upon a building,
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;
Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.
And yet all this comes down when the job’s done
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.
So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me
Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall
Confident that we have built our wall.
For simplicity – Valentine; Donald Britton
At first, we had ways of talking
That filled up the evening
Until some things could be said. It was a made up
Situation in which lives could be lost.
Whatever that was now grows inside
Our bodies – a spongy, pulpy cell –
Causing pieces of paper we hold
In our hands to appear
And disappear. All I ask
is to take me away from this place,
To another place, very much like
This place, where we can meet
And six months later
Be married. You laughed and went with me.
For the musical theatre fans – Grow Old With Me; from the song by Jason Robert Brown
Grow old with me
Stay as the days go past
Grow old with me
Some things are meant to last
If you’ll agree, heaven might wait
We could delay our expiration date
Grow old with me
Teach me the words to sing
When my last spring has finally sprung
Stay for an hour, stay for a day
Stay ‘til we shrink and get wrinkled and grey
Grow old with me and we’ll stay forever young
Grow old with me
Darling, let’s fossilize
With your blue eyes and my silver tongue
Don’t leave me flat, don’t leave me cold
Don’t leave me rusted and crusted with mould
Grow old with me ‘til my final fling is flung
Grow old with me and we’ll stay forever young
All of the above will help you;
Bring creativity and joy to your ceremony
Offer flexibility for the reader
Bring the fun, laughter and maybe the tears.
Abi’s top 3 tips when choosing a reading:
- Ask someone to read who you think will take the most joy from it. It’s a lovely way to say ‘thank you’.
- Don’t worry about the length and type – your celebrant will weave it in beautifully, but definitely have a back-up person waiting in the wings, to read just in case.
- Most of all, your choice should be ALL about you. You could even write something yourselves!
If you would like further inspo, or to book your wedding get in touchhttps://www.abifishercelebrant.co.uk/contact/ or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abifishercelebrant/and check out my March 2026 wedding reading series which included a little something for every day of that month – all 31. Happy research!