As you’re planning your wedding, you and your sweetie naturally want to incorporate elements with personal meaning. There’s no better way to do that than by picking unique readings for your ceremony. Whether you opt for poems, portions of scripture, excerpts from classic literature or nontraditional selections, you can use your readings to create a mood and express the values that the two of you hold dear. This quick guide to choosing readings for your ceremony should be helpful as you move forward with your planning.

How Many Readings Should I Include? 

In an October 2016 article, Brides revealed that most ceremonies are between 20 and 30 minutes in length. That’s enough time for introductory remarks, your vows and exchange of rings, your officiant’s pronouncement and a couple of musical selections and special readings. Wedding Wire contributor Kim Forrest recommends including no more than two readings to avoid making the event too lengthy. If you’re trying to find a way to include multiple loved ones in your special day, Forrest suggests selecting a long piece from which family members and friends can read sections.

What Can I Select as a Reading?

Choosing your readings can depend on whether you’re going with a secular or a sacred nuptial ceremony. Religious texts and poems can always work for a faith-based ceremony, while poems, literary selections or song lyrics can be great choices for a non-religious wedding. If you need guidance, chat with your officiant for recommendations. Couples stumped for ideas may also find suggested selections online, or they may try thinking out of the box to pick something unusual but suitable for their special day.

Match Your Text to Your Reader

You’ll want to consider your readers’ ages as well as their comfort level with public speaking. Forrest suggests picking age-appropriate text for children to read. If you’ve got a reader who’s a spoken word fan, for example, try giving him or her a poem. Also, don’t forget to take the tone of the text you pick into account when you’re deciding on someone to orate it. The Spruce contributor Nina Callaway mentions that giving a humorous piece to a serious person, for example, is a bad idea. Whatever you select, you want to make sure the person can easily recite it slowly and clearly during the ceremony without stumbling.

Get Second Opinions on Your Selections 

Your guests probably come from a variety of backgrounds, so there’s the added caveat of making sure your readings pass muster when it comes to content and language. You may not think much of profane language or mildly suggestive material, but other invitees could feel uncomfortable if they appear in any texts during your ceremony. Just use a little common sense when choosing your readings, and ask a trusted friend to peruse them to make sure they’re fitting for your affair.

If All Else Fails, Use Your Own Words

There’s always the chance that you can’t find anything that works for your ceremony, or you’d rather personalize things even further. You might draft your own short poems or texts for your special day. Forrest also recommends reading excerpts of your letters or emails to each other if you’re not too embarrassed or the contents don’t venture too much into the “intimate” realms.

Infusing Meaning Into Your Big Day

When it’s all said and done, your wedding should be a celebration of your love and a stepping stone in building a new life together. Including special readings is a great idea to make your ceremony more meaningful. Whether it’s poems, scripture, literature, letters or song lyrics, be sure to pick selections that your volunteers can confidently read, fit your personalities and are appropriate in tone.