Are secular wedding readings okay?

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Q. My fiance and I are planning on writing our wedding ceremony ourselves. Figuring out the wedding vows was actually the easy part for us -- it's the wedding readings that keep tripping us up. Neither of us is very religious. Do you have any suggestions for where we could find wedding readings that would work?

A. There are volumes upon volumes of great words for your wedding out there -- you've just got to do a little research.

Favorite poems are a classic ceremony standby, but you should also think of your favorite authors -- plays, essays, and fiction that are special to one or both of you can all yield treasures.

Look to children's literature, also. Maybe there is a favorite passage from a book you read while growing up that would work (we know a couple who included part of The Velveteen Rabbit in their ceremony -- there wasn't a dry eye in the house).

Think off the page, as well. Many couples choose to incorporate lyrics from their favorite songs, which can sound both poignant and poetic when read aloud.

More from The Knot: Weirdest wedding vows ever!

-- By Carley Roney of TheKnot.com



Carley Roney is co-founder and editor in chief of The Knot (www.theknot.com), the nation's leading online wedding resource.

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