The Reading I Almost Skipped
When Robin and I were planning our elopement, I almost skipped the reading entirely. Every sample I found online assumed a bride and a groom, or mentioned God, or used language that felt like it was written for someone else's love. I remember closing my laptop in frustration one night and saying to Robin, "Maybe we just won't have a reading. It's not required." She looked at me and said, "Alex, you love words. You're the one who rewrote our ceremony four times. You can't tell me you don't want a reading." She was right. I did want one. I wanted words that felt like they'd been waiting for us in the desert. So I kept searching. I read poetry anthologies, queer love poems, snippets from novels. I bookmarked things that made my chest ache. And eventually, I found three readings that felt like they'd been written for us — not because they mentioned two brides or non-binary partners, but because they spoke about love in a way that didn't assume anything. This guide is those readings, plus the ones I considered and why I let them go. Because a wedding reading is not just a pause in the ceremony. It's an echo of your relationship. And you deserve an echo that sounds like you.
Why You Should Trust Me
I'm Alex Rivera. My pronouns are they/them. I eloped in the desert in spring 2026 with my partner Robin, and we chose our wedding readings ourselves. I spent two weeks reading through poetry collections, LGBTQ+ anthologies, and online archives. I tested readings out loud in our kitchen, cried over some, laughed at others, and finally settled on three that made our six guests fall silent. I'm not a literature professor. I'm not a poetry critic. I'm just a person who wanted words that fit, and who refused to settle for a reading that assumed I was someone I'm not. I've since shared these readings with other couples and watched them adapt them for two-bride, two-groom, and non-binary ceremonies. This guide is what I learned. If you're looking for a reading that feels true, you're in the right place.
The Echo Concept: A Reading Is Not Decoration, It's an Echo
Here's a concept I came up with during my search, and I haven't seen it written anywhere else: a wedding reading is not decoration. It's an echo of your relationship. The words someone reads at your ceremony should bounce back the truth of who you are together. If they assume a gender, or a god, or a kind of love that isn't yours, then the echo is distorted — it sounds like someone else's voice in the middle of your ceremony. But if the reading fits, it's like hearing your own love reflected back to you in someone else's words. That's why I avoided generic "wedding readings" and looked for poems and passages that were specific, honest, and unafraid of difference. The three below are the ones I found. They don't mention brides or grooms or husbands or wives. They just talk about love — the real, complicated, stubborn kind. And that's exactly the echo I wanted. I hope one of them echoes something true for you too.
If the link shows no results, use this backup search.
Three Non-Religious Readings That Actually Work
Here are the three readings I chose for our ceremony, plus why each one made the cut. All of them are non-religious, gender-neutral, and short enough to read in under two minutes. You have my full permission to borrow them, adapt them, or use them as a starting point to find your own.
1. "Untitled" by Andrea Gibson (from their spoken word collection)
Why it works: Andrea Gibson is a queer poet whose work lives in the space between love and survival. Their poem about loving someone through the hard seasons felt like it was written for the desert and for us. The lines "I will love you when you are a hurricane / and I will love you when you are the calm after" made me cry the first time I read them aloud. It's a reading about loving someone fully — not a sanitized version of love, but the real, messy, durable kind. We had our friend read it, and there wasn't a dry eye in our six-person gathering.
Where to find it: Andrea Gibson's collections are widely available, including "Lord of the Butterflies" and "Take Me With You." You can also find audio of them performing it online, which helped me get the rhythm right. This reading works best if you have a reader who is comfortable with a little emotion.
Our rating: 9.5/10
2. "Every Day You Play" by Pablo Neruda (from "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair")
Why it works: Neruda's poems are often used at weddings, but this one — about the quiet, daily intimacy of love — felt different. It's not about grand gestures; it's about the way love shows up in ordinary moments. We chose a translation that felt modern and fluid, and our officiant read it after our vows. The line "I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul" became the emotional center of our ceremony. It's a classic for a reason, but it never once assumed our genders.
Where to find it: "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair" is in the public domain in some translations and widely available in bilingual editions. We used the W.S. Merwin translation, which is beautiful and easy to read aloud. This reading works well if you want something timeless but still intimate.
Our rating: 9.0/10
3. Excerpt from "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros
Why it works: This one surprised me. Robin is Mexican-American, and Sandra Cisneros has always been one of her favorite writers. We found a short passage from "The House on Mango Street" about belonging and home — not romantic love in the traditional sense, but the kind of love that says "you are my home." It was perfect for us, because our wedding was about building a home together, not just a romance. It also honored Robin's culture without turning into a performance. Our friend read it in Spanish first, then English, and it was one of the most powerful moments of the day.
Where to find it: "The House on Mango Street" is widely available in English and Spanish. We used a passage about the idea of a house being a place where you can be yourself — it fit beautifully with the theme of chosen family and chosen home. This reading works best if you or your partner have a cultural or literary connection to the text.
Our rating: 8.8/10
How to Choose a Reading That Fits Your Relationship
The best readings don't come from a list — they come from your own life. Here's the process I used to find ours, and it can work for you too.
- Start with the writers and books you already love. Robin loves Sandra Cisneros. I love Andrea Gibson. We started there, because the words already meant something to us. Your reading should come from a place of existing connection, not just a wedding blog's "top 10" list.
- Read everything out loud. A reading that looks beautiful on the page might fall flat when spoken. I tested every candidate in our kitchen, pacing back and forth, reading to Robin and our cat. If it didn't make me feel something out loud, I crossed it off.
- Avoid readings that assume a gender or a god. Unless you specifically want a religious or gendered reading, choose words that don't box you in. Your reading should make you feel seen, not like you're translating someone else's love story.
- Keep it under two minutes. Guests start to fidget after that. A short, potent reading is more powerful than a long one that loses its thread. Our three readings were each about a minute and a half, and they hit hard because they were concise.
- Have someone you trust read it. The reader matters. Our friend Maria read the Andrea Gibson poem, and she practiced it twice. Her voice shook a little, and that made it real. Choose someone who will bring the words to life, not just recite them.
For more on the overall ceremony structure, read our non-religious ceremony script guide. And if you want help with inclusive language, check out our terminology guide.
3 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Wedding Reading
- 🚩 Using a reading you don't actually connect with just because it's popular. I almost used a Neruda poem that everyone recommends, but I didn't love it the way I loved the one we chose. If the words don't move you, they won't move your guests either. Choose what resonates, not what's expected.
- 🚩 Forgetting to check the full text for gendered language. Some "inclusive" readings still slip in "his" or "her" or assume a binary. Read the whole thing carefully before you commit. You don't want a line in the middle that makes you wince.
- 🚩 Not practicing the reading out loud before the wedding. I learned this the hard way when I asked a friend to read a poem she'd never seen before, and she stumbled over the line breaks. It's not about perfection, but a little practice makes a huge difference. Your reader should read it through at least once, ideally twice.
Your Reading Pre-Ceremony Checklist
- ☑ The reading resonates with you personally — it's from a writer or book you love
- ☑ It uses inclusive language and doesn't assume a gender or religion (unless you want that)
- ☑ It's under two minutes when read aloud
- ☑ You've read it out loud yourself and felt something
- ☑ Your chosen reader has practiced it at least once
- ☑ It fits the overall tone of your ceremony
- ☑ You're genuinely excited to hear it on your wedding day
If all seven are checked, your reading is ready. If not, go back and adjust. A reading is a small thing, but it's one of the few moments where the words take center stage. Make them count. For more on writing your full ceremony, read our script guide.
Who This Guide Is NOT For
If you're having a religious ceremony and want readings from your faith tradition, this guide isn't for you — and that's completely valid. Many faiths have beautiful, inclusive readings you can use. Also, if you and your partner don't feel a connection to poetry or literary readings, you can skip the reading entirely. It's not required. Some couples fill the space with music or a personal story instead. But if you love words, and you want a reading that speaks to your particular kind of love, this is for you. The echo concept works for any couple, regardless of gender or orientation. You just have to find the words that fit.
The Only Reading Rule That Matters
After two weeks of searching and three perfect readings, the only rule that holds up is: if the words make you feel like they were written for you, they're the right words. It doesn't matter if the poem is famous or obscure, classic or contemporary. What matters is that when you hear it at your ceremony, you think, "Yes. That's us." So read widely, read out loud, and trust your gut. The right reading is out there, waiting for you to find it. And when you do, it will feel like an echo of your own heart. That's the whole point.
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FAQ: LGBT Wedding Readings About Love
Can I write my own wedding reading?
Absolutely. In fact, some of the most powerful readings are the ones written by the couple themselves or a close friend. You can write a short piece about your relationship, or adapt an existing text to better fit your story. Just make sure it's under two minutes and reads well out loud.
Where can I find queer love poems for a wedding reading?
Start with queer poets like Andrea Gibson, Mary Oliver, Audre Lorde, and Ocean Vuong. Anthologies like "Love Speaks Its Name" and "Queer Love Poems" are also great resources. And don't forget to look outside poetry — passages from novels, plays, or even songs can work beautifully. For more ideas, check out our ceremony script guide.
How many readings should a wedding ceremony have?
Most ceremonies have one or two readings, spaced between the opening words and the vows. Too many readings can slow the pace. We had two — one after the welcome and one before the pronouncement. That felt right for our small ceremony. Choose what works for you.
Can a friend read a poem even if they're not LGBTQ+?
Of course. What matters is that the reader is someone you trust and that they connect with the words. Our friend Maria is straight and read the Andrea Gibson poem beautifully. The reading is about your love, not the reader's identity. Just choose someone who will bring sincerity to the moment.
What if I can't find a reading that fits a non-binary couple?
That's a common frustration, but you have options. You can adapt an existing reading by changing pronouns or gendered terms, write your own short piece, or choose a reading that avoids gender entirely — like a passage about nature, home, or partnership. The readings in this guide all work for non-binary couples because they don't assume anything. For more language help, read our inclusive ceremony wording guide.
Where to Go From Here
Now that you have your readings, your next step is to slot them into your full ceremony script or make sure the language matches the rest of the ceremony. I've also written a guide to finding inclusive vendors that will help you build a team that respects your words.
And if you want to see my full list of readings I considered and rejected, including the one that accidentally rhymed "bride" with "died," I've saved it in our research archive. Read the raw list here.