Finding Wedding Readings

-Special guest contribution to African-AmericanBrides.com

Why do we need readings at weddings? For the purpose of standing there longer in our exquisite dresses basking in the admiration of our friends and family, right? Sure, that’s one reason. Of course, besides prolonging the ceremony, finding the right reading for your wedding is important for several reasons. Finding the right reading is crucial because it helps set the tone– be it romantic, light-hearted, emotional, reflective. The right reading can be the perfect complement to your already special day and with everything in order from your wedding insurance to your dress fitting, you need to set some time aside to choose readings which mean something to you.

How to Choose

The best advice is to choose based on what hits your gut first, and draws you in. Then, make sure it’s something that’s not so obscure and vague that no one will understand it. Also, you don’t want it to be something that will be too shocking. There’s no point in giving your old prudish aunt a fit in the front row. Besides, you want the focus to be on you when you exit the room, not people leaning to each other whispering about how sexy the poetry was.

Who Should Read

The reading is an excellent way to involve your bridesmaids in the wedding ceremony. Also, you may be able to include a friend who didn’t have the time to be a bridesmaid or who lived too far away and couldn’t commit to the schedule you set. Make sure the person you’ve chosen is comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. Remember that public speaking is the number one fear in America, right after death, so you may encounter some resistance. Don’t give up, though, you’ll find the right person.

Start Searching For Your Reading

There’s no harm involving the groom in your choosing process. We at African-Americanbrides.com recommend cuddling up with your husband-to-be and starting with the two poems below, a couple of great pieces by poets whose works are seminal pieces of American literature. You may choose one of these for your ceremony, or it may just start a dialogue that gets your search heading in the right direction.

Touched by an Angel by Maya Angelou

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free



Juke Box Love Song by Langston Hughes



I could take the Harlem night

and wrap around you,
Take the neon lights and make a crown,

Take the Lenox Avenue busses,

Taxis, subways,

And for your love song tone their rumble down.

Take Harlem's heartbeat,

Make a drumbeat,

Put it on a record, let it whirl,

And while we listen to it play,

Dance with you till day--

Dance with you, my sweet brown Harlem girl
after loving you

Hopefully, these two poems got you in the mood and you're ready now to go on your own search for the perfect reading. While you're sampling, go ahead and pull your fiance close, light some candles, and get ready for some very happy hunting. Other recommended poems include 'Love Of My Life
' by Mr. Dvyne

, 'My Soul Mate' by Jessica Ammons, and 'I Wrote A Good Omelet' by Nikki Giovanni.