Poetry Reading Examples

Take a look below for some inspiration.

Both poetry readings, and music for your Ceremony are very personal choices and these elements should be something with sentimental meaning to you both. You might want something sweet and romantic, or wild and out-there. You might want something by Shakespeare or an excerpt from Harry Potter…here are a few examples to get the ball rolling.

“How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog” By Taylor Mali

On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.

Love doesn’t like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.

Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.

Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don’t you ever do that again!

Sometimes love just wants to go out for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise. It will run you around the block
and leave you panting, breathless. Pull you in different directions
at once, or wind itself around and around you
until you’re all wound up and you cannot move.

But love makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.

Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.

“Sonnet 116” By 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:
Oh, no! It is an ever-fixed mark.
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
it is the star to every wandering 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.

“I’ll Be There For You” By Louise Cuddon

I’ll be there my darling, through thick and through thin
When your mind’s in a mess and your head’s in a spin
When your plane’s been delayed, and you’ve missed the last train.
When life is just threatening to drive you insane
When your thrilling whodunit has lost its last page
When somebody tells you, you’re looking your age

When your coffee’s too cool, and your wine is too warm
When the forecast said “Fine”, but you’re out in a storm
When your quick break hotel, turns into a slum
And your holiday photos show only your thumb
When you park for five minutes in a resident’s bay
And return to discover you’ve been towed away
When the jeans that you bought in hope or in haste
Just stick on your hips and don’t reach round your waist
When the food you most like brings you out in red rashes
When as soon as you boot up the bloody thing crashes

So my darling, my sweetheart, my dear…
When you break a rule, when you act the fool
When you’ve got the flu when you’re in a stew
When you’re last in the queue, don’t feel blue ’cause
I’m telling you, I’ll be there.

What’s Mickey Without Minnie?” Author Unknown

What’s Mickey without Minnie,
Or piglet without pooh,
What’s Donald without Daisy?
That’s me without you.
When Ariel Doesn’t sing,
and Pooh hates honey,
when Tigger stops bouncing,
and Goofy isn’t funny.
When Peter Pan can’t fly,
and Simba never roars,
when Alice no longer fits
through small doors.
When Dumbo’s ears are small,
and happily ever after isn’t true,
Even then, I won’t stop loving you.

“So This Is Love” From Cinderella

“So this is love
So this is love
So this is what makes life divine
I’m all aglow
And now I know
The key to all heaven is mine
My heart has wings
And I can fly, I’ll touch every star in the sky
So this is the miracle that I’ve been dreaming of
So this is love”

“Marriage” By Anon

Marriage is about giving and taking
And forging and forsaking
Kissing and loving and pushing and shoving
Caring and Sharing and screaming and swearing
About being together whatever the weather
About being driven to the end of your tether
About Sweetness and kindness
And wisdom and blindness

It’s about being strong when you’re feeling quite weak
It’s about saying nothing when you’re dying to speak
It’s about being wrong when you know you are right
It’s about giving in, before there’s a fight
It’s about you two living as cheaply as one
(you can give us a call if you know how that’s done!)
Never heeding advice that was always well meant
Never counting the cost until it’s all spent
And for you two today it’s about to begin
And for all that the two of you had to put in
Some days filled with joy, and some days with sadness
Too late you’ll discover that marriage is madness.

“Like a river” By Whitney Hanson

They say sometimes love starts with a spark,

And that might be true,

But if I were to wish you a love,

I wouldn’t wish fire for you,

You see fire is powerful,

It burns bright then it’s gone,

It’s beautiful and warm,

But it doesn’t last long,

So instead of wishing you,

A love that burns,

I wish you love like a river,

That twists and turns, 

It changes and flows,

It is powerful and free,

But it consistently finds it way,

Back to the sea.

And so like the water,

I hope your love is ever growing, ever changing,

I hope your love is powerful and free,

And may you always find each other,

Like the river finds the sea.

Music Examples

Music is so personal. You can use any songs in your ceremony that give you the feels.

To kick things off, choose something slow and sweet that sets the tone for the intimate, sacred ceremony that is about to begin. Slow music also helps set a calm, steady pace for your entrance (this is a moment you don't want to rush). 

Get the happy tears flowing with something like:

The Power of Love (Frankie goes to Hollywood).
Or 
Simply the Best (Noah Reid)

If you're worried about the lyrics in a song - go safe with a beautiful instrumental piece like:

Cant Help Falling in Love (Noah Walsh)
Or 
Someone Like You (Playa Piano)

For the kiss/merge into signing... have some fun. Still go romantic, but a little more lively.

Maybe this?:

Kiss the Girl (Brent Morgan)
Or
Grow Old with You (The Wedding Singer)

To end your ceremony, do a 'Bluey' and go full dance mode. It's celebration time, let's get this party started! Try something like:

Just Say Yes (Snow Patrol)...skip to the chorus
Or
Best Day of my Life (American Authors)
Or
By my Forever (Christina Perri and Ed Sheeran)

Later that evening...

For first dance, I am slightly obsessed with:

Beautiful Things (Benson Boone)

Beyond (Leon Bridges) 
Or
Hearts on Fire (Passenger)

Of course music taste varies and songs are special to different people for many different reasons. What matters most is picking music to reflect the two of you.

Want more inspiration? I will continually be adding to my ceremony playlists. Check them out on Spotify:

Love Verified Ceremonies Entry Songs 

Love Verified Ceremonies Kiss Songs 

Love Verified Ceremonies Exit Songs 

Love Verified Ceremonies First Dance Songs