The best non-religious wedding readings: Your complete guide
There's always a moment in a wedding ceremony where the whole room goes quiet. Not for the vows or the music but because someone stands up and reads exactly the right words. For couples planning a non-religious or civil ceremony choosing those words is one of the most personal decisions you'll make.
This guide brings together the best non-religious wedding readings in one place. Inside, you’ll find practical advice on how to choose the right reading, a collection of the most searched and well-loved classics, answers to common questions, and links to more in-depth guides covering specific styles, moods and themes. From romantic poetry to modern, funny and short readings, everything here is designed to help you find words that feel genuinely true to you.
Many wedding readings naturally cross more than one category, and that’s part of their beauty. Use this page as your starting point, you can explore what resonates, and follow the links to discover readings that speak to your story and the ceremony you’re creating.
How to choose the perfect reading for your ceremony
Choosing the perfect wedding ceremony reading can feel just as personal and important as writing your vows. After all, this is the moment when your love story is spoken aloud, and whether you’re planning a civil, humanist, secular or friend-led ceremony, the right words can help set the tone for your entire celebration.
Choosing a reading for a non-religious ceremony means you can think well beyond tradition. Today's couples are drawn to words that genuinely reflect who they are, something that feels even more meaningful when it's read by someone they love. Without the framework of scripture you have real freedom to choose something that speaks directly to your relationship, your values and your personalities.
Here are a few practical tips to help guide you:
Match the mood – Decide whether you want something romantic, joyful, modern or light-hearted. The tone of your wedding reading helps shape the feel of your ceremony.
Read it aloud – A wedding ceremony reading should sound natural when spoken, not just look good on the page. A quick read-through can make all the difference.
Think about the reader – Choose words that suit the person delivering them, whether that’s a close friend, sibling or parent.
Edit with confidence – It’s perfectly acceptable to shorten or adapt non-religious wedding readings so they fit your ceremony and feel right for you.
No matter which style you choose, the most important thing is that it feels authentically you. If it makes you smile, brings a lump to your throat, or feels true to your story, it’s already a strong contender.
The readings below are organised by mood and style to make your search as straightforward as possible and help you find the perfect words for your day.
Popular Non-Religious Wedding Readings
Captain Corelli's Mandolin — Louis de Bernières
Love is a temporary madness,
it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides.
And when it subsides you have to make a decision.
You have to work out whether your root was so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.
Because this is what love is.
Love is not breathlessness,
it is not excitement,
it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion.
That is just being in love, which any fool can do.
Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,
and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground,
and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches,
they find that they are one tree and not two.Union — Robert Fulghum
You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment.
At some point, you decided to marry.
From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes,
indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way.All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks –
all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”,
and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” –
all those late-night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” –
and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart.
All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another,
“You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed –
well, I meant it all, every word.”Look at one another and remember this moment in time.
Before this moment you have been many things to one another –
acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher,
for you have learned much from one another these past few years.
Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life,
and things between you will never quite be the same.For after today you shall say to the world –
This is my husband. This is my wife.Winnie the Pooh — A.A. Milne
"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.“Pooh?” he whispered. “Yes, Piglet?”
“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s hand.
“I just wanted to be sure of you.”“We’ll be Friends Forever, won’t we, Pooh?” asked Piglet.
“Even longer,” Pooh answered. “If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart… I’ll always be with you.”
Extract from The Velveteen Rabbit — Margery Williams
“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.
“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”
“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”
“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
A Lovely Love Story — Edward Monkton
The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice.
Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with
kind words and loving thoughts.“I like this Dinosaur,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
“Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny.
He is also quite clever though I will not tell him this for now.”“I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur,” thought the Dinosaur.
“She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice.
She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.”“But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. “He is also overly fond of things. Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?”
“But her mind skips from here to there so quickly,” thought the Dinosaur. “She is also uncommonly keen on shopping. Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?”
“I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur, “for they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.”
“I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping,” thought the Dinosaur, “for she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either."
Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old. Look at them. Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.
And that, my friends, is how it is with love.
Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together.
For the sun is warm. And the world is a beautiful place.All I Know About Love — Neil Gaiman
This is everything I have to tell you about love: nothing.
This is everything I’ve learned about marriage: nothing.
Only that the world out there is complicated,
And there are beasts in the night, and delight and pain,
And the only thing that makes it okay, sometimes,
is to reach out a hand in the darkness and find another hand to squeeze,
and not to be alone.
It’s not the kisses, or never just the kisses:
It’s what they mean.
Somebody’s got your back.
Somebody knows your worst self and somehow doesn’t want to rescue you or send for the army to rescue them.
It’s not two broken halves becoming one.
It’s the light from a distant lighthouse bringing you both safely home because home is wherever you are both together.
So this is everything I have to tell you about love and marriage:
Nothing, like a book without pages or a forest without trees.
Because there are things you cannot know before you experience them. Because no study can prepare you for the joys or the trials.
Because nobody else’s love, nobody else’s marriage, is like yours,
And it’s a road you can only learn by walking it,
A dance you cannot be taught,
A song that did not exist before you began, together, to sing.
And because in the darkness you will reach out a handot knowing for certain if someone else is even there.
And your hands will meet,
And then neither of you will ever need to be alone again.
And that’s all I know about love.Love is Friendship Caught Fire — by Laura Hendricks
Love is friendship caught fire;
it is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving.
It is loyalty through good and bad times.
It settles for less than perfection,
and makes allowances for human weaknesses.
Love is content with the present, hopes for the future, and does not brood over the past.
It is the day-in and day-out chronicles of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals.
If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack.
If you do not have it, no matter what else there is, it is not enough.A Vow — Wendy Cope
I cannot promise never to be angry;
I cannot promise always to be kind.
You know what you are taking on, my darling –
It’s only at the start that love is blind.
And yet I’m still the one you want to be with
And you’re the one for me – of that I’m sure.
You are my closest friend, my favourite person,
The lover and the home I’ve waited for.
I cannot promise that I will deserve you
From this day on. I hope to pass that test.
I love you and I want to make you happy.
I promise I will do my very best.
FAQs About Non-Religious Wedding Readings
How many readings should you have at a wedding?
Most couples choose one or two wedding readings, which is usually enough to add meaning without making the ceremony feel too long. In non-religious and civil ceremonies, a single well-chosen reading often has more impact than several shorter ones. Ultimately, the right number depends on the flow of your ceremony and how many people you’d like to involve.
Can you have a reading at a civil ceremony?
Yes, absolutely. Civil ceremonies allow wedding readings as long as they are non-religious. This gives you plenty of freedom to choose readings from books, poems, films or modern writing that reflect your relationship. If you’re unsure, it’s always worth checking any specific guidelines with your registrar or officiant in advance.
How long should a wedding reading be?
A wedding reading typically works best when it lasts between one and three minutes. Short non-religious wedding readings are especially popular in civil and secular ceremonies, as they keep the ceremony flowing while still creating a meaningful moment. Longer readings can work too, as long as they feel engaging when read aloud. If you're unsure, go shorter. A reading that leaves guests wanting slightly more will always land better than one that outstays its welcome.
Final Thoughts: Making Your Ceremony Feel Personal
Choosing a wedding reading is about more than filling a moment. It's a chance to share words that feel true to your relationship. Whether you're drawn to romantic poetry, something funny, a literary classic or a short and simple quote, the right choice is always the one that resonates when you hear it spoken aloud.
Trust your instincts. If it feels like you, it will feel right on the day.
And if you’d like to explore further, you’ll find more inspiration in our dedicated guides to romantic readings, modern writing, funny favourites and short ceremony readings, each offering a deeper look at different styles and moods.
