Just don’t use Sonnet 130 .
I wasn’t kidding, actually. My husband and I had that as a reading at our wedding, which was just us, immediate family and one close friend. Everyone cried. It was great. 
Well, excuse ME for livin’.
Thanks Piper and Mangetout for setting me straight on my reference. My apologies to the OP for missing the ‘non-Xtian’ part.
Well, not legally, you can’t.
Most songs are copyrighted, both the music AND the lyrics. And since you’re reading them to an audience, that is legally a ‘performance’ and you should be obtaining a license and paying fees to the copyright owner.
However, the chance that you will be busted for this is pretty small.
But you are safe choosing old writings (pre-1923), which are public domain.
- Shakespeare’s Sonnets are a traditional choice. As mentioned, avoid the obviously gay ones and pick an ambiguous one.
- John Donne is another poet with lots of appropriate works.
- Thomas Gray is another possibility.
- Elizabeth Barret Browning.
- John Milton’s Sonnets.
- John Keats.
- Percy Shelley.
- Phillip Sydney.
- William Wordsworth.
- Dylan Thomas.
- Amy Lowell or Emily Dickenson for Americans. (Again, avoid the obviously lesbian ones.)
But frankly, from my experience at Weddings, it doesn’t really matter. Not many people are really listening. The bride & groom & attendants are too distracted by the ceremony to really pay attention, and most of the audience is bored by the ceremony and just waiting for it to end. That may help you to keep from getting too nervous about this.
Thanks you guys. I actually posted the OP from my vacation, so I didn’t have much time to elaborate.
SIL’s wedding is small, and I have no idea what the hell she wants, nor does she. I am going to print out the 2 or 3 I think she’ll like and let her pick.
Long or short makes no difference, nor does language. I am an actor so even a cold read would be fine.
Thanks again. This is a wedding that feels rushed, so… 
Thanks Hello Again, that’s the one she picked! It really is perfect for her, so I appreciate your post.
Elza - Just an FYI (we used it, too) -
:smack:
Yay!