# Literary Wedding Reading (aka HELP!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 10, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-wedding-reading-aka-help/609023 "2012-01-10T05:57:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-wedding-reading-aka-help/609023/1 "2012-01-10T05:57:21Z")
A friend of mine is getting married in the fall and she has asked me to do a reading at the ceremony. She is under the somewhat mistaken impression that because I was an English major and I read a lot that I have a backlog of instantly attainable appropriate ideas at my fingertips… Her guidelines are vague, which doesn’t help. She says “anything at all,” whether it’s poetry or fiction or non fiction. She would appreciate something humorous or at least lighthearted/charming vs “deep and and meaningful and Biblical.” She said I could do a preface of my own, or not. Explain the piece and why I chose it, or not. Up to me. She mentioned our shared love of David Sedaris… I can’t think of anything David Sedaris wrote that would be remotely appropriate to read during a wedding ceremony, especially on the subject of love. Perhaps I am wrong? Do I have to go read all his books again? Or can I just skip David Sedaris? But where to look? Any resources or suggestions any of you have would be helpful. I really don’t know why I said yes; it was a moment of weakness brought on by the pitcher of margaritas we were drinking and I forgot all about it til a couple of weeks ago when she reminded me, all giddy, of how excited she is to hear what I select… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-wedding-reading-aka-help/609023/2 "2012-01-10T14:52:21Z")
I’ve always like [this](http://dailyafflictions.com/affliction3.html), perhaps you could modify it somewhat? [Here’s](http://offbeatbride.com/tag/readings) somewhere fun to browse around in, too. [This](http://www.taylormali.com/index.cfm?webid=14) one is great for dog lovers. ---
**Author:** ![Sandra\_Battye](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sandra_battye/32/552_2.png) [@Sandra\_Battye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandra_Battye)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-wedding-reading-aka-help/609023/3 "2012-01-10T18:05:05Z")
I’m partial to Shakespeare’s sonnets. For a light-hearted reading there’s Sonnet 130 (My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips’ red…And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare) or a more standard Sonnet 18 (Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate… So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee.) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-wedding-reading-aka-help/609023/4 "2012-01-10T18:36:58Z")
I can be generous and offer you the two we’ve chosen for our wedding (we’re still looking for a third) [Madeline L’Engle](http://wedding-readings.com/?p=30) (I think we’re just doing the second paragraph) and [Charles Darwin.](http://creditcrunchbride.wordpress.com/2009/06/27/alternative-wedding-readings-no-corinthians-promise/) It’s the last one on that page. I ADORE the Darwin one, although I suppose we’ll have to have the reader explain beforehand that it’s a two-sided list. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-wedding-reading-aka-help/609023/5 "2012-01-10T18:40:57Z")
In your shoes, I’d read Dr Seuss. Specifically [Oh The Places You’ll Go!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh,_the_Places_You%27ll_Go!) ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-wedding-reading-aka-help/609023/6 "2012-01-11T06:16:17Z")
Oh thank you thank you! These are perfect! YAYYYY SDMB!