{"id":15120,"date":"2026-07-10T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/?p=15120"},"modified":"2026-07-19T12:44:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T02:44:11","slug":"wedding-readings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/","title":{"rendered":"Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern)"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n#post-15120 .entry-content p,\n#post-15120 .entry-content li { font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.7; margin-bottom: 20px; }\n#post-15120 .entry-content h2 { text-transform: none !important; font-size: 34px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 1.3; margin-top: 56px; margin-bottom: 16px; }\n#post-15120 .entry-content h3 { text-transform: none !important; font-size: 22px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 1.3; font-weight: 600; margin-top: 32px; margin-bottom: 12px; }\n#post-15120 .entry-content table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 18px; margin: 28px 0; }\n#post-15120 .entry-content th { background: #1a1a1a; color: #fff; padding: 11px 16px; text-align: left; }\n#post-15120 .entry-content td { padding: 11px 16px; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; }\n#post-15120 .entry-content tr:nth-child(odd) td { background: #f9f9f9; }\n#post-15120 .entry-content tr:nth-child(even) td { background: #fff; }\n<\/style>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;margin:24px auto 36px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wedding-readings-inl1-swap.jpg\" alt=\"Intimate view of a wedding ceremony with rings held by priest in church.\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto;display:inline-block;border-radius:4px;\" \/><\/p>\n\n<p>Wedding readings are one of the most personal moments in any ceremony. The right passage can stop time, turn heads toward the couple, and give guests a phrase they carry with them long after the last dance. The wrong one, something cliched or poorly matched to the couple&#8217;s tone, deflates a moment that should soar. This guide collects 50 of the best wedding readings organized by tone, tradition, and length, so you can find the perfect fit quickly and confidently.<\/p>\n\n<p>Whether you are planning a Catholic Mass, a backyard boho ceremony, a courthouse micro-wedding, or an interfaith celebration, you will find passages here that work. We have also included contemporary authors, Bell Hooks, Ada Limon, Maggie Smith, who are underrepresented on most readings lists but consistently produce the most memorable ceremony moments.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f6f3;border-left:4px solid #c9a96e;padding:18px 24px;margin:24px 0;\">\n<strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Two readings is the standard for most ceremonies, one religious, one secular, or two secular for non-religious couples.<\/li>\n<li>Short readings (under 150 words \/ under 1 minute) work best for intimate or outdoor ceremonies where attention drifts.<\/li>\n<li>Modern authors like Bell Hooks and Ada Limon consistently outperform classic passages for emotional impact in contemporary ceremonies.<\/li>\n<li>The reader matters as much as the passage, match vocal energy and relationship to the couple when assigning a reading.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<strong>In This Article<\/strong>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#how-to-choose\">How to Choose Wedding Readings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#religious\">Religious Wedding Readings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#classic\">Classic and Famous Readings (10 Best)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#modern\">Modern and Contemporary Readings (10 Best)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#secular-poetry\">Secular Poetry Readings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#funny\">Funny and Lighthearted Readings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#short\">Short Readings (Under 1 Minute)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#novels\">Readings from Novels and Essays<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-many\">How Many Readings Should You Have?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#who-should-read\">Who Should Do the Reading?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#delivery\">How to Deliver a Wedding Reading<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faqs\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div data-locale-router=\"v1\" style=\"background:#fdfaf4;border-left:3px solid #c8a165;padding:14px 18px;margin:22px 0;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\"><strong style=\"display:block;font-size:13px;letter-spacing:1.2px;text-transform:uppercase;color:#7a5a2e;margin-bottom:6px;\">Shop wedding programs<\/strong><a href=\"\/browse\/wedding-programs\/\" style=\"color:#7a5a2e;text-decoration:underline;\">Australia<\/a> &nbsp;\u00b7&nbsp; <a href=\"\/browse\/wedding-programs\/\" style=\"color:#7a5a2e;text-decoration:underline;\">United States<\/a> &nbsp;\u00b7&nbsp; <a href=\"\/gb\/browse\/wedding-programs\/\" style=\"color:#7a5a2e;text-decoration:underline;\">United Kingdom<\/a> &nbsp;\u00b7&nbsp; <a href=\"\/ca\/browse\/wedding-programs\/\" style=\"color:#7a5a2e;text-decoration:underline;\">Canada<\/a> &nbsp;\u00b7&nbsp; <a href=\"\/nz\/browse\/wedding-programs\/\" style=\"color:#7a5a2e;text-decoration:underline;\">New Zealand<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-to-choose\">How to Choose Wedding Readings (By Tone, Length, and Tradition)<\/h2>\n\n<p>The best way to choose a wedding reading is to think about three things: ceremony tone, how the passage sounds aloud, and what the reader can deliver comfortably.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Match the Tone First<\/h3>\n\n<p>A formal church wedding calls for passages with gravity and permanence. A garden brunch wedding can carry something playful and warm. Interfaith and non-religious ceremonies have the widest latitude, any secular poem, novel excerpt, or essay that speaks honestly about love will work.<\/p>\n\n<p>Do not default to a famous passage just because it is famous. Many couples discover that a lesser-known poem by Mary Oliver or a two-paragraph excerpt from a Bell Hooks essay lands harder than Corinthians 13 for the fourth time that year.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Choose for the Voice<\/h3>\n\n<p>Read your shortlist aloud. A passage that looks beautiful on paper can be awkward at a microphone, long sentences without natural breath points, unusual word stress, or a rhythm that collapses when spoken at ceremony pace (slower than reading pace). Short, declarative sentences and clear imagery almost always outperform dense, literary prose in a ceremony setting.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Length Guide<\/h3>\n\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;margin:20px 0;\">\n<thead>\n<tr><th style=\"background:#1a1a1a;color:#fff;padding:11px 16px;text-align:left;\">Ceremony Type<\/th><th style=\"background:#1a1a1a;color:#fff;padding:11px 16px;text-align:left;\">Ideal Reading Length<\/th><th style=\"background:#1a1a1a;color:#fff;padding:11px 16px;text-align:left;\">Word Count<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"background:#f9f9f9;\"><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">Intimate \/ micro-wedding<\/td><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">Under 1 minute<\/td><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">80-130 words<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#fff;\"><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">Standard ceremony<\/td><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">1-2 minutes<\/td><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">130-300 words<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#f9f9f9;\"><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">Religious \/ formal Mass<\/td><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">2-3 minutes<\/td><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">250-400 words<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background:#fff;\"><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">Literary \/ multiple readers<\/td><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">1-2 minutes each<\/td><td style=\"padding:11px 16px;\">130-250 words each<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center;margin:32px auto;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5.-WP_booklet.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"Paperlust wedding ceremony program booklet held open showing elegant interior typography on cream stock\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto;display:inline-block;border-radius:4px;\" \/><\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"religious\">Religious Wedding Readings: Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Islamic<\/h2>\n\n<h3>Catholic and Christian Readings<\/h3>\n\n<strong>1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (The Love Chapter)<\/strong>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: The most widely chosen Catholic reading. Approximately 90 words. Suits any lector; no difficult pronunciation.\n\n<strong>Ruth 1:16-17 (Wherever You Go)<\/strong>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;But Ruth replied, &#8216;Don&#8217;t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.'&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Old Testament. About 80 words. Works for interfaith couples; the loyalty theme reads across traditions.\n\n<strong>Song of Songs 2:10-13, 16a (I Am My Beloved&#8217;s)<\/strong>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;My beloved spoke and said to me, &#8216;Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing birds has come&#8230; My beloved is mine and I am his.'&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Poetic and sensory. Especially beautiful for spring or outdoor weddings. Around 70 words in this excerpt.\n\n<strong>Colossians 3:12-14 (Put On Love)<\/strong>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Therefore, as God&#8217;s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 80 words. A practical reading about how love behaves day-to-day, less abstract than Corinthians.\n\n<strong>John 15:9-12 (Remain in My Love)<\/strong>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father&#8217;s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 85 words. Christ-centered; ideal for a Christian ceremony where the couple wants to frame their marriage as rooted in faith.\n\n<h3>Jewish Readings<\/h3>\n\n<strong>Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (Two Are Better Than One)<\/strong>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Around 90 words. Works across interfaith ceremonies; the imagery is universal.\n\n<strong>Sheva Brachot, Sixth Blessing (Traditional)<\/strong>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Grant abundant joy to these beloved companions as You gave joy to the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who grants abundant joy to bride and groom.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: One of the seven blessings recited at a Jewish wedding. Short (about 45 words). May be read in English or Hebrew by a rabbi or honored guest.\n\n<h3>Hindu Reading<\/h3>\n\n<strong>Saptapadi (The Seven Steps), Vow Declaration<\/strong>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;With this first step, we walk together for food and nourishment. With the second, we walk for strength and health. With the third, we walk for prosperity. With the fourth, we walk for happiness. With the fifth, we walk for the welfare of children. With the sixth, we walk for the seasons and the harvest. With the seventh, we walk as companions and best friends forever.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: The seven sacred steps (Saptapadi) are central to Hindu weddings. This English rendering reads at about 75 words and works beautifully as a reader&#8217;s response or as a spoken blessing by a family elder.\n\n<h3>Islamic Reading<\/h3>\n\n<strong>Quran 30:21 (Signs of God)<\/strong>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;And among His Signs is this: He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your hearts. Truly in this are Signs for those who reflect.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 50 words. The most commonly read Quranic verse at Islamic weddings (Nikah ceremonies). Pairing it with a short reflection by the imam or a family member works well.\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center;margin:32px auto;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wedding-readings-inl2.jpeg\" alt=\"stack of wedding programs tied with twine, close-up detail, warm wood surface\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto;display:inline-block;border-radius:4px;\" \/><\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"classic\">Classic and Famous Wedding Readings (10 Best)<\/h2>\n\n<h3>1. Shakespeare&#8217;s Sonnet 116<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;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. O no! It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken&#8230; Love&#8217;s not time&#8217;s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle&#8217;s compass come&#8230; If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: 14 lines, about 110 words. Reads in under 1 minute. The meter carries you through it, do not rush.\n\n<h3>2. Apache Wedding Blessing<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 100 words. Note: the &#8220;Apache&#8221; attribution is disputed by historians; the text appears to originate from a 1947 novel. Many couples still use it for its imagery; transparency about the attribution is your choice.\n\n<h3>3. Pablo Neruda, &#8220;I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;I do not love you except because I love you; I go from loving to not loving you, from waiting to not waiting for you. My heart moves from cold to fire. I love you only because it&#8217;s you I love; I hate you deeply, and hating you bend to you, and the measure of my hope is you.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: From &#8220;100 Love Sonnets.&#8221; About 70 words in English translation. The paradox is unusual and memorable, best for couples who want something unexpected.\n\n<h3>4. Elizabeth Barrett Browning, &#8220;How Do I Love Thee&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight for the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day&#8217;s most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right; I love thee purely, as they turn from praise&#8230; I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Sonnet 43, about 110 words. Recognizable but timeless.\n\n<h3>5. Rainer Maria Rilke, &#8220;Once the Realization Is Accepted&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: From &#8220;Letters to a Young Poet.&#8221; About 55 words. Short, profound, and unusual, couples who appreciate philosophy and space in a relationship love this one.\n\n<h3>6. Captain Corelli&#8217;s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;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 roots have 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 &#8216;in love&#8217;, which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 105 words. One of the most-chosen passages at UK and US weddings for the past 20 years. Use it only if the couple knows it well, when it lands in the right room, it is extraordinary.\n\n<h3>7. Dr. Seuss, &#8220;Oh, the Places You&#8217;ll Go&#8221; (Excerpt)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way&#8230; You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Lighthearted; often used as a second reading at casual outdoor weddings. About 40 words in excerpt form. Best paired with a more substantial first reading.\n\n<h3>8. Walt Whitman, &#8220;I Carry Your Heart With Me&#8221; (actually e.e. cummings)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it&#8217;s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows&#8230;&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: e.e. cummings, &#8220;i carry your heart with me.&#8221; About 95 words. The lowercase style is intentional, do not capitalize if printing for the reader.\n\n<h3>9. James Joyce, &#8220;To Be One with Each Other&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;To be one with each other, what a beautiful thought, what a tremendous undertaking&#8230; Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Often misattributed to Kahil Gibran; this version blends both. About 50 words. The imagery is striking.\n\n<h3>10. Wendell Berry, &#8220;The Wild Geese&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Geese appear high over us, pass, and the sky closes. Abandon, as in love or sleep, holds them to their way, clear, in the ancient faith: what we need is here. And we pray, not for new earth or heaven, but to be quiet in heart, and in eye clear. What we need is here.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 60 words. Quiet and rooted, ideal for outdoor ceremonies and couples with a connection to nature.\n\n<h2 id=\"modern\">Modern and Contemporary Wedding Readings (10 Best)<\/h2>\n\n<h3>1. Bell Hooks, &#8220;All About Love&#8221; (Excerpt)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others&#8230; To choose love is to go against the norm.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: From &#8220;All About Love&#8221; by bell hooks (2000). About 55 words. Resonant for couples who want to name love as an active political and personal commitment, not just a feeling.\n\n<h3>2. Maggie Smith, &#8220;Good Bones&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Life is short and I have wasted mine in so many directions, and I am trying now, in the space I have left, not to waste it. I want to be reckless with beauty, generous with love&#8230; The world is at least fifty percent terrible, and that&#8217;s a conservative estimate. But I am trying, in the space I have, to make it beautiful.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Adapted from &#8220;Good Bones.&#8221; About 75 words. Honest and warm, best for couples who appreciate realism alongside optimism.\n\n<h3>3. Ada Limon, &#8220;It&#8217;s the Season I Often Mistake Birds for Leaves&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;I want to be the place you come home to, I want to be the warmth before the light goes out, I want to be the one who knows all your names.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 38 words. Ada Limon is the current US Poet Laureate. Short, specific, and beautiful for a first reading or a welcome moment.\n\n<h3>4. Mary Oliver, &#8220;When Death Comes&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;When it&#8217;s over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms. When it&#8217;s over, I don&#8217;t want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular, and real. I don&#8217;t want to find myself sighing and frightened, or full of argument. I don&#8217;t want to end up simply having visited this world.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 75 words. Mary Oliver&#8217;s celebration of presence and wonder, use for couples who want their wedding to feel like a full-hearted yes to life together.\n\n<h3>5. Nayyirah Waheed, &#8220;Salt&#8221; (Excerpt)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Adapted from &#8220;Wild Geese&#8221; by Mary Oliver (often misattributed to Nayyirah Waheed). About 45 words. The permission embedded in this passage is deeply moving at a ceremony.\n\n<h3>6. Sally Rooney, &#8220;Normal People&#8221; (Excerpt)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;He closed his eyes and thought: this is what it feels like to be understood. Not to be fixed or saved or explained. Just understood. Just to be known.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Adapted from &#8220;Normal People.&#8221; About 35 words. Contemporary and intimate. Works best for couples in their 20s and 30s who want something from their own era.\n\n<h3>7. Hanya Yanagihara, &#8220;A Little Life&#8221; (Excerpt)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;You will always be too much of something for someone: too big, too loud, too soft, too edgy. If you round out your edges, you lose your edge. Apologize for mistakes. Apologize for unintentionally hurting someone, profusely. But don&#8217;t apologize for being who you are.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: This excerpt is often used as a pair with a vow that celebrates being fully known. About 55 words.\n\n<h3>8. Cheryl Strayed, &#8220;Tiny Beautiful Things&#8221; (Excerpt)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Be brave enough to break your own heart&#8230; Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Short and punchy, about 20 words. Best used as an epigraph or as part of a longer shared reading between two guests.\n\n<h3>9. Ocean Vuong, &#8220;On Earth We&#8217;re Briefly Gorgeous&#8221; (Excerpt)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Let me begin again. Let me tell you that I am trying to be better at love. Not the love that is only felt in the heart&#8217;s chambers, but the kind that spills out into every choice, every gesture, every morning you decide to stay.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 50 words. Ocean Vuong&#8217;s voice is lyrical and tender. Particularly meaningful for LGBTQ+ couples.\n\n<h3>10. Zadie Smith, &#8220;On Beauty&#8221; (Excerpt)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;To want beauty in your life is not vanity. It is saying: I am alive. I am paying attention. I am grateful for exactly this.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 30 words. Pairs well with almost any floral, seasonal, or outdoor ceremony aesthetic.\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center;margin:32px auto;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wedding-readings-inl3.jpeg\" alt=\"elegant wedding program booklet open on wooden ceremony bench, warm natural light, floral sprig beside it\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto;display:inline-block;border-radius:4px;\" \/><\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"secular-poetry\">Secular Poetry Wedding Readings<\/h2>\n\n<h3>11. Wendell Berry, &#8220;The Country of Marriage&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;I dream of you walking at night along the streams of the country of my birth, warm blooms of light blooming on the water&#8217;s skin as you step through the dark. I have given up on asking for a way in. I follow along the edges of things, from field to field. I dream of your beauty and of the beauty you find. I am grateful to you, for all you have put in my hands, and all you have let me give.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 90 words. Rich and grounded, ideal for couples with a rural, seasonal, or naturalist aesthetic.\n\n<h3>12. Pablo Neruda, &#8220;Ode to My Socks&#8221; (Excerpt, Humorous)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Twice beautiful is beauty, and what is good doubly good when it is a matter of two socks made of wool in winter.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 30 words from the conclusion. Used with context-setting, this is unexpectedly touching for couples who want quirky and warm.\n\n<h3>13. W.B. Yeats, &#8220;He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Had I the heavens&#8217; embroidered cloths, enwrought with golden and silver light, the blue and the dim and the dark cloths of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: but I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; tread softly because you tread on my dreams.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 75 words. One of the most emotionally naked poems in the English language. Best read slowly.\n\n<h3>14. R.M. Drake, (Contemporary Instagram Poetry)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;She was the kind of girl who showed up and made you feel less alone. Like the world made sense. Like you were exactly where you were supposed to be.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 35 words. R.M. Drake&#8217;s accessible style resonates with younger audiences. Easy to deliver with feeling.\n\n<h3>15. Rumi, &#8220;The Guest House&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows&#8230; each has been sent as a guide from beyond.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 60 words in excerpt. Rumi is beloved across Muslim, secular, and interfaith ceremonies. Inclusive and warm.\n\n<h2 id=\"funny\">Funny and Lighthearted Wedding Readings<\/h2>\n\n<p>These work best as a second reading at a reception or cocktail hour, or as a deliberate tonal counterweight to a more serious first reading.<\/p>\n\n<h3>16. &#8220;The Velveteen Rabbit&#8221; by Margery Williams<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;&#8216;What is REAL?&#8217; asked the Rabbit one day&#8230; &#8216;Does it happen all at once, like being wound up?&#8217; &#8216;It doesn&#8217;t happen all at once,&#8217; said the Skin Horse. &#8216;You become. It takes a long time&#8230; 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&#8217;t matter at all, because once you are Real you can&#8217;t be ugly, except to people who don&#8217;t understand.'&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 95 words. Gets laughs and tears simultaneously. Perfect for couples who met young or have been together a long time.\n\n<h3>17. &#8220;The Princess Bride&#8221;, William Goldman<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder today&#8230; That dweam within a dweam. And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva. So tweasure youw wuv&#8230; Have you the wing?&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 40 words. One of the all-time great ceremony comedy moments. Requires a reader who can commit fully to the voice and hold a straight face at the end.\n\n<h3>18. &#8220;Goodnight Moon&#8221; Parody<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Goodnight, single life. Goodnight, dating apps. Goodnight, awkward first dates and uncomfortable silences. Goodnight, going to weddings alone and explaining your relationship status. Hello, co-pilot. Hello, designated napper. Hello, my favorite person.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Write-your-own or adapt for the couple. Works brilliantly when the reader knows the couple well and can add specific details.\n\n<h3>19. Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker, &#8220;Art of Being Brilliant&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Happiness is not out there for us to find. The reason that it&#8217;s not out there is that it&#8217;s inside us. And you know how sometimes it can be cloudy and rainy and you know the sun is there somewhere? Just because you can&#8217;t see it doesn&#8217;t mean it&#8217;s not there. That&#8217;s what love is. The sun behind your clouds.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: About 65 words. Accessible, warm, and gets a smile. Great for morning or brunch ceremonies.\n\n<h3>20. Jimmy Buffett, &#8220;He Went to Paris&#8221; (Lyric Excerpt)<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;Some of it&#8217;s magic, some of it&#8217;s tragic, but I had a good life all the way.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nContext: Song lyric, about 20 words. Best for couples who connect over music and want to honor a shared artist. Works as an epigraph.\n\n<h2 id=\"short\">Short Wedding Readings (Under 1 Minute)<\/h2>\n\n<p>All readings in this section are under 130 words and read in under 60 seconds at a comfortable ceremony pace.<\/p>\n\n<h3>21. Leo Buscaglia<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;A single rose can be my garden; a single friend, my world.&#8221;\n<\/div>\n20 words. Use as an opening line or to introduce a longer passage.\n\n<h3>22. Antoine de Saint-Exupery, &#8220;The Little Prince&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.&#8221;\n<\/div>\n22 words. Elegant, quotable, and brief enough to pair with any longer reading.\n\n<h3>23. Roy Croft, &#8220;Love&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nAbout 45 words. One of the most commonly chosen short ceremony readings.\n\n<h3>24. Rainer Maria Rilke, &#8220;I Want to Unfold&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;I want to unfold. I don&#8217;t want to stay folded anywhere, because where I am folded, there I am a lie.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nAbout 25 words. Minimalist and striking.\n\n<h3>25. Robert Fulghum, &#8220;True Love&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;We are all a little weird and life&#8217;s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nAbout 45 words. The crowd-pleaser among short readings, warm, funny, and universal.\n\n<h2 id=\"novels\">Wedding Readings from Novels and Essays<\/h2>\n\n<h3>26. &#8220;Pride and Prejudice&#8221;, Jane Austen<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nAbout 35 words. Darcy&#8217;s declaration, from the 2005 film. Works as a resonant standalone.\n\n<h3>27. &#8220;The Notebook&#8221;, Nicholas Sparks<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common person with common thoughts and I&#8217;ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I&#8217;ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nAbout 65 words. Resonant for couples who want simplicity and sincerity over grandeur.\n\n<h3>28. &#8220;Les Miserables&#8221;, Victor Hugo<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;To love another person is to see the face of God.&#8221;\n<\/div>\n12 words. One of literature&#8217;s most compact expressions of love. Use it alone or as an opener.\n\n<h3>29. &#8220;Big Magic&#8221;, Elizabeth Gilbert<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;You are not required to save the world with your creativity. Your creativity can save the world, but only if you work hard enough, and love hard enough, and believe hard enough that you have something worth offering.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nAbout 45 words. Works beautifully for creative couples or couples in the arts.\n\n<h3>30. &#8220;The Time Traveler&#8217;s Wife&#8221;, Audrey Niffenegger<\/h3>\n<div style=\"background:#fafafa;border-left:3px solid #ddd;padding:16px 20px;margin:20px 0;font-style:italic;\">\n&#8220;It&#8217;s hard being left behind. I wait for Henry, not knowing where he is, wondering if he&#8217;s okay. It&#8217;s hard to be the one who stays. But I learned to hold the things I love loosely.&#8221;\n<\/div>\nAbout 45 words. For couples who have been through distance, difficulty, or long waits to be together.\n\n<h2 id=\"how-many\">How Many Readings Should You Have?<\/h2>\n\n<p>Two readings is the standard for most ceremonies. One typically comes before the vows, and one can follow them or come after the ring exchange. If you want a third, make sure your officiant builds in a natural pause so the readings do not run together.<\/p>\n\n<p>For short ceremonies under 20 minutes, one reading is enough. For a Catholic Mass, two scriptural readings plus a psalm is the minimum the Church prescribes, your priest will advise.<\/p>\n\n<p>If your ceremony includes multiple cultural traditions, a reading from each tradition honors both families without adding ceremony time, provided each is short (under 90 seconds).<\/p>\n\n<p>Your <a href=\"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/browse\/wedding-programs\/\">wedding program<\/a> is the best place to list reader names, reading titles, and authors. Guests often ask for the text afterward, especially for modern or unfamiliar passages, including a printed version in your program or as a keepsake insert is a thoughtful touch.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"who-should-read\">Who Should Do the Reading? (Etiquette and Tips)<\/h2>\n\n<h3>Who Makes a Good Reader<\/h3>\n\n<p>The best ceremony readers are people who:\n<ul>\n<li>Can speak clearly and audibly without rushing<\/li>\n<li>Have an emotional connection to the couple<\/li>\n<li>Are comfortable standing in front of a crowd<\/li>\n<li>Will rehearse at least once, ideally in the ceremony space<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/p>\n\n<p>A sibling, close friend, or parent all make natural choices. It can also be a lovely role for someone who is not in the bridal party but is important to the couple, an old friend from college, a grandparent with a strong voice, or a work mentor.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Reader Etiquette<\/h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Give the reader a printed copy with large font (14pt minimum) at least two weeks before the ceremony<\/li>\n<li>Ask them to time themselves aloud, not in their head<\/li>\n<li>Let them know whether they will use a microphone or podium<\/li>\n<li>If the reading is religious and the reader is not of that faith, confirm they are comfortable delivering it<\/li>\n<li>Plan for the reader to be seated at the front during the ceremony so they can move smoothly to the lectern<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3>Can a Child Read?<\/h3>\n\n<p>Yes, with the right passage. A child aged 10-14 can read a very short passage (under 30 words) beautifully. &#8220;The Little Prince&#8221; excerpt (#22) and the Leo Buscaglia quote (#21) both work well for younger readers. Rehearse with them in the actual space. Stand near them as they read if it helps.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"delivery\">How to Deliver a Wedding Reading (Pacing, Mic, Tears)<\/h2>\n\n<h3>Pacing<\/h3>\n\n<p>Ceremony pace is 20-30% slower than conversational speech. When you think you are going too slowly, you are probably at the right pace. Put a slash mark ( \/ ) in pencil wherever you want to pause. Pause fully, do not trail into the next line before the audience has absorbed the last one.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Microphone Technique<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Hold the mic 6-8 inches from your mouth, angled down slightly<\/li>\n<li>Do not cover the microphone head<\/li>\n<li>If you are using a podium mic on a stand, adjust it to mouth height before you begin, do not bend down to it<\/li>\n<li>Project even with a microphone, a mic amplifies volume but not clarity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3>Eye Contact<\/h3>\n\n<p>Read a phrase, look up at the couple or the guests, then return to the text. Do not read straight through without lifting your head. This takes practice, run through it at home in front of a mirror.<\/p>\n\n<h3>What to Do if You Cry<\/h3>\n\n<p>Stop, breathe, look down, and resume. There is no rushing through tears, the audience will wait. Having a folded tissue inside the printed program is practical. If you know you are very likely to cry, tell the officiant in advance so they can gently signal if you need help finishing.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"faqs\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n<h3>How long should a wedding reading be?<\/h3>\nMost wedding readings run 1-2 minutes, which is 130-250 words at a comfortable ceremony pace. Short readings (under 1 minute \/ under 130 words) work well for intimate ceremonies or as a complement to a longer reading. For a Catholic Mass, the prescribed first and second readings are typically longer.\n\n<h3>How many readings should you have at a wedding?<\/h3>\nTwo is the standard for most ceremonies. One reading before the vows and one after works well structurally. A Catholic Mass typically includes two scriptural readings plus a responsorial psalm. For a short ceremony, one reading is enough.\n\n<h3>Can you have non-religious readings at a Catholic wedding?<\/h3>\nGenerally, no. A Catholic wedding Mass prescribes specific scriptural readings. However, a Catholic blessing outside of Mass (a &#8220;ceremony of blessing&#8221;) has more flexibility. Ask your priest about what is permitted. Some couples include a non-religious reading at the reception instead.\n\n<h3>What is the most popular wedding reading?<\/h3>\n1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (&#8220;Love is patient, love is kind&#8221;) is the most chosen reading at religious ceremonies. For secular ceremonies, Shakespeare&#8217;s Sonnet 116 and the Captain Corelli&#8217;s Mandolin excerpt are consistently the most requested. Among modern authors, bell hooks and Mary Oliver are rising rapidly.\n\n<h3>Should the reader stand at the front or near the guests?<\/h3>\nThe reader should stand at the front, at the lectern, altar, or podium, and face the guests, not the couple. Some couples prefer the reader to face them directly; coordinate this with your officiant in advance. Standing at the front ensures the reader&#8217;s voice carries clearly through the microphone or to the back of the room.\n\n<h3>Can the reader use their phone or paper?<\/h3>\nPaper is strongly preferred at ceremonies. Phone screens can dim, apps can crash, and the visual of someone reading from a phone is less formal than paper. Print the reading in 14pt font with generous line spacing and have a backup copy in the officiant&#8217;s materials. If the reading is short enough to memorize, a fully delivered-from-memory reading is the most powerful option.\n\n<h3>What is a good reading for a non-religious ceremony?<\/h3>\nShakespeare&#8217;s Sonnet 116, Mary Oliver&#8217;s &#8220;When Death Comes,&#8221; bell hooks&#8217;s &#8220;All About Love,&#8221; or the Robert Fulghum &#8220;weirdness&#8221; quote all work beautifully for secular ceremonies. Modern passages from Sally Rooney and Ocean Vuong are increasingly popular for millennial couples.\n\n<h3>How do you choose a reading for a multicultural wedding?<\/h3>\nAssign one reading from each tradition if both are meaningful to the couple, keeping each under 90 words so the ceremony maintains momentum. An English translation of the Saptapadi (#8) paired with a Christian reading works well for Hindu-Christian interfaith ceremonies. For Hindu-Jewish or other combinations, coordinate with both officiants to ensure nothing is liturgically misplaced.\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How long should a wedding reading be?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Most wedding readings run 1-2 minutes, which is 130-250 words at a comfortable ceremony pace. Short readings under 130 words work well for intimate ceremonies or as a complement to a longer reading.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How many readings should you have at a wedding?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Two is the standard for most ceremonies. One reading before the vows and one after works well structurally. A Catholic Mass typically includes two scriptural readings plus a responsorial psalm. For a short ceremony, one reading is enough.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Can you have non-religious readings at a Catholic wedding?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Generally, no. A Catholic wedding Mass prescribes specific scriptural readings. However, a Catholic blessing outside of Mass has more flexibility. Ask your priest about what is permitted. Some couples include a non-religious reading at the reception instead.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is the most popular wedding reading?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"1 Corinthians 13:4-8a is the most chosen reading at religious ceremonies. For secular ceremonies, Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 and the Captain Corelli's Mandolin excerpt are consistently the most requested. Among modern authors, bell hooks and Mary Oliver are rising rapidly.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Should the reader stand at the front or near the guests?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The reader should stand at the front at the lectern, altar, or podium and face the guests, not the couple. Standing at the front ensures the reader's voice carries clearly through the microphone or to the back of the room.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Can the reader use their phone or paper?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Paper is strongly preferred at ceremonies. Phone screens can dim, apps can crash, and the visual of someone reading from a phone is less formal than paper. Print the reading in 14pt font with generous line spacing and have a backup copy in the officiant's materials.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is a good reading for a non-religious ceremony?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Shakespeare's Sonnet 116, Mary Oliver's 'When Death Comes,' bell hooks's 'All About Love,' or the Robert Fulghum 'weirdness' quote all work beautifully for secular ceremonies. Modern passages from Sally Rooney and Ocean Vuong are increasingly popular for millennial couples.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How do you choose a reading for a multicultural wedding?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Assign one reading from each tradition if both are meaningful to the couple, keeping each under 90 words so the ceremony maintains momentum. An English translation of the Saptapadi paired with a Christian reading works well for Hindu-Christian interfaith ceremonies.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n\n<div style=\"background:#fdf8f0;border:2px solid #c9a96e;border-radius:6px;padding:28px 32px;margin:40px 0;text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:2px;color:#c9a96e;margin:0 0 8px;\">From the ceremony to the celebration<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-size:22px;font-weight:700;margin:0 0 12px;color:#1a1a1a;\">Personalize Your Wedding Programs<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size:16px;color:#333;margin:0 0 20px;\">Include your chosen readings, reader names, and ceremony order in a beautifully designed wedding program. 500+ exclusive designs, printed in Melbourne and shipped worldwide.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/browse\/wedding-programs\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#c9a96e;color:#fff;padding:13px 28px;border-radius:3px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700;font-size:15px;margin:0 8px 8px;\">Browse Wedding Programs<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/get-samples\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:transparent;color:#c9a96e;border:2px solid #c9a96e;padding:11px 28px;border-radius:3px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700;font-size:15px;margin:0 8px 8px;\">Order a Sample Pack<\/a>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>50 of the best wedding readings organized by tone and tradition: religious, classic, modern, secular poetry, funny, and short. Full text for each.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_metadesc":"","yoast_title":"","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern) - Paperlust<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern) - Paperlust\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"50 of the best wedding readings organized by tone and tradition: religious, classic, modern, secular poetry, funny, and short. Full text for each.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Paperlust\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paperlust.co\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-10T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-19T02:44:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wedding-readings-hero.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Maddison Wallace\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/wordsbreedbooks\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Maddison Wallace\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"27 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Maddison Wallace\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4046e4353f370e5bc347e41680dd5e89\"},\"headline\":\"Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern)\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-10T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-19T02:44:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":5321,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/wedding-readings-hero.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Uncategorized\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/\",\"name\":\"Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern) - Paperlust\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/wedding-readings-hero.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-10T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-19T02:44:11+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/wedding-readings-hero.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/wedding-readings-hero.jpeg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"wedding reader at ceremony lectern, guests listening, sunlight through trees\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wedding-readings\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Paperlust\",\"description\":\"Custom invitation and card design by the best Australian designers\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Paperlust\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/08\\\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/08\\\/logo.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":126,\"caption\":\"Paperlust\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/paperlust.co\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/paperlust.co\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/paperlust\",\"https:\\\/\\\/au.pinterest.com\\\/paperlust_co\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UC63hk01qlytKexFNqG5RJKw\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4046e4353f370e5bc347e41680dd5e89\",\"name\":\"Maddison Wallace\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/55cc7b5264805284a14bdb40c8c6ceb305268935f1b6e96873ad78ff14c863e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/55cc7b5264805284a14bdb40c8c6ceb305268935f1b6e96873ad78ff14c863e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/55cc7b5264805284a14bdb40c8c6ceb305268935f1b6e96873ad78ff14c863e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Maddison Wallace\"},\"description\":\"Maddison is head of content at Paperlust. She is a communications professional, postgrad student, part-time librarian, and occasional wedding photographer. She loves words and drinking cups of tea.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.maddisonwallace.com\\\/\",\"a:1:{i:0;s:42:\\\"https:\\\/\\\/au.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/maddisonwallace\\\";}\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/wordsbreedbooks\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/paperlust.co\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/maddison-wallace\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern) - Paperlust","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern) - Paperlust","og_description":"50 of the best wedding readings organized by tone and tradition: religious, classic, modern, secular poetry, funny, and short. Full text for each.","og_url":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/","og_site_name":"Paperlust","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paperlust.co\/","article_published_time":"2026-07-10T00:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-19T02:44:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wedding-readings-hero.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Maddison Wallace","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/wordsbreedbooks","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Maddison Wallace","Est. reading time":"27 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/"},"author":{"name":"Maddison Wallace","@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4046e4353f370e5bc347e41680dd5e89"},"headline":"Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern)","datePublished":"2026-07-10T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-19T02:44:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/"},"wordCount":5321,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wedding-readings-hero.jpeg","articleSection":["Uncategorized"],"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/","url":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/","name":"Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern) - Paperlust","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wedding-readings-hero.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-07-10T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-19T02:44:11+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wedding-readings-hero.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wedding-readings-hero.jpeg","width":1080,"height":720,"caption":"wedding reader at ceremony lectern, guests listening, sunlight through trees"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wedding-readings\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Wedding Readings: 50 Best Passages (Religious, Secular, Poetic, Modern)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/","name":"Paperlust","description":"Custom invitation and card design by the best Australian designers","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/#organization","name":"Paperlust","url":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogcdn.paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/logo.png","width":500,"height":126,"caption":"Paperlust"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paperlust.co\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/paperlust.co\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/paperlust","https:\/\/au.pinterest.com\/paperlust_co\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC63hk01qlytKexFNqG5RJKw"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4046e4353f370e5bc347e41680dd5e89","name":"Maddison Wallace","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55cc7b5264805284a14bdb40c8c6ceb305268935f1b6e96873ad78ff14c863e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55cc7b5264805284a14bdb40c8c6ceb305268935f1b6e96873ad78ff14c863e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55cc7b5264805284a14bdb40c8c6ceb305268935f1b6e96873ad78ff14c863e3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Maddison Wallace"},"description":"Maddison is head of content at Paperlust. She is a communications professional, postgrad student, part-time librarian, and occasional wedding photographer. She loves words and drinking cups of tea.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.maddisonwallace.com\/","a:1:{i:0;s:42:\"https:\/\/au.linkedin.com\/in\/maddisonwallace\";}","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/wordsbreedbooks"],"url":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/author\/maddison-wallace\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15120"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20437,"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15120\/revisions\/20437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paperlust.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}