Nonreligious wedding readings don’t have to come from a poetry book.
Sometimes the best reading is already sitting in the couple’s playlist.
One of my couples brought me the lyrics to Never Stop by SafetySuit and asked if we could use them in their ceremony. Absolutely.
I’ve used song lyrics as wedding readings many times. I’ve read Jack Johnson. I’ve read lyrics from Avenged Sevenfold. The genre doesn’t matter nearly as much as whether the words mean something to the two people getting married.
If you’re helping a couple find a nonreligious wedding reading, ask them a simple question before you start searching the internet. Is there a song that’s yours?
Why Never Stop works as a wedding reading
The Wedding Version of Never Stop is slower and more intimate than the original recording. More importantly for an officiant, the writing is built around a repeating promise.
That repetition gives the words rhythm even when nobody is singing them. Read aloud, the piece doesn’t feel like somebody copied random lyrics onto a page. It moves.
It’s also modern and sincere without sounding like traditional religious language. That’s why it can work especially well for couples who want a heartfelt ceremony but don’t want scripture.
Song lyrics can make great nonreligious wedding readings
A lot of couples think a wedding reading has to sound like a wedding reading. It doesn’t.
You’re looking for words that say something true about the couple. Sometimes Robert Fulghum does that. Sometimes a poem does it. Sometimes Adam Sandler does it. And sometimes the words have been playing through the couple’s car speakers for six years.
Don’t start by asking, “What’s a good wedding reading?” Start by asking, “What already means something to you?”
If the couple gives you a song, read the lyrics on the page without the music. Some songs are beautiful because of the melody but awkward when spoken. Others suddenly sound like they were written to be read at a wedding.
How to use song lyrics in a wedding ceremony
Don’t judge them only while the song is playing. A ceremony reading has to work without the music carrying it.
You don’t have to use an entire song. A shorter section that says exactly what the couple wants is usually stronger.
A sincere piece like Never Stop usually works in the body of the ceremony before the vows or ring exchange.
Tell the guests what they’re hearing instead of presenting someone else’s words as your own.
Should the officiant read it or a guest?
Either can work, but song lyrics are one of my favorite ways to include somebody who isn’t otherwise part of the wedding party.
If the couple has a sibling, close friend, aunt, grandparent or someone else they want to honor, give that person the reading. Now they’re part of the ceremony without inventing a job for them.
If a guest is reading, make sure they practice
I always ask guest readers whether they’ve practiced the piece out loud.
Reading silently and reading into a microphone in front of 100 people are two very different things. Every once in a while somebody waves me off because they’ve “got it.” Those are often the people who discover halfway through the first sentence that punctuation looks different when you’re nervous.
You don’t need to coach them like they’re auditioning for Broadway. Ask them to read it aloud once or twice, slow down, look up occasionally and take a breath when they need one.
If you’re working with several readers or ceremony participants, I have a full guide on preparing wedding ceremony readers and participants.
How I would deliver Never Stop
I wouldn’t try to sing it. Nobody wants that from me.
I would keep some of the tempo of the song, let the repeated promises create the rhythm, and leave enough space between thoughts that each one lands. Near the end, I’d slow down a little more rather than racing into whatever comes next in the ceremony.
The goal isn’t to perform the song. It’s to make the words sound natural coming from a human being standing in front of two people who chose them for a reason.
More nonreligious wedding reading ideas
If Never Stop isn’t the couple’s thing, that’s fine. The lesson is bigger than this one song.
Ask about favorite songs, movies, books and shared interests. I also use Grow Old With You from The Wedding Singer, and my ceremony material includes a much larger selection of readings and ceremony pieces you can mix and match.
Want more ceremony readings without starting from scratch?
My Ceremony Material includes more than 70 selections, including readings, vows, ring exchanges, unity ceremonies and pronouncements that I’ve used and refined through more than 1,000 weddings.
What to read next
Common questions
Can you use song lyrics as a wedding reading?
Song lyrics can work very well as a wedding reading, especially when the song already means something to the couple. Read the words aloud without the music first, choose a portion that works when spoken, and credit the artist.
Is Never Stop by SafetySuit a good nonreligious wedding reading?
It can be a strong choice for a modern, romantic, nonreligious ceremony. The repeated promises give the words a natural spoken rhythm, and the Wedding Version has a slower, intimate feel.
Where should a wedding reading go in the ceremony?
A sincere reading usually fits well in the middle of the ceremony, after the opening remarks and before the vows or ring exchange. The exact placement depends on the rest of the ceremony.
Who should read a wedding reading?
The officiant can read it, or the couple can ask a friend or family member. Giving a reading to a guest is an easy way to include someone important who doesn’t otherwise have a role in the ceremony.
