Looking for wedding poems with LGBTQ+ weddings in mind? Non-binary, cis-gender, gender-neutral readings reflect the diversity of modern life and your individuality. It resonates a language that respects and celebrates a unique partnership.
Reciting wedding poems and readings for vows in front of your bpartner can feel nerve-wracking. Let’s be honest, not all of us have the skills to recite powerful love poems that are inclusive and respectful of all guests at the ceremony.
Look, no worries. You don’t have to be a writer, skilled reader, celebrant or master of ceremonies. Here are timeless wedding poems and readings for vows to highlight LGBTQ+ weddings and gender neutral wedding ceremonies.
Wedding Readings and Poems of Love
Powerful wedding love poems, marriage readings & endearing jokes to celebrate love without limitations. Vows that wow to foster inclusivity.! Andaz Prinsengracht Amsterdam Hotel
1. Fun LGBTQ+ Wedding Readings
“I promise to make you a bacon sandwich when you’re hungover.”
And I promise to never watch the next episode on Netflix without you, no matter how much I want to.
I Will not forget to wash up when you cook dinner.
I promise to let you know when you’re making a slight error in fashion judgement.”
non-traditional vows – exchange blessings, quotes, sayings and jokes – raise an eyebrow and excite your partner and guests. Hans & Eric
2. Men’s LGBTQ+ wedding readings
The Art of Marriage – Wilfred A Peterson
A good marriage must be created.
In the marriage, the little things are the big things.
It’s never being too old to hold hands.
Just remembering to say “I love you” at least once each day,
It’s never going to sleep angry.
But having a mutual sense of values and objectives.
It’s standing together and facing the world.
And forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It’s speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
And having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It’s giving each other space in which each person can grow.
A common search for the good and the beautiful.
It’s not only marrying the right person
The fact of the matter is you are being the right partner.
Opt for a wedding without saying vows: share what you feel with powerful LGBTQ+ wedding ceremony readings or love quotes. pexels -brianna-swank-bbm
3. Lesbian Wedding Quotes & Non-traditional Vows
True Friendship – Judy Bielicki
It is often said that love makes the world go round. However, without doubt, true friendship keeps our spinning existence on an even keel. Providing so many of the essentials for a happy life — it is the foundation on which to build an enduring relationship, and it is the mortar which links us together in harmony. Love is the calm, warm protection we sometimes need when the world outside seems cold and chaotic.
True friendship holds a mirror to our foibles and failings, without destroying our sense of worthiness. They nurture our hopes, support us in our disappointments, and encourages us to grow to our best potential.
Strangers who came together as friends. Today, they pledge to each other not only their love, but also the strength, warmth and, most importantly, the fun of true friendship.
Wedding poems and readings play a role in celebrating your marriage. courtesy of M & G
4. Opposite Sex Couples secular wedding ceremony readings
Quote from William Butler Yeats
I think a man and woman should choose each other for life, for the simple reason that a long life with all its accidents is barely enough time for a man and woman to understand each other. And to understand is to love.
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
A Dedication to my Wife by T S Eliot
To whom I owe the leaping delight
That quickens my senses in our waking time
And the rhythm that governs the repose of our sleeping time,
The breathing in unison.
Of lovers whose bodies smell of each other
Who think the same thoughts without need of speech
And babble the same speech without need of meaning.
No peevish winter wind shall chill
Or sullen tropic sun shall wither
The roses in the rose-garden which is ours and ours only
But this dedication is for others to read:
These are private words addressed to you in public.
Poems for a LGBTQ+ wedding without saying vows – love is contagious whatever race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, faith and nationality. #weddingdaywinners
5. Non-binary wedding blessings & readings
Extract from Admonitions to a Special Person by Anne Sexton
Love? Be it someone.
It must be a wave you want to glide in on,
Let your body feel it, give your laugh to it,
When the gravelly sand takes you,
your tears to the land. To love another is something
like prayer and can’t be planned, you just fall
into its arms because your belief undoes your disbelief.
Poems for your ceremony without personal vows. “When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece – John Ruskin” Suits by The Drop
6. African American Poems for your LGBTQ+ Wedding
“You Came Too” By Nikki Giovanni
I came to the crowd seeking friends
Yes, I was looking in the crowd seeking love
I came to the crowd for understanding.
And I found you.
I came to the crowd to weep
Yes, yet the crowd made me laugh.
You dried my tears
And you shared my happiness.
I went from the crowd seeking you
And within the crowd I was seeking me
I went from the crowd forever
Gender-Neutral Wedding blessings and LGBTQIA+ wedding readings intensify your vows – Shall I Compare thee to a summer’s day – Shakespeare! The Drop – custom suits made to measure!
7. Mixed Race Couples Wedding Blessings for non-traditional vows
“Love” by Roy Croft
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.
I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.
8. Touched By An Angel by Maya Angelou
We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.
Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.
We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love’s light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only unconditional love & kindness
which sets us free.
Powerful wedding readings unique sayings about love, loyalty and harmony. RODNAE Productions – Pexels
9. Cross-cultural Fusion Wedding Vows
Yes, I’ll Marry You – Pam Ayres
It’s you – so, yes, I’ll marry you, my dear,
And here’s the reason why;
So I can push you out of bed
When the baby starts to cry,
And if we hear a knocking
When it’s creepy and it’s late,
I’ll hand you the torch, you see,
And you investigate.
Yes I’ll marry you, my dear,
You may not apprehend it,
But when the tumble-drier goes
It’s you that has to mend it,
You have to face the neighbour
Should our labrador attack him,
And if a drunkard fondles me
It’s you that has to whack him.
Yes, I’ll marry you,
You’re virile and you’re lean,
My house is like a pigsty
You can help to keep it clean.
That sexy little dinner
Which you served by candlelight,
As I do chipolatas,
You can cook it every night!
It’s you who has to work the drill
Put up curtain track & rail,
And when I’ve got PMT it’s you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
But none of them for you,
And so before you see the light,
I do, yes – please, and some more I do!
Powerful Gender-neutral wedding blessings – “Walking hand in hand is where I want to be forever.” Krista Photography
10. Non-religious wedding readings for cisgender couples
“I will love you forever; whatever happens. Till I die and after I die, and when I find my way out of the land of the dead, I’ll drift about forever, all my atoms, till I find you again… I’ll be looking for you, every moment, every single moment. And when we do find each other again, we’ll cling together so tight that nothing and no one will ever tear us apart. Every atom of me and every atom of you…
11. Romantic wedding readings
Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines, and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favorite memories, and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all — one known only by those who love.
Gender-Neutral wedding love poems & marriage readings for gender-neutral wedding blessings! michielstock_photography
12. Kickass Gay Wedding Ceremony Quotes
Imagine finding someone you love more than anything in the world, who you would risk your life for but couldn’t marry. And you couldn’t have that special day the way your friends do—you know, wear the ring on your finger and have it mean the same thing as everybody else. Just put yourself in that person’s shoes. It makes me feel sick to my stomach.
—Miley Cyrus
13. Mixed-faith & Secular Marriage Readings
On Your Wedding Day (Anon)
This day is a day you will always remember
The greatest in anyone’s life
You’ll start off the day just two people in love
And end it as Husband and Wife
It’s a brand new beginning the start of a journey
With moments to cherish and treasure
And although there’ll be times when you both disagree
These will surely be outweighed by pleasure
You’ll have heard many words of advice in the past
When the secrets of marriage were spoken
But you know that the answers lie hidden inside
Where the bond of true love lies unbroken
So live happy forever as lovers and friends
It’s the dawn of a new life for you
As you stand there together with love in your eyes
From the moment you whisper ‘I do’
And with luck, all your hopes, and your dreams can be real
May success find its way to your hearts
Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys
But today is the day it all starts
Powerful wedding readings & love poems express how many couples feel for each other. ©Michelle Piergoelam | Vosse-entertainment.nl
14. I choose you to be my partner in life
I choose you to be my spouse, my partner in life.
And I promise you my unconditional love,
my fullest devotion, my most tender care.
Through the pressures of the present
and the uncertainties of the future,
I promise to love you, honor, respect
and cherish you all the days of our lives
You are everything I need
And at this moment I feel that all of
my prayers have been answered.
I know that our love is heaven sent
and I promise to be here forever and always
I pledge to respect your unique talents and abilities,
to lend you strength to reach your dreams
I promise to take care of you, to encourage and inspire you,
asking that you be no other than yourself
15. Queer wedding ceremony readings
Make our dreams come true by Joeri
I am proud of you and all what you do.
There is no mountain high enough to keep me from you.
Or river wide enough to stop me loving you.
Together we can make our dreams come true.
Powerful LGBTQ+ wedding love poems & marriage readings for your ceremony weddings without saying vows
16. I will follow you by Valeria
I will follow you until the end of time.
To follow you in rhythm and rhyme I do not mind
I will dance a slow tango with you.
To make sure that you never feel blue.
17. Non-traditional marriage sample readings
“The Vow,” by Roger McGough
I vow to honour the commitment made this day
Which, unlike the flowers and the cake,
Will not wither or decay. A promise, not to obey
But to respond joyfully, to forgive and to console,
For once incomplete, we now are whole.
I vow to bear in mind that if, at times
Things seem to go from bad to worse,
They also go from bad to better.
The lost purse is handed in, the letter
Contains wonderful news. Trains run on time,
Hurricanes run out of breath, floods subside,
And toast lands jam-side up.
But with this ring, my final vow:
To recall, whatever the future may bring,
The love I feel for you now.
18. Funny wedding ceremony readings for vows
Falling In Love Is Like Owning A dog by Taylor Mali
Falling in love is like owning a dog
First of all, it’s a big responsibility, especially in a city like [insert city].
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security: when you’re walking down the street late at night and you have a leash on love ‘ain’t no one going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable. Who knows what love could do in its own defense?
On cold winter nights, love is warm. It lies between you and lives and breathes and makes funny noises. Read more – www.rockmywedding.co.uk
How do you perfectly articulate how you feel about your partner? Whether you have a mixed faith, interracial, or same-sex relationship, incorporate powerful LGBTQ+ wedding readings & love poems © www.michielstock.com
19. I’d Rather Rise in Love With You – Jana Lynne Umipig
Don’t whisper sweet nothings in my ears
I’d rather be confronted by the savory somethings
That truths communicated – in fullness and compassion bring
Don’t want long gazes or to get lost in your eyes
I ‘d rather have our eyes brave exploration,
Discovering every part of each other from curve to line –
Wrinkles, tints and shades
Every scar and marking that our livings have made…
20. Our wedding day – marriage reading
Today is our wedding day we will always remember. The greatest in our lives.
We started the day just two people in love. And end it as partners for life.
It’s a brand new beginning, the start of a journey with moments to cherish and treasure
And although there’ll be times when we both disagree, these will surely be outweighed by pleasure.
We have heard many words of advice in the past, when the secrets of marriage were spoken.
But we know that the answers lie hidden inside where the bond of true love lies unbroken.
So lets live happy forever as lovers and friends, it’s the dawn of a new life for us.
As we stand here together with love in our eyes, from the moment we whisper “I do”.
And with luck, all our hopes, and our dreams can be real, may success find its way to our hearts.
Tomorrow can bring us the greatest of joys but today is the day it all starts.
Wedding reading for vows inspired by anon…
Marry Your Best Friend – Jitske & Will – ByFrisoBoven
21. LGBTQ+ Wedding readings for vows
We, the best family and friends on the planet, Swear to party for 2 of the most incredible people of all time.
We promise there will be dynamite dance moves. Drinking and cheering
And making of memories until this day forward forever
22. Love poem for confirmation of vows
The Confirmation
Yes, yours, my love, is the right human face.
I in my mind had waited for this long,
Seeing the false and searching for the true,
Then found you as a traveller finds a place
Of welcome suddenly amid the wrong
Valleys and rocks and twisting roads. But you,
What shall I call you? A fountain in a waste,
A well of water in a country dry,
Or anything that’s honest and good, an eye
That makes the whole world seem bright. Your open heart,
Simple with giving, gives the primal deed,
The first good world, a blossom, the blowing seed,
A hearth, the steadfast land, the wandering sea.
Not beautiful or rare in every part.
But like yourself, as they were meant to be.
23. LGBTQ+ wedding poem for confirmation of vows
Your lips are lovely by which by Joe Dunthorne
Your lips are lovely by which I mean love me,
By which I mean babies, big ones
Let’s have ones that laugh although they cannot walk
By which I mean one a month
I think I’m finally ready.
24. Wedding Poems and Readings for Vows
WHAT I DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE
was how horses simply give birth to other
horses. Not a baby by any means, not
a creature of liminal spaces,
but already a four-legged beast hellbent on walking,
scrambling after the mother. A horse gives way
to another horse and then suddenly there are
two horses, just like that. That’s how I loved you.
You, off the long train from Red Bank carrying
a coffee as big as your arm, a bag with two
computers swinging in it unwieldily at your
side. I remember we broke into laughter
when we saw each other. What was between
us wasn’t a fragile thing to be coddled, cooed
over. It came out fully formed, ready to run.
© 2018, Ada Limón
From: The Carrying
Publisher: Milkweed Editions,
25. Wedding Readings for Vows
We Two Boys together clinging by Walter Whitman
We two boys together clinging,
One the other never leaving,
Up and down the roads going—North and South
excursions making,
Power enjoying—elbows stretching, fingers clutch-ing,
Armed and fearless—eating, drinking, sleeping, lov-ing,
No law less than ourselves owning—sailing, soldier-ing,
thieving, threatening,
Misers, menials, priests alarming—air breathing,
water drinking, on the turf or the sea-beach dancing,
With birds singing—With fishes swimming—With
trees branching and leafing,
Cities wrenching, ease scorning, statues mocking,
feebleness chasing,
Fulfilling our foray.
While you’re here…
Please leave your thoughts about your Gender-Neutral wedding or LGBTQ+ weddings in the comment box below.
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