A heartfelt reading from a close friend or family member at your wedding can add sentimentality to the proceedings and make the day more memorable. But, of course, this is only true when the right person delivers the reading.
Having an unsuitable person give the all-important reading can make things awkward, embarrassing, disappointing, or all three. Fortunately, many people you have in mind will probably deliver great speeches. Just be sure to not give the job to any of the five groups of people highlighted below:
Young Children
Your soft-spoken teenage niece may be able to give a lovely reading with little prep but your five-year-old son? He won’t cut it, sorry. Neither will any kid below 12 years of age.
No matter how cute it may appear to you, giving such a monumental task to a young child is a significant risk. They will most likely not be able to read, comprehend, and deliver the reading in the form and manner you will be hoping for.
If you want your young kids and nephews and nieces involved on your big day, try to give them more straightforward tasks like ring bearing.
Anyone With an Overly Political Stance
As much as politics affect every sphere of our lives, many people hate political talk in social places and events.
What’s more, politics are becoming increasingly divisive, and there’s a high chance that about half of your guests will not like any political statements or stances made by your designated speaker.
So, no matter how much you and your spouse love politics, try to keep things apolitical at your wedding by not giving any politically passionate person a platform. Instead, let your wedding day be a day of sharing love, joy, and excitement.
Anyone With Stage Fright
As a rule of thumb, check with any person you’re considering for the reading role to see if they’re passionate about public speaking.
This helps you avoid giving the role to someone with social anxieties, who may either not deliver as expected or may do so but remain traumatized by the whole experience.
Since your list of prospective speakers will be made up of close friends or family – people you’ve interacted with before – it won’t be hard to identify the people with some stage fright.
Instead, these people can be involved in other less showy activities in the wedding planning process, like organizing the decor.
Anyone Who Loves The Bottle
In the unlikely event that you were considering asking any of your bibulous friends to do the reading, we’re here to remind you that it won’t be worth it. Weddings create the perfect atmosphere to imbibe, with the drinking sometimes starting earlier than in everyday circumstances.
This, coupled with the natural anxieties bound to pester most people appointed to give public performances, can drive a person with bibulous inclinations to take a few gulps.
Apart from affecting their poise and clarity, alcohol can also make them utter embarrassing statements.
Above all, knowing that your designated reader is a habitual drunk will worry you all morning as you wait to see what state they will arrive in.
Anyone With a Busy Schedule
Naturally, you will want to involve as many friends, colleagues, and relatives as possible. However, it is also likely that most of the people you invite and choose for various roles will say yes only to please you, even if they have a lot of work and family pressures to deal with.
The last thing you want to do is bestow the added responsibility of planning and practicing a ceremony reading to someone who has a stressful job or busy schedule. Apart from the heightened risk of them giving a poor reading, there is also the possibility of them silently resenting you for adding some extra load on their already over-burdened shoulders.
Most importantly, your wedding day is special. You deserve a reading from someone available, ready, and passionate to do all it takes to deliver a cohesive, clear, and heartfelt speech. It definitely shouldn’t be given by someone taking it as an afterthought.
