Readings in the first person

Vgalz

This is probably a really dumb question, but... I have noticed that a lot of suggested readings for ceremonies online are in the first person, and the book of example readings our officiant provided to us also includes many in the first person. By that, I mean they are phrased like, "When I met you blah blah," "I love you because bloo bloo," "Now that we are getting married bleh bleh" and so on. However, I've never seen a ceremony where the bride/groom do readings at the ceremony - is this a thing? If not, is it expected that the person doing the readings will read first person readings to the couple despite not having those emotions/sentiments? Do readings in the first person come off as normal or strange? Am I missing something totally obvious?

Some examples:

http://ceremonyofficiants.com/wedding-ceremony-readings/#I love you

http://www.todays-weddings.com/planning/readings/i_promise.html

http://weddings.about.com/od/yourweddingceremony/a/classicreadings.htm - the first one

http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-ceremony/articles/find-ceremony-readings.aspx?page=13

southernbelle0915

I've never seen a B or G do a reading. I think it'd be weird and it would distract me as a guest.

We had two readings - 1 Corinthians 1-13 and a Shakespeare sonnet. Both used the first person. It wasn't like people thought our readers wrote it or like they were reading it TO us. 

I think you may be overthinking this. Sometimes they're written in first person, sometimes not. People "get it" that readings are usually chosen by the B&G because it's special to them. 

artbyallie

Well, those are poems, so that's just the voice they were written in. Don't choose first person poetry for a reading if you find it odd. The bride and groom should not do readings. Although, really, the 'I Promise' poem would make lovely vows, which would not be the same as a reading.

danamw

I am old, and out of the loop, except as a guest, at weddings. I would sincerely like to know, why do ceremonies have readings?

They seem to be a new thing, about the last 10 years or so. They were never mentioned at my friend's wedding in 1990, and she had a 'kitchen sink' wedding.

At another wedding there was a reading (I don't think anybody paid much attention; I know I didn't) in a Catholic Mass ceremony.

daria24

danamw said:

I am old, and out of the loop, except as a guest, at weddings. I would sincerely like to know, why do ceremonies have readings?

They seem to be a new thing, about the last 10 years or so. They were never mentioned at my friend's wedding in 1990, and she had a 'kitchen sink' wedding.

At another wedding there was a reading (I don't think anybody paid much attention; I know I didn't) in a Catholic Mass ceremony.

Catholic weddings always have 3 readings-Old Testament, New Testament, and the Gospel. The Protestant weddings I have been to also include Bible readings. 

I had a secular wedding, but had two readings. Most of the secular weddings I've been to have readings. Perhaps it is influenced by Christian tradition, but in our case they were personally meaningful to both of us, and reflected something we wanted to say. 

OP-you are overthinking it. Everyone knows the readings were written by another person, and reflect the author's voice, not the readers. When you had to read literature out loud in school, did the first person bother you then?

wrigleyville

At a Catholic Mass, readings are part of the Mass itself. At weddings, they sometimes take on a wedding-related theme (such as the passage from Corinthians), but it's not unique to weddings. If you went to Mass on a "regular" Sunday, you'd still hear three readings.

danamw

Okay I think I get it. I was raised Catholic, and have been to a few wedding masses. I bet the 3 readings were done by the priest, where nowadays the readings are done by people the couple chooses. Probably. Thanks!