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Here at Fuze Ceremonies, we believe every one of our humanist weddings are a deeply personal narrative deserving of heartfelt expressions. Your ceremony guided by our creative team of humanist celebrants, can help you select meaningful poetry or readings that can bring warmth, reflection, and individuality to your bespoke ceremony.

Why Poetry Matters in Humanist Ceremonies

A humanist wedding centres around personal stories and shared values rather than religious tradition. Poetry, especially from a celebrant who deeply understands your love story, can express what the heart often finds hard to say. Our Celebrants can help match you to poetry or readings that resonate with your values, your culture, and the tone of your Scottish humanist wedding.

Popular Humanist Wedding Readings & Poems

Here are just two of many poems often used in humanist ceremonies, that are heartfelt, historic, and meaningful:

The One by Unknown Author

When the one whose hand you’re holding
Is the one one who holds your heart
When the one whose eyes you gaze into
Gives your hopes and dreams their start,
When the one you think of first and last
Is the one who holds you tight,
And the things you plan together
Make the whole world seem just right,
When the one whom you believe in
Puts their faith and trust in you,
You’ve found the one and only love
You’ll share your whole life through.

O My Luve’s Like a Red, Red Rose By Robert Burns

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June:
O my Luve’s like the melodie,
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ ’twere ten thousand mile!

Wedding Verse by Linda Hamilton

The time has come to stand side by side
Groom in his glory, beside Bride his beautiful Bride.
They’ve waited so long for this moment in time
To take their vows and say, “Will you be mine?”
Marriage is precious and to be treasured.
The love that you have can never be measured.
It joins you as one, not just with a ring,
But a future together and what it will bring.
Keep the love alive and make it last.
Remember the good times don’t live in the past.
The bond that you have shows the world that you care,
Not just for yourselves, but for the family you share.
Who knows what the future may hold?
Stay strong together until you grow old.
Be there for each other, keep good memories alive.
With love and respect you will always survive.
Today is your day to cherish forever,
Never forget what brought you together.
This special time is just for you,
A time to remember when you’ve said “I do.”

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Modern, Funny & Alternative Choices for Your Ceremony

For couples seeking something unconventional, funny or reflective of today’s world, consider these:

Marriage by Anon

Marriage is about giving and taking
And forging and forsaking
Kissing and loving and pushing and shoving
Caring and sharing and screaming and swearing

About being together whatever the weather
About being driven to the end of your tether
About sweetness and kindness
And wisdom and blindness

It’s about being strong when you’re feeling quite weak
It’s about saying nothing when you’re dying to speak
It’s about being wrong when you know you are right
It’s about giving in before there’s a fight

It’s about you two living as cheaply as one
(you can give us a call if you know how that’s done!)
Never heeding advice that was always well-meant
Never counting the cost until it’s all spent

And for you two today it’s about to begin
And for all that the two of you had to put in
Some days filled with joy, and some days with sadness
Too late you’ll discover that marriage is madness.

A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton

The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice.
Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.

Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.

The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with
kind words and loving thoughts.

“I like this Dinosaur,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
“Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny.
He is also quite clever though I will not tell him this for now.”

“I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur,” thought the Dinosaur.
“She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice.
She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.”

“But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.  “He is also overly fond of things.  Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?”

“But her mind skips from here to there so quickly,” thought the Dinosaur.  “She is also uncommonly keen on shopping.  Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?”

“I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur, “for they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.”

“I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping,” thought the Dinosaur, “for she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either.”

Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old.  Look at them.  Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.

And that, my friends, is how it is with love.

Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together.
For the sun is warm.  And the world is a beautiful place.

Celebrant Support & Your Scottish Humanist Wedding

Your Fuze Ceremonies humanist celebrant is your creative collaborator, helping you choose or even adapt readings that reflect your personal story, cultural heritage, and the spirit of your Scottish wedding.

Tips for Choosing the Right Reading

Reflect your story: Choose a poem that resonates with your relationship’s tone, whether heartfelt, humorous, or poetic.

Keep it personal: Your Fuze Ceremonies celebrant can help tailor or abridge readings to fit your ceremony’s flow and rhythm.

Embed meaning: Even short pieces, when placed thoughtfully, can leave a lasting impression.

Blend tradition with originality: Pair classic favourites like “The Art of Marriage” with more modern, personal choices for balance and depth.

Getting creative: Can someone form you family or wedding party write something original for you both and about you both.

In Reality……

Selecting the perfect poem is more than adding words to a ceremony, it’s about giving voice to your values, your love, and your vision for what it means to join your two lives together in a humanist wedding.

Let your Fuze celebrant help craft a reading that feels like you, insightful, authentic, and deeply moving.