Notice how the reader is overlapping the groom by a couple of inches? And notice how the groom's right hand is resting on the reader's shoulder showing the closeness of their friendship? This arrangement, what in stage talk is known as "blocking", makes for great photography too doesn't it?

Yet all of this was instructed by me and practiced during their rehearsal. Everything I do, and everything I teach in wedding ceremony design is calculated for effect.

The real reason I encourage the use of readers in a wedding ceremony is to connect you with your guests. That's why a reader should not come from the bridal party, for they are already participating. And a reader should not come from your immediate family either- we'll get to them with roses later on. Your readers, and you should have two of them- one a friend of the groom, and the other associated with the bride, should come ten or twelve rows deep out of your audience to show your guests that they too are contributing to you.

Readings are used in mid-ceremony, and should be no more than 4 sentences to 2 paragraphs in length. Your guests don't want "War and Peace." Readers are used in my ceremonies to connect you with your guests and to create wonderful photo op's like this with your dearest friends. The reading itself is secondary to this.