Here are some guidelines to remember when choosing readings and readers for your wedding ceremony. We've got tips to help you get the most bang for your poetic buck.

Plan Ahead: Tips for a Successful Poem
If you're planning to include poetry, follow some simple tips to avoid striking (to borrow a musical metaphor) a sour note.

Consider the significance of the poem. Is the poem a gift from bride to groom, or groom to bride? Is the poem a gift from family or friends? Have the bride and groom chosen the poem together? Choose a reader for the poem. If the bride and groom have chosen the poem together, they may wish to read it together, or they may want to have someone else read it. If the bride and groom have composed poems for each other, they will probably wish to read their tributes aloud. If friends or family have chosen the poem, the friend or family member will probably read the poem.

Some tips for readers:

If you are the bride or groom, don't worry about sounding silly.
Practice, practice, practice, but concentrate on the emotions you feel.
If you are the designated reader, the rule "Practice, practice, practice" still applies. You may have the poem in front of you, but if you're constantly looking at the paper, you might miss the emotional nuances of the ceremony. Some of the best readings come from not thinking of the words.
Possible readers for the poem:
Best man
Maid of honor
Matron of honor
Bridesmaid
Groomsmen
Father of bride or groom
Mother of bride or groom
Ring-bearer
Flower girl
Soloist
Have a backup reader in case something goes wrong.
Plan the reading with the ceremony in mind.
Create copies for everyone. This may be expensive, depending on the size of the wedding party and the number of guests, but your wedding poem on lovely, elegant stationery is a keepsake guests and members of your wedding party will always treasure.
Lasting Memories, Lasting Marriages
Poetry takes odd twists. So do relationships. Although there are no guarantees, heartfelt gestures, such as a poem read at your wedding, remind you why you said "yes" to your chosen mate. And even if you haven't written since eighth grade, writing that poem will get rid of eleventh-hour nerves when you think of all the good things in your relationship. It's both the simplest and the bravest gesture you can make. As an Internet friend once said, "Greater love hath no man than that he will wrestle with verse for his beloved."

So go ahead and write those verses, or have someone else express what's in your heart. When you hear the words celebrating your love as you are surrounded by your family and friends, and you look into your partner's eyes, you'll know that you've made the best decision of your life. As the I Ching says:

"When two people are at one in their inmost hearts,
They shatter even the strength of iron or of bronze.
And when two people understand each other in their inmost hearts,
Their words are sweet and strong, like the fragrance of orchids."