Wedding reading

A Word to Husbands

Ogden Nash

“A Word to Husbands” by Ogden Nash is a poem read at a wedding ceremony. It takes about 10 seconds read aloud, usually by a guest reader. We do not reprint the words here — the note below says why, and what to bring instead.

Why the words are not printed here

Four lines, and still in copyright — Nash died in 1971 and his estate licenses actively. Print it from a licensed Nash collection. Do not let anyone recite it from memory; at four lines a wrong word is the whole poem.

Pieces still in copyright are listed by title and author only — we name them and tell you where to get them, but we do not reproduce the words. Public-domain text is printed in your script in full.

Where it comes from

Ogden Nash (1902–1971) was an American poet well known for his light verse, of which he wrote more than 500 pieces.

What it says

Four lines of advice to husbands on keeping a marriage happy. The joke is in the turn: the first half of the advice is reasonable, owning up whenever you are in the wrong, and the second half is the punch line, keeping quiet whenever you are in the right. Under the laugh it is sound, since it is about choosing peace over winning. It takes about ten seconds to read, which is part of its appeal.

Four lines of marriage advice, and the shortest laugh available. Bring it printed. Read at a wedding ceremony. Themes: a word to husbands · whenever you are wrong admit it · four lines · ten seconds · advice disguised as a joke · very short.

Who it suits

Couples who want a laugh in an otherwise traditional ceremony, and couples who hate long readings. It works for any couple, though the title names husbands, so for a same-sex or gender-neutral ceremony the reader can introduce it as advice for anyone married. It is too short to stand alone as the only reading.

Where it goes in the ceremony

Fits neatly after the vows or rings, as a light moment before the pronouncement, or as a tag at the end of the officiant’s address. It also works at the reception as a toast.

Reading it aloud

Allow about 10 seconds at a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, from the reader’s first word to their last.

Bring it printed. At four lines a single wrong word wrecks the joke, and memory is unreliable in front of a crowd.
Pause just before the last line, then deliver it flat. Timing is the whole poem.
Let the laugh happen. Do not explain or add to it; move on once it fades.

Questions about reading it aloud

How long does “A Word to Husbands” take to read aloud?

“A Word to Husbands” takes about 10 seconds read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.

Who usually reads “A Word to Husbands”?

Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “A Word to Husbands” runs about 10 seconds, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.

Can “A Word to Husbands” be printed in a ceremony script?

Not by us. Four lines, and still in copyright — Nash died in 1971 and his estate licenses actively. Print it from a licensed Nash collection. Do not let anyone recite it from memory; at four lines a wrong word is the whole poem.

A reading is two minutes of the hour.

The rest is the welcome, the vows, the ring exchange, the pronouncement — and the timing that holds them together. Answer some questions about the couple and get the whole ceremony, written out, with this reading in its place.

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