Wedding Ceremony Script Ideas | Wedding Planning Tips
Arguably the most important piece of the wedding day, is the part where you get married! This wedding ceremony script guide will help you build a wedding ceremony that fits your style, needs and most importantly - what's in your heart.
We put together two sample wedding ceremony scripts to help ease your wedding planning. Below you will see one ceremony script is for those couples who would like to write their own vows; and one script is for those who would like to follow vows proclaimed by the officiant. Enjoy these expert wedding planning tips!
*If you are getting married in a church or religious establishment, your officiant will likely walk you through ceremony planning and the traditional elements required by that establishment.
Ceremony Parts
First things first: let's layout the parts of the ceremony you will need:
1. The Processional : This guide will help you create the perfect wedding processional flow
2. The Invocation
3. The Declaration of Intent
4. Unity Ceremony (Optional)
5. The Exchange of Vows
6. The Ring Exchange
7. The Pronouncement
8. The Recessional
9. Announcements (Optional)
Our ceremony scripts are meant for everyone:
Nearlywed 1: Traditionally referred to as “Bride”
Nearlywed 2: Traditionally referred to as “Groom”
Sample Ceremony 1 : Couple Exchanges Own Vows
1. PROCESSIONAL {Guests are seated. The Wedding Ceremony begins.}
Officiant enters before wedding party:
Thank you all for coming today. Please silence or turn off and put away your phones. The couple has asked that you do not take photos or videos of the ceremony. Leave it to the hired professionals and enjoy this intimate moment.
Wedding Party Enters
Officiant: “Who Presents this woman to be married to this man?”
Escort of Nearlywed 1, “I Do” (Or parents may join in saying, “we do”)
Escort hug/kiss Nearlywed 1. Shake hands, hug or high five Nearlywed 2 and give nearlywed 1’s Hand to Nearlywed 2
Escort takes seat
Couple comes together and holds hands
2. INVOCATION
Officiant: "We are gathered here on this beautiful day to witness the union of {Nearlywed 1 Name and Nearlywed 2 Name} in holy matrimony. This is a day of great celebration, for a married life - a shared life - is a great blessing. As {Nearlywed 1 Name and Nearlywed 2 Name} embark on this journey together they will be able to nurture a love that makes them better versions of themselves. Marriage is a garden we sow with love, and harvest in personal growth. {Nearlywed 1 Name and Nearlywed 2 Name} , on your journey together, keep your spouse in the space of highest priority in your heart. The love that you share must be guarded and cherished forever, for it is your most valuable treasure. Always remember these words; Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
3. UNITY CEREMONY (Optional)
"As a symbol of the joining of their lives and families together, {Nearlywed 1 Name and Nearlywed 2 Name} will now {insert unity ceremony here}. A symbol of two separate lives, two families, two roads traveled, merging together as one. Each year on their anniversary, they will look back on this joyful day and {relight this candle, tie another knot, etc…} on their continued, joined journey together. "
{Song Plays, Couple conducts unity ceremony}
4. DECLARATION OF INTENT (I DOs)
5. VOWS EXCHANGE
Couple reads the vows they have written
6. RINGS EXCHANGE
Officiant: Thank you for sharing your vows with all of us. The rings you are about to place on each other's fingers are symbols of the love you expressed. They will remind you of the vows you have just spoken, and of the eternal love that you have for one another. Nearlywed 2 Name, place the ring on Nearlywed 1 Name’s finger and repeat after me. As this ring encircles your finger… From this moment forward... So will my love forever encircle you... You will never walk alone... My heart will be your shelter... My arms will be your home... We will walk thru life as partners & best friends... I promise to do my best to love, cherish and accept you... Just the way you are... I give you my heart until the end of time... I have no greater gift to give. Now, Nearlywed 1’s Name, place the ring on Nearlywed 2 Name’s finger and repeat after me. As this ring encircles your finger... from this moment forward... so will my love forever encircle you... You will never walk alone... My heart will be your shelter... My arms will be your home... We will walk thru life as partners & best friends... I promise to do my best to love, cherish and accept you... just the way you are... I give you my heart until the end of time... I have no greater gift to give.
7. PRONOUNCEMENT
By the power given to me by the (Insert the church or organization you are ordained with, (ie: American Marriage Ministries) and by the State of (Insert state couple is being married in), I now pronounce you Husband and Wife . You may kiss the bride.
Officiant step off to side so you are not in couple's first kiss photo
After kiss and cheering:
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to present, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. {Nearlywed 2 Name & Nearlywed 1 Name}
8. RECESSIONAL
Wedding party exits
9. GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT (Optional/ If officiant is willing to do this)
Immediate family please stay for photos, guests please join us for cocktail hour at {location & time}
Sample Ceremony 2: Couple Exchange Repeated Vows
1. PROCESSIONAL {Guests are seated. The Wedding Ceremony begins.}
Officiant enters before wedding party:
Thank you all for coming today. Please silence or turn off and put away your phones. The couple has asked that you do not take photos or videos of the ceremony. Leave it to the hired professionals and enjoy this intimate moment.
Wedding Party Enters
Officiant: “Who Presents this woman to be married to this man?”
Escort of Nearlywed 1, “I Do” (Or parents may join in saying, “we do”)
Escort hug/kiss Nearlywed 1. Shake hands, hug or high five Nearlywed 2 and give nearlywed 1’s Hand to Nearlywed 2
Escort takes seat
Couple comes together and holds hands
2. INVOCATION
Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of {Nearlywed 1 Name and Nearlywed 2 Name} . In the years that they have been together, their love for each other has grown, turning them into the couple you see before you. Now, they are ready to spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife. A true marriage begins well before the wedding day, and the efforts of marriage continue well beyond the ceremony. A brief moment in time and the stroke of the pen are all that is required to create the legal bond of marriage, but it takes a lifetime of love, commitment, and compromise to make marriage durable and everlasting. Today you declare your commitment to each other before family and friends
3. UNITY CEREMONY (Optional)
"As a symbol of the joining of their lives and families together, {Nearlywed 1 Name and Nearlywed 2 Name} will now {insert unity ceremony here}. A symbol of two separate lives, two families, two roads traveled, merging together as one. Each year on their anniversary, they will look back on this joyful day and {relight this candle, tie another knot, etc…} on their continued, joined journey together. "
{Song Plays, Couple conducts unity ceremony}
4. DECLARATION OF INTENT (I DOS)
(To Nearlywed 2) (Nearlywed 2 Name), Do you take (Nearlywed 1 Name) to be your Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?
(Nearlywed 2 Name): “I Do”
(To Nearlywed 1) (Nearlywed 1 Name), Do you take (Nearlywed 2 Name) to be your Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?
(Nearlywed 1): “I Do”
5. VOWS EXCHANGE
(Nearlywed 1 Name, Nearlywed 2 Name) "You may face each-other and hold hands. You to exchange vows with one another"
"(Nearlywed 1 Name), repeat after me: I, (name), take you, (name) / to be my wife / to have and to hold / from this day forward / for better or for worse / for richer or for poorer / in sickness and in health / to love and to cherish / till death do us part. (Nearlywed 1 name), today in the presence of God, do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect Brittany, forsaking all others, and holding only onto her forevermore
Response: I DO!
(Nearlywed 2 Name), repeat after me: I, (name) take you, (name) / to be my husband / to have and to hold from this day forward / for better or for worse / for richer or for poorer / in sickness and in health / to love and to cherish / till death do us part. (Nearlywed 2 name) today in the presence of God, do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect Austin, forsaking all others, and holding only onto him forevermore
Response: I DO!
6. RINGS EXCHANGE
(Nearlywed 1 to Nearlywed 2)
(Nearlywed 2 Name), I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. (place the ring on finger)
(Nearlywed 2 to the Nearlywed 1)
(Nearlywed 1 Name), I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. (place the ring on finger)
7. PRONOUNCEMENT
By the power given to me by the (Insert the church or organization you are ordained with, (ie: American Marriage Ministries) and by the State of (Insert state couple is being married in), I now pronounce you Husband and Wife . You may kiss the bride.
Officiant step off to side so you are not in back of their first kiss photo
After kiss and cheering:
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to present, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. {Nearlywed 2 Name & Nearlywed 1 Name}
8. RECESSIONAL
Wedding party exits
9. GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT (Optional/ If officiant is willing to do this)
Immediate family please stay for photos, guests please join us for cocktail hour at {location & time}
Resources: American Marriage Ministries & our own wedding experience
Photo 1: Chloe Luka Photography with Bridget Davis Events & Custom Crafted
Photo 2: Chloe Luka Photography with Bridget Davis Events
Photo 4: Danielle Harris Photography ,Charleston
