Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts
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7/12/2025 Formal Wedding Ceremony 10Formal Wedding Ceremony 10I recently performed this ceremony and fell in love with it! The bride wanted to write her own ceremony. She did an amazing job using many options from my ceremony guide. It's a perfect classic ceremony with a romantic love theme. Many wedding ceremonies talk about love and marriage in a traditional, sensible way. This particular ceremony talks about the depth of love a couple can share throughout their marriage in a poetic and beautiful way. If I performed this ceremony every weekend for a year, I would not be the least bit upset by it!
7/11/2025 Formal Wedding Ceremony 9 -ChristianI don't perform many Christian ceremonies. I've always assumed that if you are a Christian, you have a church you attend, and your religious leader will be the one who marries you. I figured my role as a professional wedding officiant would be to help couples blend religious elements into a more secular ceremony. Well, I was wrong. It turns out that many pastors don't perform wedding ceremonies. Some big box churches provide marriage counseling, but they don't perform actual marriages. Many pastors, churches, or religions have strict guidelines about who they will marry. This leaves many couples still wanting a Christian wedding ceremony, I have been performing this Christian ceremony for many years, and I love it! It's definitely got more of a Baptist flair, so it's not for everyone. I get a lot of "Amens!" When I perform this ceremony! I have other ceremonies you can add Christian elements to create a lovely, meaningful Christian ceremony. If you are a Christian Couple and have a Christian family, this ceremony may be perfect for you! Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 9 Welcome
Welcome to this celebration of love and the blessing of the new life being joined together by the marriage of Bride and Groom. They come to dedicate themselves to God and to each other, and with His eternal help, to fashion their house into a home, their family into a unity of His Kingdom, and to achieve within their lives a hint of eternity. Bride and Groom have come to publicly proclaim their love and devotion through holy marriage. Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 8Many couples are choosing something a little different for their wedding ceremony. Often, the choice has nothing to do with religious beliefs; it's just because they want something different. When I first started officiating weddings and couples asked for handfastings, I thought they were Pagan. While I do marry pagans and include handfastings in their ceremonies, that is not always the case. More often, it's simply cos-play or because a couple loved it in a movie!
I'm not Pagan. There are more elaborate, traditional, Pagan Handfasting scripts available. I don't feel comfortable performing those - simply because it's not part of my religious background and I don't feel genuine when I do it. This script takes the basic elements of a handfasting and makes it more approachable. You can easily incorporate other elements into this ceremony to make the handfasting part of your wedding, but not your entire wedding. Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 7I wrote this ceremony several years ago. The bride wanted to incorporate her Jewish traditions into the ceremony, and it was important to her that the groom's family understood the significance of what they were doing. This explains the basic elements of a Jewish wedding in a straightforward way that a lot of people appreciate. The version of the 7 Blessings For A Jewish Wedding is an updated version I love so much I include them in other ceremony scripts too!
A lot of couples might just choose to break the glass at the end of their ceremony. A few years ago, the bride insisted on breaking her own glass. It was a two-glass-breaking ceremony! You do you!! Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 6I don't necessarily think there is anything different about this ceremony than another non-religious ceremony, it just tends to be chosen more by couples that identify as Secular Humanists or Atheists, and it quotes Carl Sagan. I offer a wide variety of ceremonies to help couples find their "tone." I want you to vibe with the words of your ceremony! Some couples are very intentional with the wording of their ceremony, and that's important. You might think everyone is intentional with the wording of their ceremony, but they aren't, and that's OK too.
7/7/2025 Formal Wedding Ceremony 5 - A Christian-Lite Ceremony with an opening prayer and Christian themesFormal Wedding Ceremony 5This is a short and sweet, more traditional ceremony with Christian elements. Many couples seeking my services as a professional wedding officiant are looking for a balance between the religious practices and beliefs of their families and their less religious lives.
This ceremony has an opening prayer, and I've quoted scriptures you usually hear in a wedding, but use them in a way that we aren't reading them directly from a bible. Most couples find that to be a happy medium that works for them. You can add more Christian elements to the ceremony if you choose, such as Christian vows, ring blessings, and a Christian unity ceremony, like a Unity Candle or a God's Cross. You can also switch out the final blessing and pronouncement with Christian options. I'm not a religious minister. I'm a professional wedding officiant. I'm happy to provide the Christian options I offer, but I do not write or deliver sermons, nor do I administer communion. If you are looking for those options, please find a minister who is trained in those areas to marry you. I have another Christian wedding ceremony option available for you to read about here. It has much more traditional wording with a bit of a Baptist flair. Formal Wedding Ceremony 4This is a perfect ceremony when you want something short, sweet, and to the point. I've included all of the traditional elements of a wedding ceremony, and you can easily change the "I do's" and ring exchanges to make it more personalized without making it longer. I often perform this ceremony at smaller, informal weddings, but a lot of couples having a formal wedding don't want a long ceremony, and that's totally OK! It's really not the length of your ceremony; it's the words you choose.
Formal Wedding Ceremony 3I believe this has likely been my most popular wedding ceremony over the past several years. It has the perfect segways to add your own personal touches and love story. Over the past year or so, couples have edited out some of the original wording. When I read their edits, I understood why. The original words were, and are, great! But, if you were to sit down and think about the words, they may or may not make sense to you - especially if you have a literal brain. If you have been stalking my website for a while waiting to book your wedding and are wondering..." where is that line, 'standing on a stage looking fancy, holding flowers, and being stared at by nearly anyone who has meant anything to you over the past 20-something years..'" It still exists, and you can have it if you want it; it was just part of the most recent edits. Reason? The bride hands her flowers off at the beginning of the ceremony, so she is no longer holding them, and the 20-something years may not be accurate - I KNOW! LITERAL BRAIN!
Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 2I consider this to be a more traditional wedding ceremony because of the way it's outlined. It's a non-religious ceremony, but it uses the outline of a church service. All the religious wording has been replaced with secular wording.
This wedding ceremony script is a good outline to use if you want to customize your own wedding ceremony script. I've included links to more options for each part. Please check out this guide to Parts of a Wedding Ceremony for more information. You can very easily add scriptures and change the other elements of the ceremony to express your faith. If you said, Victoria, we don't really care, we just want a traditional, non-religious ceremony, this is what I would perform. 7/3/2025 Formal Wedding Ceremony 1Formal Wedding Ceremony 1What does your wedding officiant say during your wedding ceremony?
I have nicknames for all of my ceremonies. I've always called this one the "poetic" ceremony because it originally featured a Shakespeare quote. The more I performed the ceremony, the less the quote made sense to me. I had a couple of years ago replace the quote. They chose a great quote! However, it made me realize that they found the original quote a little unusual, and they thought it needed to be replaced with a different one. So, I took it out. You are welcome to add a quote! This is a beautiful ceremony! I love to perform it, and it feels like I'm reciting poetry. 7/2/2025 A Basic, Traditional Civil CeremonyCivil CeremonyI think this is a basic wedding ceremony with words most people expect to hear. It's perfect for some people. I think most ceremonies grew from this.
This is a template that I use when I send you your ceremony document. I'll send you a link to a Google Shared Document so we can literally be on the same page at the same time. I'm always updating this, trying to make it as user-friendly as possible. I want you to have fun and enjoy the process of choosing your ceremony if that's not for you, no worries! I can ask you a few simple questions, help you choose a ceremony, and fill in the details.
This page contains examples of how others have personalized their ceremony, or how I have done it for them. Sometimes it helps to read and see what I'm talking about! 12/12/2022 Parts of a Wedding CeremonyWhat are the different parts of a wedding ceremony? Maybe you are writing your own wedding ceremony or maybe you are putting together the program for your wedding before you send it off to the printer and you are asking yourself, how exactly does this work? Are there different parts of a ceremony and, what are they called?
The first thing I want to point out is, there is no right or wrong. There are no absolutes. If you are getting married in a church or religious institution, they have a set way of performing a wedding. Ask them what that is and then use their information to print your program. (Trying to decide if you should print a program? Click Here) If you are writing your own ceremony or working with a professional wedding officiant, it’s really up to you what you put in your wedding ceremony. I’ve put this website together for myself and the couples I marry and anyone else who would like to use it. There may be other words people use or have been traditionally used. This is my personal version and it’s always open to revision. I want you to have the wedding ceremony you want and I make suggestions and share my experiences so you have more information to make your own decisions. If I’m your wedding officiant, I look it as my job to support your decisions. 12/12/2022 Opening PrayersOpening Prayers for your Wedding Ceremony I perform a lot of semi-religious wedding ceremonies. Often, an opening prayer might be the only Christian element added to an otherwise non-religious ceremony. Here are some wonderful options.
These can also be used as closing prayers. 12/12/2022 Welcoming - Welcome Guests to Your WeddingI like to start a wedding ceremony by welcoming your guests to your wedding. It can be done before the ceremony actually begins, with opening announcements or after an opening prayer. I start all of the ceremonies I perform by quietly welcoming the couple and then welcoming the guests.
Below are some great ways to welcome your family and friends to your wedding ceremony. I often look at them as writing prompts. Sometimes, I like to begin with: "Family, friends, honored guests, I'd like to warmly welcome you to the celebration of the marriage of Name and Name..." Other times: "Welcome to Name and Name's Wedding! Together, they have built an amazing life, today we celebrate with joy, their choice to keep building a more amazing life as a married couple!" After that, I may add something more personal about the group gathered. 12/12/2022 Moment of SilenceA Moment of Silence in your Wedding Ceremony. A moment of silence in your wedding is a highly personal choice. Some couples always want to remember those who have passed away during their wedding. For some families it shows respect for their loved ones and it would be disrespectful not. Other couples really don't care. It's a day of joy and celebration for them; what's done is done, no reason to bring up the dead. If I'm your wedding officiant, it's your decision. I don't care either way. When is a Moment of Silence a Good Idea? If you have a grandparent who has recently passed away and their widow is present, it can be very meaningful. They probably talked and dreamed about being at your wedding together. Acknowledging they are there in spirit is appropriate and very sweet. If you were in the military and spoke of being at each other's weddings someday, and some of you didn't make it home, it's appropriate to remember those people. If everyone present is emotionally over a recent death. It's a joyful and happy occasion to remember everyone as part of your family. When is a Moment of Silence Not a Good Idea During Your Wedding Ceremony? If someone has recently passed away, it may hurt some people too much.
Sometimes it's just too soon. I had a bride who had literally planned most of her wedding with her grandmother, and she passed away before the wedding. She was wearing her grandmother's wedding ring and carrying her memories in her bouquet. She had a hard time keeping the tears back in general. In another situation, there was another family member that would completely fall apart when the deceased family member was mentioned. We just chose to keep it out. 12/12/2022 Declaration Of SupportWho supports this couple in marriage? The Declaration of Support can be a father giving his daughter away, or asking parents and everyone present if they support the couple in the choice to marry. Traditionally, the bride is escorted down the aisle by her father, and then we ask, "Who gives this woman to be married?" That still happens, but a lot less often than it used to. Yes, the bride is usually walked down the aisle by someone. It might be her dad, stepdad, or both! She may be escorted down the aisle by both parents. She may be escorted by a brother, uncle, her children, or she may choose to walk alone. Not to mention grooms! Grooms get to have their moment, too! Many grooms walk down the aisle with their parents. It may not be quite the same fanfare as a traditional bride, but it's still a thing!
If two men or two women are getting married, they may each have their own idea of what they want on their wedding day. One partner may take on a traditional role, but sometimes they both want to have their moment walking down the aisle on their wedding day. There is no right or wrong, only possibilities! I may ask who gives this woman in marriage? Or, who presents this woman to be married? I may ask nothing at all. More often, we are asking ALL of the parents for their formal blessing. You can check out some options below. Keep in mind, the "presentation of the bride" has always traditionally been the first thing we say during a ceremony. If we are asking for a parent's blessing, I usually work it into the ceremony a little later, where it flows better and makes more sense. 12/12/2022 Words About Love And MarriageWhat Does being in love and getting married mean to you? A wedding ceremony often begins with talking about why the couple is choosing to get married. This can be different for each couple getting married. There are many readings about love and marriage that can be incorporated into your script.
12/12/2022 Readings - Non-ReligiousSecular Wedding Readings This is a selection of non-religious "readings." That means book passages or poetry about love and marriage that are appropriate for a wedding ceremony. The practice of having readings and readers has become less popular in recent years. BUT - if you are looking for inspiration for a wedding ceremony, these are a great place to start. I often start with a passage and then create a wedding ceremony based on the tone of the reading, as well as the subject matter.
It's all about finding what's right for you! 12/12/2022 Christian Wedding ReadingsChristian Readings can be scripture - from any translation available - some of the modern versions of scripture are lovely in a wedding ceremony. Christian wedding readings can also be poetry written from a faith-based perspective. Hymns and traditional prayers can also be great options.
12/12/2022 Declaration of Intent - The "I Do's!"I Do!
The only thing I really have to do when I marry a couple is to obtain their verbal consent to the marriage. "Do you?" "I Do!" "Do you?" "I Do!" "We're done!" Or, I now pronounce you married! Many think of these as wedding vows, and they are. Some couples think of wedding vows as something you write yourself, your thoughts and feelings about each other. We often use these options as a declaration of intent, followed by your own vows, or use them, and they serve very easily as both the Declaration of Intent and the vows. Many couples may use these as prompts for writing their own vows, because sometimes you need a little help to get your own feelings to flow. Here is a collection of Christian marriage vows and declaration of intent I have gathered. At some point during the wedding ceremony, you need to say "I do" and consent to the marriage. It's pretty much the only thing you have to do when you get married. Many denominations have their standard vows written in their prayer books.
12/12/2022 How To Write Your Own Wedding VowsThe Marry Me In Indy! |
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Diversity Statement
Marry Me In Indy celebrates the diversity of the human race. We are open to marrying anyone. Every race, creed, skin color, nationality, sexual orientation, or neuro-diversity. All are welcome here! Our goal is to meet each couple where they are and help them have a positive wedding experience. We approach every wedding with an open mind - We don’t know anything about you until you tell us, and that’s only if you choose to tell us. Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Some couples are choosing to forego traditional gender roles altogether and are using the terms spouse or partner. If you have made the choice to use non-traditional pronouns, please let me know, and we will be happy to honor your preferences. Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect your personal preferences. The only second language we speak is German, but we do our best to communicate with everyone.
Marry Me In Indy celebrates the diversity of the human race. We are open to marrying anyone. Every race, creed, skin color, nationality, sexual orientation, or neuro-diversity. All are welcome here! Our goal is to meet each couple where they are and help them have a positive wedding experience. We approach every wedding with an open mind - We don’t know anything about you until you tell us, and that’s only if you choose to tell us. Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Some couples are choosing to forego traditional gender roles altogether and are using the terms spouse or partner. If you have made the choice to use non-traditional pronouns, please let me know, and we will be happy to honor your preferences. Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect your personal preferences. The only second language we speak is German, but we do our best to communicate with everyone.
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