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Photo taken at The Columbia Club
​by Summerly Photography

A Basic, Traditional Civil Ceremony

12/12/2022

 

Civil Ceremony

I 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.

Dearly Beloved, we are gathered together here to join together Name and Name in Marriage; which is an honorable estate, and therefore, not entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, soberly and with joy.  Into this estate, these two persons present come now to be joined.

Vows

Name, do you take Name to be your lawful wedded husband/wife/spouse, to live together in the Estate of Matrimony? Will you love her/him/them, comfort her/him/them, honor and keep her/him/them in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others keep you only unto her/him/them as long as you both shall live?
 
I do
 
Name, do you take Name to be your lawful wedded husband/wife/spouse, to live together in the Estate of Matrimony? Will you love her/him/them, comfort her/him/them, honor and keep her/him/them in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others keep you only unto her/him/them as long as you both shall live?
 
I do
 
Ring Exchange
 
The marriage ring seals the vows of marriage and represents a promise for eternal and everlasting love.

Name, as you place the ring on Name’s finger, please repeat after me:

 I Name, take you, Name, to be my wedded spouse/wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish forever.  With this ring, I marry you. 
 
Name, as you place the ring on Name’s finger, please repeat after me:

 I Name, take you, Name, to be my wedded spouse/wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish forever.  With this ring, I marry you. 
 ​
Those who have chosen to be joined together, let no one put asunder.

Forasmuch as Name and Name have consented together in wedlock, and have witnessed the same before this company of witnesses, and there to have given their pledge, each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving a ring, and by joining hands; by the power vested in me by the State of Indiana, I now pronounce you Married.

You may seal this marriage with a kiss. 
​

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Formal Wedding Ceremony 1

12/12/2022

 

Formal Wedding Ceremony 1

What does your wedding officiant say during your wedding ceremony?  

I have nick-names for all of my ceremonies.  I've always called this one the "poetic" ceremony because it originally had  a Shakespeare quote in it.  The more I performed the ceremony, the less the quote made sense.  I had one couple a few years ago replace the quote.  They chose a great quote!   But it made me realize they thought the original quote was a little weird to them and they thought they needed to replace it 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 does feel like I'm performing poetry. 
Welcome

Family, friends, honored guests, on behalf of Name and Name, I would like to warmly welcome you to the celebration of their marriage. They wish to express their gratitude for each of you who has chosen to be here today.  During the ceremony this afternoon, we respectfully request that you silence and put away all cell phones and cameras so we can all be fully present in this moment.
 
Name and Name have come before us today with the intention to marry one another; their love for each other has brought them to this place.  Neither I nor any other can join these two lovers today. Only they can do what they have chosen. They are joining themselves, each to the other.  We, by our participation in this celebration, do but recognize and honor their intention to dwell together as husband and wife.

Marriage is a dedication.  You give yourself into the hands of the one you love.  You do so trustingly and generously. By the same token, each of you receives a gift, the life, and love of each other.  
​


Moment of Reflection

This day will be filled with love and joy and laughter and will pass more quickly than can be imagined.  The couple has requested a brief pause to reflect and absorb this moment in their lives; to look, listen, and feel; to fix these sensations in their memories for years to come.

Words about Love and Marriage

Whenever we attend a wedding, we are given the opportunity to reflect on our own relationships. We might look at the couple before us and be tempted to compare their love to the quality of our relationships. The truth is that every couple is as unique as the individuals in it, but one thing holds true: For love to exist between two people, each person must allow the vulnerability of giving his or her love to the other, and each must be open to receiving the other’s love in turn. Therefore each of us is a powerful creator of love. Each of us, every moment of every day, has the choice to dedicate ourselves to one another or to withhold our love and caring.

If you ask couples who have a strong and abiding love what they like most about their partners, many will say when they are with that person they don’t have to pretend to be anything other than what they are. They are able to express themselves without fear of being judged or rejected. There is room in the relationship for both of them to be unique individuals. They are free to surrender to the vulnerability of true intimacy—to be known and loved unconditionally.

When two people are happily married, they enjoy each other’s company with the greatest delight and excitement. As many moments they might spend together and as many conversations they might share, it could never be enough. They can find endless joy in discovering each other and in sharing their being with the other. A happy marriage is a long conversation that always seems too short.

 It has been said that the best relationships, the ones that last, are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is… suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with.

Declaration of Intent

Name and Name, before this moment you have been many things to one another, but now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, words that will irreversibly alter the relationship between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this—is my husband; this—is my wife. (Or my partner for life)  It is relatively simple to stand here and say these words today, but far more difficult to live them day to day. When you love someone, you do not love them all the time in exactly the same way. That is impossible. Yet that is what most of us expect. We forget the ebb and flow of life and of love and of relationships. We insist on permanence, on duration, on continuity. But in love, as in life, the only stability is in change, in growth, and in freedom. Therefore what you promise today must be renewed and reaffirmed tomorrow and all the tomorrows to come.

Vows

Partner 1

Name, do you take Name to be the wife/husband/partner of your days, the companion of your heart, and the friend of your life? To stand united in the face of adversity and bask together in the light of good fortune?  With these words spoken, do you wish to marry Name and join your life with hers/him/theirs?

Partner 2

Name, do you take Name to be the husband/wife/partner of your days, the companion of your heart, and the friend of your life? To stand united in the face of adversity and bask together in the light of good fortune? With these words spoken, do you wish to marry Name and join your life with his/hers/theirs?

Partner 1

Name, do you vow to love Name faithfully, to be worthy of her/his/their trust and deserving of her/his/their respect, to support, comfort, and strengthen her/him/them through life's joys and sorrows, and to love her/him/them without reservation, all the days of your life?

Partner 2


Name, do you vow to love Name faithfully, to be worthy of his/her/their trust and deserving of his/her/their respect, to support, comfort, and strengthen him/her/them through life's joys and sorrows, and to love him/her/them without reservation, all the days of your life?

Ring Exchange

For generations, the passage of two people into the state of marriage has been marked by the exchange of rings.  

Rings hold deep symbolic meaning. The circle is an ancient symbol representing notions of totality, wholeness, perfection, and the infinite. It implies an idea of movement and symbolizes the cycle of time. It symbolizes both the potential and the completion, the eternal cycle of life.  Even as these circles, these rings, hold universal significance, they are also personally significant to these two here today.  They are a constant reminder of the bond between a husband and a wife. A visible, tangible symbol of their commitment to each other.  Let these rings be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that this person has been chosen, this person walks not alone through life.


Name, please place this ring on Name’s finger and repeat after me:

Name, Let this ring be a symbol of my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you. I am honored to call you my wife/husband/partner for life.

Name, please place this ring on Name’s finger and repeat after me:
Let this ring be a symbol of my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you. I am honored to call you my husband/wife/partner for life.

Final Words

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. Treat yourselves and each other with respect, patience, and compassion, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together.  Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your love deserves.  If each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.  May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth. Go now and enter into the days of your life together.   

Pronouncement

Name and Name, you have each betrothed yourself to the other in love and compassion, and you have taken upon yourselves the responsibilities of a profound and loving friendship.  In the presence of these witnesses and in keeping with tradition, you have spoken the words and performed rites that have united your lives. Having so affirmed, I now pronounce that you are husband and wife/Married Partners!!!

You may seal this marriage with a kiss!


Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to present, for the first time ...
​
** Formal Ceremony 1 ** Formal Ceremony 2 - Traditional, Non-Religious ** Formal Ceremony 3 - Modern and Romantic **
** Formal Ceremony 4 - Short and Sweet ** Formal Ceremony 5 - Christian-lite ** Formal Ceremony 6 - Secular Humanist **
** Formal Ceremony 7 - Interfaith-Jewish ** Formal Ceremony 8 - Modern Handfasting ** Formal Ceremony 9 - Christian Traditional **
​
** Formal Ceremony 10 **

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Formal Wedding Ceremony 2 - A Formal, Traditional, Non-Religious Ceremony

12/12/2022

 

Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 2

I 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.


 Announce an Unplugged Ceremony
More unplugged options

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for joining us today.  At this time, I request that you silence your phones and refrain from taking pictures during the ceremony. Please take these few moments to be fully present with Name and Name as they make their vows and are joined in their new life together. There will be plenty of time for you to capture the moment as the evening progresses. Thank you! Let the wedding begin…


The Bride (and/or Groom) is escorted down the aisle.     
Traditionally the Bride is escorted by her father, but it can be anyone or no one. An escort is not required. 

At this point it the bride and her father wish it, we ask:


Who gives(or) presents this woman to be married?
(You are welcome to leave this out)

Response:

Her mother and I do.
Or something similar

Welcoming 
More welcoming Options

Welcome!  We are gathered here today to celebrate and to witness the joining of Name and Name in marriage. As they promise to love, trust in that love, honor one another as individuals, and anticipate with joy spending the rest of their lives together. They, are surrounded by you - their friends and family.   Thank you for gathering here to witness their marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion.

You may want to add an opening prayer here.
Opening Prayer options.


A Moment of Silence
This is optional:
More Moment of Silence options

We’d like to take a moment to remember those who are not with us here today. Those who were unable to be here and those who have gone on to greater things. We know that they are here with us in spirit.  
You can name specific people here if you like or just keep it general.

(Moment of Silence)
This is usually just one deep breath

Words About Love And Marriage
More options about Love and Marriage

Name and Name, Today, as you two are joined in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great. We join with you in hoping you make real your dreams!  That you are reborn in each other as you share your loves and dreams, wants and desires and together are enriched by them. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life.There was a time when your lives were two separate paths.  Gradually, they were joined as you grew closer together.  Today, you proclaim to the world your choice to stay on the same path together.  

The first reading is:
(Readings are an option.  You can switch them out or delete them.)
Non-Religious Reading Options

Christian Reading Options

Why Marriage?  
By Mari Nichols- Haining.

Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person,
With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body...
Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me,
Who won't hold them against me,
Who loves me when I'm unlikable,
Who sees the small child in me, and
Who looks for the divine potential of me...
Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night
With someone who thanks God for me,
With someone I feel blessed to hold...
Because marriage means opportunity
To grow in love in friendship...
Because marriage is a discipline
To be added to a list of achievements...
Because marriages do not fail, people fail
When they enter into marriage
Expecting another to make them whole...
Because, knowing this,
I promise myself to take full responsibility
For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness
I create me,
I take half of the responsibility for my marriage
Together we create our marriage...
Because with this understanding
The possibilities are limitless.


The Second Reading is

From "Union"
by Robert Fulghum

"You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with "When we're married" and continued with "I will and you will and we will" - those late night talks that included "someday and somehow and maybe"- and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, "You know all those things we've promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word." Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife” (Can change to Partner for life)


The Declaration of Intent
The "I do's.

More Non-Religious Declaration of Intent Options
Christian Declaration of Intent Options

Do you Name, take Name, to be your husband/wife/partner in life, 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.

 I do. 

Do you Name take Name, to be your wife/husband/partner for life, 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.

  I do. 

Vows

You can add personal vows here if you choose
Vow Writing Guide

The Meaning of the Rings
More options for Ring Meanings
Christian Ring Blessings

The rings are the universal symbols of marriage.  They mean many things.  From now on you will wear these rings and they will remind you...  They will remind you of the endless circle that they are.  Like love, there is no beginning and no end.  They will remind you daily that you are married.  Sometimes they will remind you of the commitment that you have made - for better or worse.  But, may they always remind you that there is one other person in the world that has pledged to love you forever, through thick and through thin and with all that they have. 

Ring Exchange

More options for non-religious ring exchanges
Christian ring exchanges

Name, as you place the ring on Name's finger, please repeat after me:

Name, I give you this ring with all that I am and all that I ever will be.  Wear it and know that I love you.  With this ring, I marry you. 

Name, as you place the ring on Name's finger, please repeat after me:

Name, I give you this ring with all that I am and all that I ever will be.  Wear it and know that I love you.  With this ring, I marry you. 
​

Unity Ceremony - Optional 
You are welcome to replace this with another unity ceremony.
Unity Ceremony Options.

The Hand Ceremony

And now as you are holding hands take a moment, so that you may see the gift that you are to each other.

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

These are the hands that will lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into eyes that are filled with overwhelming love for you.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

Final Blessing
More non-religious final blessing options
Christian Final Blessings

Life and love are the greatest gifts bestowed upon humanity.
May your union grant you patience, tolerance, and understanding
as well as the passion and excitement every marriage should possess.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you support one another, as a sign of mutual independence.
May you continually rediscover your love in one another, as the greatest gift of all.

Pronouncement
More non-religious pronouncement options
Christian pronouncement options

And now, it is my great pleasure to acknowledge your union as Husband and Wife/Partners for Life!

You may now seal your marriage with a kiss!!!  (Or you may kiss the Bride!)

Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to introduce to you:    ...............................


** Formal Ceremony 1 ** Formal Ceremony 2 - Traditional, Non-Religious ** Formal Ceremony 3 - Modern and Romantic **
** Formal Ceremony 4 - Short and Sweet ** Formal Ceremony 5 - Christian-lite ** Formal Ceremony 6 - Secular Humanist **
** Formal Ceremony 7 - Interfaith-Jewish ** Formal Ceremony 8 - Modern Handfasting ** Formal Ceremony 9 - Christian Traditional **
​
** Formal Ceremony 10 **

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Formal Wedding Ceremony 3 - A Modern, Romantic Ceremony

12/12/2022

 

Formal Wedding Ceremony 3

I think this has probably been my most popular wedding ceremony for 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 some of the original wording out.  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!

Welcome everyone! Thank you for being her today as we join Name and Name in Marriage. Together, they have built an amazing life, today we share in the joy of their choice to keep building and even more amazing life as a married couple. 

Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it for forever. You don't have to have a ceremony to have a marriage. Some people wish the ceremony could be as short as possible so the reception can begin and it is officially too late to elope!  But this is a great opportunity to dress up and look fabulous and enjoy the absolute buzz of your wedding day!   

So why do we do it? The marriage ceremony has been an important feature across nearly every culture, religion, generation, and society. We have thousands of important moments that happen throughout our lives, but this one is regarded as one so critical, we acknowledge its special status by sharing it with others.

Why this moment?  Why does this one matter beyond all the rest?

Because despite all of our differences, love is what we all share. It's the great unifier — our one universal truth. That no matter who we are, where we've come from, what we believe, we know this one thing: love is what we're doing right. That's why you both are standing here. That's why you are all here to watch them stand up here. We have all loved in our lifetimes, and in this moment, we're reminded that the ability to love is the very best part of our humanity

All of us here today have our own love stories. Some are short, others long. Some are yet unwritten, while others are just getting to the good part. There are chapters in all of our stories that are sad or disappointing — and others that are exciting and full of adventure.

Name and Name are in the process of writing their story. The relationship that have had up until today has brought them to their wedding ceremony. This is a time to pause, look back, and smile at all the moments that brought them here. And a time to look ahead at all the moments that are still to come.

Name and Name, I'm here — we're all here — because we want those moments for you. We're here to hope with you, to support you, to be proud of you, and to remind you that love isn't happily ever after, love is the experience of writing your story. It's not one moment — not even this moment. It's every moment. Big ones like saying "I love you," moving in together, getting engaged — but mostly a million little ones that come in between the big moments. Falling asleep next to one another, eating dinner together, spending time with your families and friends, binge-watching the latest series while eating popcorn, getting a big hug when you get home from work… These everyday moments fuse together into one big experience.  And even though this experience is so incredible, words fail us when we try and explain it. That's just the way it is with love — it's meant to be felt, not described.

But trying to describe love is one of our favorite pastimes. We use the words we have to write stories, and poems, and songs about love. And even though we describe love in different ways — and even though love can look different from one person to the next — we all know it when we see it. And we see it here.

You fell in love by chance, but you're here today because you're making a choice. You both are choosing each other. You've chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you smile, and makes every day brighter.
You're about to make promises to each other that you intend to keep. You're going to vow to take care of each other, to stand up for one another, and find happiness in the other. There's a simple premise to each of these promises: you're vowing to be there. You're teaming up and saying to the other, "Every experience I am going to have, I want you to be a part of."

Declaration of Intent

Will you, Name, keep Name as your favorite person — to laugh with him/her/them, go on adventures with him/her/them, support him/her/them through life's tough moments, be proud of him/her/them, grow old with him/her/them, and find new reasons to love him/her/them every day?

Name: I will.

Will you, Name, keep Name as your favorite person — to laugh with him/her/them, go on adventures with him/her/them, support him/her/them through life's tough moments, be proud of him/her/them, grow old with him/her/them, and find new reasons to love him/her/them every day?

Name: I will.

Will you both, be each other's partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely — for the rest of this lifetime and for whatever may come next?
​
Both: We will.

The Meaning of the Rings

May we have the rings please?

You’ve both chosen to wear rings as a reminder of these promises. People often say wedding bands are a perfect circle, with no beginning and no end. But these rings did have a beginning. The stones were formed a long time ago deep with the earth. Eventually, a series of lucky events caused them to rise to the surface, where someone dug them up. Metal was then liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees — molded, cooled, and painstakingly polished. Something beautiful was made from raw elements. Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, and through a combination of serendipity and effort, imperfect beings shape it into something extraordinary. It’s the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all. As you look at these rings over the years, I hope you remember that. You’ve created something invaluable, and just as I know you’ll protect these rings, I’m confident you’ll protect the commitments you’ve made to one other today.

Vows
You can share your own vows here if you choose.

Ring Exchange

Name, as you place the ring on Name's finger, please repeat after me:  

Name, I give you this ring as symbol of my love and lifelong devotion, wear it and know that I love you. 

Name, as you place the ring on Name's finger, please repeat after me:  

Name, I give you this ring as symbol of my love and lifelong devotion, wear it and know that I love you. 

You can add a unity ceremony here, if you like.

Final Words

Name and Name, May your marriage be filled with love. May your admiration, appreciation, and understanding of each other foster a love that is passionate, tranquil, and real.  May this love between you be strong and enduring, and bring peace into your lives.  

May you have a loving home filled with warmth, humor, and compassion.  May you create a family together that honors traditions old and new.  May you teach your children to have equal respect for themselves and others, and instill in them the value of learning and making the world a better place. 

May you be best friends and work together to build a relationship of substance and quality. May your sense of humor and playful spirit continue to enliven your relationship.  May you respect each other’s individual personality and perspective, and give each other room to grow in fulfilling your dreams. 

May you grow older and wiser together. May you continually learn from one another and from the world. Together, may you grow, deepening your knowledge and understanding of each other and of your journey through life. 

May you live and long and healthy life. May life bring you wholeness of mind, body, and spirit. May you keep each other well-balanced and grounded, and live long that you may share many happy years together. 

May your life be filled with the art and beauty of this world. May your creative aspirations and experiences find expression, inspire you, and bring you joy and fulfillment.  May you find happiness together in adventures big and small, and something to celebrate each day of your lives. 

May you be an intricate part of your community. May you always be blessed with the awareness that you are an essential part of a circle of family and friends. May there always be within this group love, trust, support, and laughter, and may there be many future occasions for rejoicing in their company.  

​
And now, by the power vested in me by the state of Indiana I now pronounce you Husband and wife/Partners for life!

You may kiss your bride!!

Mr. and Mrs. .....!!

** Formal Ceremony 1 ** Formal Ceremony 2 - Traditional, Non-Religious ** Formal Ceremony 3 - Modern and Romantic **
** Formal Ceremony 4 - Short and Sweet ** Formal Ceremony 5 - Christian-lite ** Formal Ceremony 6 - Secular Humanist **
** Formal Ceremony 7 - Interfaith-Jewish ** Formal Ceremony 8 - Modern Handfasting ** Formal Ceremony 9 - Christian Traditional **
​** Formal Ceremony 10 **
​

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Formal Wedding Ceremony 4 - A Short and Sweet, Non-Religious Ceremony

12/12/2022

 

Formal Wedding Ceremony 4

This 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.  

Welcome

Welcome!  We are gathered here today to celebrate and to witness the joining of Name and Name in marriage. As they promise to love, trust in that love, honor one another as individuals, and anticipate with joy spending the rest of their lives together. They are surrounded by you - their friends and family.   Thank you for gathering here to witness their marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion.

Words about Love and Marriage

Name and Name, Today, as you two are joined in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great. We join with you in hoping you make real your dreams!  That you are reborn in each other as you share your loves and dreams, wants and desires and together are enriched by them. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life.There was a time when your lives were two separate paths.  Gradually, they were joined as you grew closer together.  Today, you proclaim to the world your choice to stay on the same path together. 

As you go forward, remember that happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In marriage, the little things are the big things.  Simple things like never being too old to hold hands or remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day. Your courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years with date nights and small gestures. Remember not to take one another for granted. Marriage is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing and facing the world together and forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. Do things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.  Speak words of appreciation and demonstrate gratitude in thoughtful ways. Be flexible, patient and understanding. And definitely (most importantly) keep a sense of humor!  Forgive and forget the best you can. Remembering finding perfection in each other is what you consider perfect, keep searching for the good and the beautiful  Help and encourage each other to grow.  Balance your independence from each other with your dependence on each other. Remember it is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner. 

Declaration of Intent

Do you Name, take Name, to be your husband/wife/partner in life, to have and to hold, 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?

I do. 

Do you Name, take Name, to be your husband/wife/partner in life, to have and to hold, 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.

Name:  I do.

Vows

You can exchange your own vows here if you choose

Ring Exchange

The rings are the universal symbols of marriage.  They mean many things.  From now on you will wear these rings and they will remind you...  They will remind you of the endless circle that they are.  Like love, there is no beginning and no end.  They will remind you daily that you are married.  Sometimes they will remind you of the commitment that you have made - for better or worse.  But, may they always remind you that there is one other person in the world that has pledged to love you forever, through thick and through thin and with all that they have. 


Name, please repeat after me....

Name, I give you this ring with all that I am and all that I ever will be.  Wear it and know that I love you.  With this ring, I marry you. 

Name, please repeat after me....

Name, I give you this ring with all that I am and all that I ever will be.  Wear it and know that I love you.  With this ring, I marry you. 

​
And now as you are holding hands take a moment, so that you may see the gift that you are to each other.

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.
These are the hands that will lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into eyes that are filled with overwhelming love for you.
And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

Final Blessing

Life and love are the greatest gifts bestowed upon humanity.
May your union grant you patience, tolerance, and understanding
as well as the passion and excitement every marriage should possess.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you support one another, as a sign of mutual independence.
May you continually rediscover your love in one another, as the greatest gift of all.

Pronouncement

And now, it is my great pleasure to acknowledge your union as Husband and Wife/Partners for Life!


** Formal Ceremony 1 ** Formal Ceremony 2 - Traditional, Non-Religious ** Formal Ceremony 3 - Modern and Romantic **
** Formal Ceremony 4 - Short and Sweet ** Formal Ceremony 5 - Christian-lite ** Formal Ceremony 6 - Secular Humanist **
** Formal Ceremony 7 - Interfaith-Jewish ** Formal Ceremony 8 - Modern Handfasting ** Formal Ceremony 9 - Christian Traditional **
​** Formal Ceremony 10 **


** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Formal Wedding Ceremony 5 -  A Christian-Lite Ceremony with an opening prayer and Christian themes

12/12/2022

 

Formal Wedding Ceremony 5

This 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, adding Christian vows, ring blessings, and a Christian unity ceremony like a Unity Candle or God's Cross. You can switch out the final blessing and pronouncement with Christian options as well. 

I'm not a religious minister.  I'm a professional wedding officiant.  I'm happy to add the Christian options I provide but I do not write or deliver sermons and I do not administer communion.  If you are looking for those options, please find a minister trained in those things to marry you. 

I have another Christian wedding ceremony option you can read here. It has much more traditional wording with a bit of a Baptist flare. 

Opening Prayer

O God, Creator of us all, we thank you for the gift of life and on
this day we thank you especially for the joy that Name and Name
have found in each other, and for the promises they will make before you.
Bless all of our families and friends who are present with us on this special occasion.
We also remember those who couldn't be here today, particularly  (you can name people here if you like)
We pray, O God, that you remain with Name and
Name as a partner in their marriage. Grant to them, and to us all,
love and understanding all of our days. Amen

Please Be seated.  

Welcome!  Thank you for joining us here today, for coming from far and wide to celebrate the joining together in marriage of Name and Name. We gather here today to celebrate their love for one another and  their decision to live together as a married couple.

We have come here as a community of family and friends to love and support the two of them. To witness their entrance into the sacred and joyous covenant of marriage, and to celebrate the beginning of your journey that is your marriage.

Name and Name, we are all happy  that you have found each other And that through each other, You have come to know the power of love. We celebrate your union of hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.  And wish you great joy and a loving and happy marriage.

In marriage, we give ourselves freely and generously into the hands of the one we love, and in doing so, each of us receives the love and trust of the other as our most precious gift. But even as that gift is shared by two people who are in love, it also touches the friends and family members who in various ways support and contribute to the relationship. All of you are their community, and each of you has played some part in bringing them to this moment.  This is why gathering as a community is such an important part of a wedding ceremony. Because they are now taking a new form as a married couple, and in this form, they become part of their community in a new way. Today we have come together to celebrate the love you have found with each other. By being here with you, Each of us is declaring our support For your decision to join together in marriage.

As families and friends, all of you here form their community of support That surrounds Them. Each of you, by your presence here today, Is being called upon to uphold them In honoring and loving each other. Always stand beside them, Never between them. Offer them your love and support, Not your judgment. Encourage them with your kindness and loving hearts, And honor this marriage into which they have come to be joined today.

Marriage is the ultimate relationship because it offers the opportunity of limitless intimacy between two people. It is a great and challenging adventure into the depths and heights of human caring, Affection, trust and understanding. 
Marriage is a journey of transformation into the profound mysteries of life and creation. In marriage, two become one and, the two of you together is much greater than the simple sum of your parts. In marriage, We do not give ourselves to another, But rather surrender into something greater.  We surrender to love itself. Today, you step into a much fuller experience and expression of the mysteries and miracles of love.  

Your precious union is lovely in its innocence, Mighty in its strength, And abundant with possibilities. It belongs to you both. Over time you will give it identity. We wish for you the wisdom, strength of character, and divine creativity To make this a happy marriage, A safe harbor. And a joyful journey to share. 

Name and Name, as you prepare to take your vows. I would like to remind you of the words of 1 Corinthians.   It tells us that Love is patient and kind. So be patient and loving with each other.  Love does not envy, it does not boast, and it is not proud. With that in mind, promise to build each other up, encouraging each other in all that you do. Love is neither rude nor self-seeking, so remember to be kind  and look out for one another. Love is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs. So, remember to forgive and forget.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ​

When asking the question, why do we marry? The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Name and Name, remember that your marriage, your love, and the source of your love will always be there for your both 
​
Declaration of Intent
Christian 'I do' options

Do you Name, take Name, to be your husband/wife/partner in life, to have and to hold, 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?

I do  

Do you Name, take Name, to be your husband/wife/partner in life, to have and to hold, 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?

I do  

Meaning of the Rings

Me we have the rings please...

The ring is a circle... an ancient symbol of eternity and completeness, so perfect, with no beginning and no end, for love that is given comes back around again.

Ring Exchange
Christian Ring  Exchange Options

Name, as you place the ring on Name's finger,  please repeat after me:  

Name, I give you this ring as a symbol of my enduring love and lifelong devotion. Wear it and know that I love you.

Name, as you place the ring on Name's finger,  please repeat after me:  

Name, I give you this ring as a symbol of my enduring love and lifelong devotion. Wear it and know that I love you.

Unity Ceremony
You can replace this with a different unity ceremony 

Please face each other and take each other’s hands, so that you may see the gift that they are to you.
These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever. 
These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future. 
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.
These are the hands that will lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into eyes that are filled with overwhelming love for you.
And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.
​
Final Blessing
Christian Final Blessing Options

Name and Name, may you live happily ever after. May all your days be blessed with love and friendship. May each day and night of your lives be a new beginning. May your home be filled with laughter and the warm embrace of a summer day. May you find peacefulness and beauty, challenge, and satisfaction, humor and insight, healing and renewal, love and wisdom, as in a quiet heart. May you always feel that what you have is enough.

May the two of you be blessed by God, may your hearts stay connected, and may you love long and happily in one another’s arms.  

The Pronouncement
Christian Pronouncement Options

I now pronounce you Husband and Wife/Married/Partners for Life!

You may seal this marriage with a kiss!

** Formal Ceremony 1 ** Formal Ceremony 2 - Traditional, Non-Religious ** Formal Ceremony 3 - Modern and Romantic **
** Formal Ceremony 4 - Short and Sweet ** Formal Ceremony 5 - Christian-lite ** Formal Ceremony 6 - Secular Humanist **
** Formal Ceremony 7 - Interfaith-Jewish ** Formal Ceremony 8 - Modern Handfasting ** Formal Ceremony 9 - Christian Traditional **
​** Formal Ceremony 10 **​

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 6 - Secular Humanist

12/12/2022

 

Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 6

I 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. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to Name and Name’s Wedding!  I ask that you silence your phones and refrain from taking pictures during the wedding.  There are professional photographers here to catch all the important moments.  They will be happy to share those pictures with you when they are done.  Thank you!  Let’s begin.

Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Name and Name in marriage. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as married partners.

Today you've gathered your friends and family together to celebrate this special day with you. 

Throughout time, what people have found that is essential for a  strong and long lasting relationship is that it be founded on love. Love is friendship, quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good times and bad. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. Love is content with the present and hopes for the future, and it doesn't brood over the past. It is the chronicles of problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories and common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things that you lack. If you don't have it, no matter what else is there, it isn't enough.

Reading

The reading will be a book passage from Carl Sagan 

Consider our planet. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived here on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.

The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Once we lose our fear of being tiny, we find ourselves on the threshold of a vast and awesome Universe which dwarfs -- in time, in space, and in potential -- the tidy anthropocentric proscenium of our ancestors. And for small creatures such as we, this vastness is made bearable only through love. 


Declaration of Intent 

Name, do you take Name. to be the Husband/wife/life-partner of your days, the companion of your heart and the friend of your life?  To stand united in the face of adversity and bask together in the light of good fortune? With these words spoken, and all those as yet unspoken, do you wish to marry Name and join your lives together?

I do

Name, do you take Name. to be the Husband/wife/life-partner of your days, the companion of your heart and the friend of your life?  To stand united in the face of adversity and bask together in the light of good fortune? With these words spoken, and all those as yet unspoken, do you wish to marry Name and join your lives together?

I do

Vows

This day represents so much for both of you. Of course, it is the day you begin your lives together as husband and wife. Your wedding is a public proclamation of your love, made here in front of your friends and family. But beyond that, and most importantly, you are here to make promises to each other, the promises that are the foundation of your marriage. Your vows are how you put your relationship into words - what it means today, and what it will mean for the rest of your lives. 

Share your own vows here

Ring Exchange

The ring is the symbol of the commitment which holds the two of you together.  The wedding ring is the visible sign of an invisible bond which unites two hearts in love.

Name and Name, as you exchange these rings, may they be symbols of your promises to each other and remind you of your devotion.  May you feel honored to call each other.... husband and wife/Partners in Life.  
may you remember that from this day the one you love is always beside you.  
​
Closing

You came here today to affirm your love for one another and formally 
acknowledge that which your hearts already knew…that your lives are meant to be shared as one, that you are stronger together than you are apart, and that, for all the days yet to come, you wish to share together all life’s joys and challenges, committed one to the other.

You have made this affirmation and commitment in the presence of the most important people in your lives. 
May you forever feel that the life you share is the life you have always wanted.

I now pronounce you Husband and wife/Partners in Life/Married!

You may seal this marriage with a kiss!

** Formal Ceremony 1 ** Formal Ceremony 2 - Traditional, Non-Religious ** Formal Ceremony 3 - Modern and Romantic **
** Formal Ceremony 4 - Short and Sweet ** Formal Ceremony 5 - Christian-lite ** Formal Ceremony 6 - Secular Humanist **
** Formal Ceremony 7 - Interfaith-Jewish ** Formal Ceremony 8 - Modern Handfasting ** Formal Ceremony 9 - Christian Traditional **
​** Formal Ceremony 10 **

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Wedding Ceremony Script 7 - Interfaith-Jewish Wedding Ceremony Script

12/12/2022

 

Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 7

I wrote this ceremony with a couple several years ago.  The bride wanted to include her Jewish traditions in the ceremony and it was important to her that the groom's family understood what they were doing.  This explains the basic elements of a Jewish wedding in a straightforward way a lot of people appreciate.  The version of the 7 Blessings For A Jewish Wedding are 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!!

Family, friends, honored guests, on behalf of Name and Name, I would like to warmly welcome you to the celebration of their marriage. They wish to express their gratitude for each of you who has chosen to be here today.  During the ceremony this afternoon, we respectfully request that you silence and put away all cell phones and cameras so we can all be fully present in this moment. Thank you! Let us begin…

Welcome Everyone!  Thank you for being here today to celebrate the marriage of Name and Name as they make their promises to each other and become husband and wife.  In the ceremony they will be honoring some Jewish traditions. 

They meet here first, under the chuppah.  The chuppah is a canopy which sits atop four poles. The marriage ceremony takes place beneath this canopy, which is open on all sides, representing the couple's commitment to establish a home together that will always be open to guests .  

There are veils in Jewish weddings - As in weddings of other faiths -They symbolize the idea of modesty and convey that however attractive physical appearances may be, the soul and character are paramount. With or without a veil, we remember this union is based on a mental, physical and spiritual commitment for a lifetime.  Veils are also used to signal the groom's commitment to clothe and protect his wife.  So Name, you can take comfort in knowing no matter what, Name will always clothe you and keep you safe.  Groom, you never have to worry about dressing well again! Bride will make sure you look good!

I’m not a Rabbi, but I am an interfaith minister.  I believe in your ability to make intimate promises to each other, and your sincerity in making those promises will indeed bless both of you. 

The exchange of the wedding rings are a symbolic part of the wedding ceremony.  They are traditionally a simple, yet perfect, gold band.  It symbolized the hope that your marriage will be a marriage of simple beauty.  It is when the ring is placed on the brides hand that marriage is considered complete.  

I will recite the traditional Jewish 7 blessings of marriage, followed by the breaking of a glass.  It is a Jewish custom to end the wedding ceremony with the breaking of a glass. Some people say that this symbolizes the irrevocable change in the lives of the couple standing before us; others say it has its roots in superstition, when people broke glasses to scare away evil spirits. And, of course, the breaking of the glass marks the beginning of the celebration. So please, after Groom breaks the glass, I invite everyone to shout the Hebrew words “Mazel Tov,” meaning “Congratulations.”

Now, Let’s Get started.  

Who Presents this woman/man?

We do, 
In Jewish weddings the bride and the groom are escorted down the aisle by both of their parents. You can also ask both sets of parents to "presents this person in marriage"

Thank you.

Vows

Please join hands and face each other

On this day do you affirm the love that the two of you share, looking to the future to deepen and strengthen it? Will you affirm that love, in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph? Together will you share and break bread?  When you stumble will you restore one another?  Will you share all things, serving one another and your fellow man?  Will you cherish and respect, comfort and encourage, each other for as long as you both shall live? 

Bride and Groom:  We do.

Do you Groom, take Bride, to be your 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; from this day forward until death do you part?

Groom Responds: “I do”

Do you Bride take Groom, to be your 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; from this day forward until death do you part?

Bride Responds: responds, “I do”

Ring Exchange

May we have the rings please?

The rings are the universal symbols of marriage.  They have many meanings.  From now on you will wear these rings, and like love, they have no beginning and no end.  They are a daily reminder of your marriage.  Sometimes they will remind you of the commitment that you have made - for better or worse.  But, may they always remind you that there is one person in the world that has pledged their love to you with all that they have. 

Bride, Please repeat after me:  Groom, I give you this ring as a symbol of my enduring love and lifelong devotion. Wear it and know that I love you.

Groom, Please repeat after me: Bride, I give you this ring as a symbol of my enduring love and lifelong devotion. Wear it and know that I love you.


THE SEVEN BLESSINGS RECITED AT A JEWISH WEDDING


May you be blessed with love. May your admiration, appreciation and understanding of each other foster a love that is passionate, tranquil and real.  May this love between you be strong and enduring, and bring peace into your lives.  

May you be blessed with a loving home filled with warmth, humor and compassion.  May you create a family together that honors traditions old and new.  May you teach your children to have equal respect for themselves and others, and instill in them the value of learning and tikkun olam (making the world a better place). 

May you be best friends and work together to build a relationship of substance and quality. May your sense of humor and playful spirit continue to enliven your relationship.  May you respect each other’s individual personality and perspective, and give each other room to grow in fulfilling your dreams. 

May you be blessed with wisdom. May you continually learn from one another and from the world. Together, may you grow, deepening your knowledge and understanding of each other and of your journey through life. 

May you be blessed with health. May life bring you wholeness of mind, body and spirit. May you keep each other well-balanced and grounded, and live long that you may share many happy years together. 

May your life be blessed with the art and beauty of this world. May your creative aspirations and experiences find expression, inspire you, and bring you joy and fulfillment.  May you find happiness together in adventures big and small, and something to celebrate each day of your lives. 

May you be blessed with community. May you always be blessed with the awareness that you are an essential part of a circle of family and friends. May there always be within this group love, trust, support and laughter, and may there be many future occasions for rejoicing in their company.  

I now pronounce you husband and wife!  You may kiss the bride!

Breaking of the glass

Everyone shouts Mazel Tov!!!

** Formal Ceremony 1 ** Formal Ceremony 2 - Traditional, Non-Religious ** Formal Ceremony 3 - Modern and Romantic **
** Formal Ceremony 4 - Short and Sweet ** Formal Ceremony 5 - Christian-lite ** Formal Ceremony 6 - Secular Humanist **
** Formal Ceremony 7 - Interfaith-Jewish ** Formal Ceremony 8 - Modern Handfasting ** Formal Ceremony 9 - Christian Traditional **
​** Formal Ceremony 10 **

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 8 - A Modern Handfasting

12/12/2022

 

Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 8

Many 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 add other elements to this ceremony to make the handfasting part of your wedding ceremony, but not your whole wedding.  

 Family and friends, thank you for joining us here today as we join Name and Name in marriage. It is our joy to witness and celebrate their wedding in a rich celebration, sustained as we are in the mysterious power of all creation and whose core is Love. 
Name and Name come here today as two individuals seeking to become one in marriage.  By choosing to marry, you do not lose your individuality but instead, enter into a promise of a new life united in your love.  And we, your family and friends, have gathered here to share in your joy and to ask the infinite power in creation to bless you. We hold that marriage is a gift, sealed by a tender, lasting, sacred covenant. 

The marriage of Name and  Name brings together two different families and their two unique storylines.  Today, a new chapter in their lives begins to unfold. Although this relationship was formed out of the love these two have found in each other, their marriage will ultimately be blessed by the support of their families.  At this time, I formally ask for that blessing.

Name’s mother and father, Name and Name, do you offer this couple your goodwill?  Do you welcome Name as a member of your family and give him/her your love and affection?  Parents: We do.

Name’s mother and father, Name and Name, do you offer this couple your goodwill?  Do you welcome Name as a member of your family and give him/her your love and affection?  Parents: We do.
 
All of you here present, As these two people join together in marriage, they ask for the support and love of not only their families but of their friends as well. On this day, they ask that you be more than only Friends and family and honored guests, will you recognize this special union as well?  Welcoming the marriage of Name and Name into your lives?  If so, please say, “we will.”  Everyone:  We will

Thank you. 
​

Name and Name have chosen to perform a handfasting as part of their wedding ceremony today.  You may be asking, what is handfasting? Good question!

Handfasting is an ancient custom used long before there were legalities to marriage, and before marriages were performed in churches or synagogues.  There was a time when to be seen in public holding hands was a sign that a couple was exclusive to one another and the handfasting ceremony is built around that holding of hands.  During a handfasting, the couple holds hands and their hands are symbolically tied together and they say their vows.  If you are a fan of the movies Princess Bride or Braveheart, or the series Game of Thrones - They all had handfastings.  It might be said that the act of handfasting inspired the terms “Bonds of Holy Matrimony” and “Tie the knot.”


Handfasting is part of the marriage celebration in earth-based religions where the couple links hands, to form an infinity circle, symbolizing the entirety of the universe as represented in their relationship.

With that in mind, Name and Name, please join hands in the infinity circle. 

Know now before you go further, that since your lives have crossed in this life you have formed ties between each other. As you seek to enter this state of matrimony you should strive to make real the ideals that give meaning to both this ceremony and the institution of marriage. 

With full awareness, know that within this circle you are not only declaring your intent to be handfasted before your friends and family, but you speak that intent to something greater, to the mystical power of love itself. The promises made today and the ties that are bound here greatly strengthen your union; they will cross the years and lives of each soul's growth. 

Declaration of Intent

I now ask you both:

Do you both seek to enter into this ceremony where you will make the commitment to each other to live together as marriage partners? 
Couple: Yes, We Seek to Enter.

Dedication (Blessing) of the Hands

You are holding hands today during this ceremony to symbolize your physical joining in a spiritual covenant. Remember that marriage itself is active engagement. You will, at some point, have to get your hands dirty working at it. With that in mind, remember that: 

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will comfort you in illness and hold you when fear or grief racks your mind. 

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.
These are the hands that will give you support and encourage you to chase your dreams. Together, everything you wish for can be realized.
 
Prepare the cords
Today we will use this cord to symbolize the binding or promises.  

The First Promise 
Also known as the binding

Partner 1

Name, Will you be Name’s faithful partner for life? 
Yes, I will.

Partner 2

Name, Will you be Name’s faithful partner for life? 
Yes, I will.

Both

Will you be each other’s constant friends and one true love? 
Both: Yes, We will.

And so the binding is made. 
The cord is wrapped around the couple's wrist. 

The second promise 

Partner 1

Name, do you promise to love Name without reservation? 
Yes, I do. 

Partner 2

Name, do you promise to love Name without reservation? 
Yes, I do. 

Both

Will both of you stand by one another in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want?
Both: Yes, We do.

And so the binding is made. 
The cord is wrapped around the couple's wrist.


The Third Promise 

Partner 1

Name, will you stand together with Name in your times of joy and sorrow? 
Yes, I will.

Partner 2

Name, will you stand together with Name in your times of joy and sorrow? 
Yes, I will.

Both
Will the two of you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union? 
Both answer: Yes, we will 

And so the binding is made. 
The cord is wrapped around the couple's wrist.

The Fourth Promise

Partner 1

Name, do you promise you will always be open and honest with Name, for as long as you both shall live?
Yes, I promise. 

Partner 2

Name, do you promise you will always be open and honest with Name, for as long as you both shall live?
Yes, I promise. 

Both

Will the two of you dream together to create new realities and hopes for this marriage? 
Yes, we will 

And so the binding is made. 
The cord is wrapped around the couple's wrist.

The Fifth Promise

Partner 1

Name, Will you honor this Person/man/woman? 
Name: I will 

Partner 2

Name, Will you honor this Person/man/woman? 
Name: I will 

Both

Will you both seek to cherish and strengthen that honor? 
Both:  Yes, We will

And so the binding is made. 
The cord is wrapped around the couple's wrist.

Binding of All Promises

Remove cord while saying:
The knots of this binding are not formed by these chords but instead by your vows. Either of you may drop the chords, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this union. 
 
Blessing and Exchange of Rings 

May we have the rings, please?

These rings are circles, symbols that remind us of the Sun, and the Earth, and the universe. Symbols of holiness, of perfection, of peace, and that which has no beginning and no end. 

In this moment, let us all bring our blessing to these rings so that they may remain symbols of unity and commitment. Grant that the love which Name and Name have for each other now may always be as unending as these rings. Let us take a moment and send our prayers, our thoughts, and our love to these rings so that as they wear them, they will carry our love with them as well. 

Name and Name, as you wear these rings throughout your marriage and your lives, may they remind you of the love you share with one another. 

Name, as you place the ring on Name’s finger, please repeat after me:

With this ring, I thee wed, let it ever be a symbol of my love.

Name, as you place the ring on Name’s finger, please repeat after me:

With this ring, I thee wed, let it ever be a symbol of my love.
 
Recognition Of Marriage 

Only a couple can seal the promise of marriage to each other, and only a couple can bind it. No power vested in me by the state can grant me the authority to declare what only these two hearts can declare, and what only these two souls can make real. 

And so now, inasmuch as you, Name, and you, Name, have announced the truths that are already written in your hearts, and have witnessed the same in the presence of these, your family and friends, -- we observe joyfully that you are now married. 
​

** Formal Ceremony 1 ** Formal Ceremony 2 - Traditional, Non-Religious ** Formal Ceremony 3 - Modern and Romantic **
** Formal Ceremony 4 - Short and Sweet ** Formal Ceremony 5 - Christian-lite ** Formal Ceremony 6 - Secular Humanist **
** Formal Ceremony 7 - Interfaith-Jewish ** Formal Ceremony 8 - Modern Handfasting ** Formal Ceremony 9 - Christian Traditional **
​** Formal Ceremony 10 **

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Formal Wedding Ceremony 9 -Christian

12/12/2022

 

Formal Wedding Ceremony Script 9

I don't perform a lot of Christian ceremonies.  I've always assumed that if you are a Christian you have a church you attend and your own religious leader will be the one that 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.  Turns out, a lot of 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 flare, 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!

Welcome  to this celebration of love and the blessing of the new life being joined together by the marriage of Name  and Name. 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. 

Because this is a special day, we want to begin it in a special way, and that is with a moment of prayer. I now to ask that you close your eyes and turn within yourselves.

And now, we call forth that divine presence from within you, knowing that as you do so, God’s blessings are now being poured out upon you both. “Through the presence and power and the activity of God within you, we now see you blessed with an abundance of all good. We see your minds illumined by divine wisdom, your hearts quickened by divine love and your bodies purified and blessed with divine substance. This we do affirm through the power of the living presence of God within each of you.” Amen.


True marriage is more than the joining of two persons in the bonds of matrimony. In its right relationship, it is the uniting of two souls already attuned to each other. When such a true bond already exists between a man and a woman, it is proper that an outer acknowledgement be made. This acknowledgement is the prime objective of the ceremony.

We are here to bear witness to the entry of these two loving friends, who are already one in spirit into the closer relationship of husband and wife. Name and Name you are now taking into your care and keeping the happiness of one in the world, whom you love most dear, and the dynamic flow of love is the heart of marriage. This love emerges from, responds to, and is fellowship with God and each other. It is the challenge to create an atmosphere of freedom in which you both can develop your potentials. It is working together in an attitude of service for common goals. It is sharing from the depths of your being in the understanding presence of each other. It is a union of persons which respects individuality. It is the covenant of love which accepts weakness as well as strength. 

You are adding to your life not only the affection and the response that your hearts desire, not only the happy companionship of hours together, but a deeper trust as well. It is the implied trust of loving. You are finding in each other that which complements your life. You are agreeing to be a tower of strength to one another. You are agreeing to carry a part of each other’s responsibilities. You are entering on an adventure of pure faith in which you give of yourselves to the utmost.

Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul, and let them fill your hearts:

“If I speak with the eloquence of men and of angels, but have no love, I become no more than blaring brass or crashing cymbal. If I have the gift of foretelling the future and hold in my mind not only all of human knowledge but the very secrets of God, and if I also have that absolute faith which can move mountains, but have no love I amount to nothing at all. If I dispose of all that I possess, yes, even if I give my own body to be burned, but have no love, I achieve precisely nothing.
This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience – it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touch. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails.

Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen. In this life, we have three great lasting qualities – faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 


 Now, I ask you both: On this day do you affirm the love that the two of you share share, looking to the future to deepen and strengthen it? Will you affirm that love in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. Together will you dream and break bread?  When you stumble will you restore one another?  Will you share all things, serving one another and your fellow man?  Will you cherish and respect, comfort and encourage one another?  Be open with one another, and stay with one another as long as you both shall live, bound by your love? 

Both answer:  We do

Name do you choose Name to be your wife, your friend, and your love? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?

I do

Name, do you choose Name to be your husband your friend, and your love?  To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?

May I have the rings, please?

The Blessing of the Rings


Bless, O Lord, the giving, and receiving of these rings. May Name and Name abide in Thy peace and grow in their knowledge of Your presence through their loving union. May the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of their endless love and serve to remind them of the holy covenant they have entered into today to be faithful, loving, and kind to each other. Dear God, may they live in Your grace and be forever true to this union. Amen."

Ring Exchange

Name, as you place the ring on Name's finger, please repeat after me:

Name, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed.

Name, as you place the ring on Name's finger, please repeat after me:

Name, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed."


I want you all to be happy in the Lord; let your tolerance be evident to everyone. The Lord is very near and there is no need to worry. But if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus. And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of God's son, Jesus Christ our Lord, and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always. 

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, 
and be gracious to you, The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

The two of you have pledged yourselves to each other before God. In the name of the Holy Spirit who performs every true marriage, I now pronounce that they are husband and wife.

You may seal this marriage with a kiss….

** Formal Ceremony 1 ** Formal Ceremony 2 - Traditional, Non-Religious ** Formal Ceremony 3 - Modern and Romantic **
** Formal Ceremony 4 - Short and Sweet ** Formal Ceremony 5 - Christian-lite ** Formal Ceremony 6 - Secular Humanist **
** Formal Ceremony 7 - Interfaith-Jewish ** Formal Ceremony 8 - Modern Handfasting ** Formal Ceremony 9 - Christian Traditional **
​** Formal Ceremony 10 **​

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Formal Wedding Ceremony 10

12/12/2022

 

Formal Wedding Ceremony 10

This ceremony doesn't have a nick-name yet and it's new to my ceremony choices.  It was written by a couple using pieces of other ceremonies.  It's very intentionally written. I've been officiating weddings for over 13 years and there have definitely been trends.  I understand that if you are having a formal wedding, my biggest competition is your well-spoken friend or family member. I often ask couples why they are choosing to hire a pro.  The answer is, Many they are often  choosing to hire a professional wedding officiant very intentionally, they want control over what is said during their ceremony and how it's said.  It's very true - a lot of couples really don't care about their ceremony.  As long as they are married in the end, it fine.  Saving a few hundred dollars by not hiring an officiant is worth it to them.  I cannot argue with that.  I don't want to argue with that.  You may intentionally hire a professional officiant so you don't have to think about your ceremony. You may hire one because your ceremony is important. 
 ​Welcome! Name and Name have brought us together here for an occasion of great joy and a cause for great celebration. Having found each other, they have built the kind of relationship that will serve them well as the foundation for their marriage. They have chosen each one of you to be here with them to witness their wedding vows as they join together as husband and wife/partners in marriage.

Marriage is a bold step into an unknown future. It is risking who we are for the sake of who we can be. In marriage, two lives are intimately shared; and the blending of the two must not diminish either one. Rather, it should enhance the individuality of each partner.

Each of us knows that a marriage is not created by a law or a ceremony; rather it occurs in the hearts of two human beings. It grows out of loving, caring, and sharing ourselves with another. This ceremony is not magic, it will not create a relationship that does not already exist and has not already been celebrated in all the commitments Name and Name have made to each other, both large and small, in the days since they first met and recognized their connection to one another.

So, in witnessing this ceremony today, we are observing only an outward sign of an inward union that already exists between Name and Name. This ceremony is a symbol of how far they have come together and a symbol of the promise that they will make to each other to continue to live their lives together and to love each other solely and above all others.

Each of you here today will witness the words that Name and Name will speak to one another and the vows that they will make. You should take good care to remember these words; for a marriage needs the help of a community, of friends and family who will be there when needed and will do all that they can during hard times to stand by them and offer their support to them and the new family that they create today. May you always do all within your power to support the union that will be made here today and to nurture the bond between these two people whom you love.

If the old fairy-tale ending “and they lived happily ever after….” is taken to mean “They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married,” then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were. Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, and your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be “in love” need not mean ceasing to love.

Love in this second sense-love as distinct from “being in love” and it is not merely a feeling. Love is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners receive from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each could easily allow themselves to be “in love” with someone else. “Being in love” first moved them to promise fidelity but this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.

A successful marriage is not something that just happens. It takes work, it takes patience, and it takes time. It takes a commitment from both of you, a commitment to do whatever it takes to make your relationship thrive and not just simply survive.

Declaration on Intent

Name and Name, the symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this – is my husband, this – is my wife/Partner for life

Name, do you take Name, to be your lawfully wedded husband/wife/spouse/partner and travel the rest of life’s road with him/her/them? Will you love him/her/them, laugh with him/her/them, comfort, honor and protect him/her/them, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him/her/them as long as you both shall live?

I do.

  Name, do you take Name, to be your lawfully wedded husband/wife/spouse/partner and travel the rest of life’s road with him/her/them? Will you love him/her/them, laugh with him/her/them, comfort, honor and protect him/her/them, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him/her/them as long as you both shall live?

I do.

Please  repeat after me:

I, Name, choose you, Name,
In the presence of our friends and families,
To be my wife/husband and partner
From this day forward;
To love you,
To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
To hold you close,
To listen deeply when you speak,
To uphold you with my strength,
To weigh the effects of the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.

I, Name, choose you, Name,
In the presence of our friends and families,
To be my wife/husband and partner
From this day forward;
To love you,
To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
To hold you close,
To listen deeply when you speak,
To uphold you with my strength,
To weigh the effects of the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.

Ring Exchange

This is the point in the ceremony when people talk about the wedding bands being a perfect circle, having no beginning and no end. But we all know that these rings have a beginning. Rock is dug up from the earth. Metals are liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees. The hot metal is forged, cooled, and then painstakingly polished. Something beautiful made from raw elements.  Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, made by imperfect beings. It is the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all.  The promises which you have spoken to each other today are inscribed forever in your minds, in your hearts. But words are fleeting so let these rings serve as a reminder of the feelings you have in your hearts at this very moment. 

Name, as you place the ring on Name's finger, please repeat after me:
Name, with this ring I am giving you my promise to always love you, cherish you, honor you, and comfort you. I promise that I will love you, and keep my heart open to you, all the days of my life.

​Name, as you place the ring on Name's finger, please repeat after me:

Name, with this ring I am giving you my promise to always love you, cherish you, honor you, and comfort you. I promise that I will love you, and keep my heart open to you, all the days of my life.
​
Name and Name, no one but you can declare yourselves married. You have begun it here today in speaking your vows before your family and friends and you will do it again in the days and years to come, standing by each other, sharing all that is sweet and bitter in life. Each tender act, each loving word will be the declaration of what was made here today.

Therefore, it is my joyful responsibility to officially acknowledge your union as Husband and Wife/Partner's in life/Married. You may now seal your marriage with a kiss.

** Formal Ceremony 1 ** Formal Ceremony 2 - Traditional, Non-Religious ** Formal Ceremony 3 - Modern and Romantic **
** Formal Ceremony 4 - Short and Sweet ** Formal Ceremony 5 - Christian-lite ** Formal Ceremony 6 - Secular Humanist **
** Formal Ceremony 7 - Interfaith-Jewish ** Formal Ceremony 8 - Modern Handfasting ** Formal Ceremony 9 - Christian Traditional **
​** Formal Ceremony 10 **

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.


Parts of a Wedding Ceremony

12/12/2022

 
What 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.  ​

Here is a list of the possible parts of a wedding ceremony.  You can use all of them or just the parts you need.  
​
  • The Unplugged Ceremony
  • The Photo Moment 
  • The Procession 
  • Presentation
  • Opening Prayer
  • Welcoming
  • Moment of Silence
  • Words about love and marriage for the couple
  • Readings appropriate for the wedding
  • Declaration of Intent
  • Support of the Community
  • Exchange of vows
  • Talk about the meaning of the rings
  • The blessing of the rings
  • Exchange of rings
  • Unity ceremony
  • Final words of encouragement for the couple
  • Final blessing or closing prayer
  • Pronouncement of Marriage
  • First Kiss
  • Introduction as a married couple
  • Instructions for the guests after the ceremony  

The Unplugged Ceremony
It has become very popular to announce an unplugged ceremony.  It's when you ask your guests to silence and put away cell phones and refrain from taking pictures during the wedding.  There are opinions about this and it can be worded in many different ways. 

There is usually as sign, isn't that enough? 

Maybe.  I usually think of it as eye-candy.  It's a cute sign to look at but people may not pay attention.  It's better to say something at the right time. 

You may think it's rude to ask your guests to do this. 

I get that!  You may know your family better and know it's pointless to ask!  Some couples simply ask guests to stay seated during their ceremony instead of standing up and taking pictures. Some couples want you to keep the wedding off of social media.  

I've heard some photographers will give you a discount if you announce an unplugged ceremony! 
Unplugged Ceremony Options

The Photo Moment
Some couples want their guests to have an opportunity to take pictures during their ceremony.  They also want their professional photographers to take great pictures.  You can give your guests an opportunity to take a phone-shot with their phones at the beginning of the ceremony and then put their phones away, or right before your pronouncement. 

The Procession  
This is how everyone enters the ceremony.  If you are having a small wedding or eloping, you might just gather around, with the couple holding hands and facing each other.  If you are having a formal wedding, you will decide how everyone is going to enter or walk down the aisle.  Who will escort grandparents or the mother of the bride? Perhaps both parents will escort both the bride and the groom down the aisle?  ​

The Presentation 
 Traditionally, this is the presentation of the bride and the words are, “Who gives this woman to be married?”  Or, “ Who gives this woman to be married to this man”  Today, the verbiage might be changed to “Who presents this woman to be married?”  Some couples choose to have both the bride and the groom presented in a wedding, as in the Jewish Culture.  If it’s a same gender wedding, both brides or both grooms may want to be presented in marriage.  It’s a way to honor your parents and your family and give meaning to now only marriage but the continuation and growing of the family.
Some brides are simply escorted down the aisle and nothing is said. 

Opening Prayer 
 If you are having a secular, or non religious, ceremony, you can leave this out.  It could also be replaced with something secular like a poem about love.  ​
Opening Prayer Options

The Welcoming
 As a wedding officiant, I love to say to the couple “Welcome to your wedding!”  All the planning that goes into your wedding day and the momentous occasion of walking down the aisle and being in this place of actually going through the process of being married and exchanging vows is huge! You’ve just had the emotion of maybe seeing each other for the first time on your wedding day or finally experiencing the moment of walking down the aisle. I love to take just those few seconds to breathe and acknowledge that particular moment for what it is, even if they are the only two people to hear it.  The wedding ceremony is about the two of you exchanging vow and making promises to last a lifetime. 

Of course, after I welcome you, the couple, I welcome everyone who came from far and wide, thanking them for being there and making the trip.  We might also take time to say hello to those people joining via video chat from a distance. If the wedding is being videotaped for an elderly person to watch later, I like to acknowledge them as they are there in real time. Some couples do their best to do a live video chat but if they can’t, they take a video to show them later.  ​
Options for Welcoming Your Guests to Your Wedding

Moment of Silence  
This is when we take a moment to acknowledge those who aren’t present at the wedding.  Either they couldn’t make it or they have passed away.  For some couples this is very important. They want to remember those who have recently passed away.  I know personally, my father will always remember our grandmothers on special occasions, especially a wedding, knowing how special and important it would have been for them if they were there. I always caution couples when they decide to do this.  If someone recently passed away it may do more harm than good because it will stir up emotions. You can name actual people or, you can make a blanket statement.  Some couples simply leave it out.  The day is about them and those present.  End of story.  I once had a couple use the phrase, “We’d like to remember those who are not here today, either they are no longer with us or they had something better to do.”  Think about it, it was a realistic statement! ​
Moment of Silence Options

Words about love and marriage 
This could be a few short paragraphs about marriage itself.  It can also include personal information about how the couple met, things about their relationship and funny or meaningful stories.  This could also include religious passages  or scriptures about marriage.  For a small wedding or elopement, I often use an appropriate reading, poem or passage from a book that says everything perfectly.  My favorite passage to use is Union, From Beginning to End by Robert Fulgham
Words About Love And Marriage

Readings
Readings could be passages from the bible, poetry or passages specifically written about marriage, love or spirituality.  This is a great opportunity to have loved ones participate in your wedding by sharing a reading.  It can be very special to have those people reading choose a reading to share that is meaningful to them when they think of you and sharing the day with you.  These readings could also be funny, about your dogs or something fun and lighthearted for your wedding.  Not everyone has a super-serious wedding. Sometimes the people chosen to do a funny reading actually give a fantastic performance.  I once married two English teachers who chose their favorite book passages and read them to each other during the wedding.  It was so sweet
Non-Religious Readings
Christian Wedding Readings

Declaration of Intent   
The Declaration of Intent are the "I do's." The ONE thing I need to do is ask you is, "do you consent to the marriage?"  This can be said in many ways.  The traditional "to have and to hold..."  Or, there are many more modern and updated versions! There are usually considered vows too.  But vows can be something you write personally too.  
Non-Religious Declaration of Intent Options
Christian Declaration Of Intent Options

Exchange of Vows 
I have a vow writing guide to assist you in writing your vows.  You can choose to share your vows during your wedding ceremony or privately, before your ceremony.  Many couples choose to do this during their first look.  You can also write vows for each other and have me read them for you or work them into your ceremony if you don't want to say them out loud. 
Vow Writing Guide

The meaning of the wedding rings 
This can be something different for everyone.  They could be an outward and visible sign of the vows you’ve made. They can mean, you are “taken” when you go to a bar.  They could could symbolize the unending circles that they are, like love, they have no beginning and not end.  They can be a daily reminder that there is one other person in the world that has pledged to love you, forever.  Some couples are choosing tattoo’s over actual rings and some couples are choosing not to wear them or one person is choosing not to wear a ring, for whatever reason.  I thought that was really odd the first time I heard it.  However, the bride really didn’t care and they decided to spend the money on something else.  I have a friend that got married late in life and her husband also chose to forego the ring. He works with his hands every day and with electricity.  There are non-metal wedding band these days a lot of couples are choosing however, there is no law that states you must wear a ring.  ​
Meaning of Your Ring Options

The Blessing of the Rings
 This is for a religious wedding.  I never really thought about it until I was performing a christian wedding for a couple in their backyard.  We didn’t include a blessing of the rings.  At the end of the wedding the father of the bride was quite upset.  He said, “You didn’t bless the rings!  If they walk into the house without having their rings blessed it’s bad luck!”  There was no logic in the statement, but we stopped, bowed our heads, and I blessed the rings.  Other couples have specifically asked for me to bless the rings during the ceremony. ​
Christian Ring Blessings

The Ring Exchange 
 Sometimes couples simply put the rings on each other’s fingers.  In an informal wedding or elopement I usually ask the couple if they have anything they would like to say to each other ask they place rings on each other’s fingers or would they like to repeat after me?  They may say something like, I love you!  Traditionally the phrase has been, “With this ring, I thee wed.”  I’ve started using, “With this ring I marry you” because a lot of people were not familiar with using the word “thee” and it was coming out, “With this ring, we be married.”  Sometimes couples speak actual vows while exchanging rings.  
Ring Exchanges - Non-Religious
Ring Exchanges - Christian

Unity Ceremony 
 There are a lot of options for unity ceremonies.  This is another thing I have mixed feelings about  There are things to do during your wedding that having incredible meaning at this point.  If you are joining two families with children there may be vows to the children or some sort of unity ceremony, like the sand ceremony.  Maybe the couple can express themselves in a really fun way during their wedding ceremony with a unity ceremony.  The unity candle honors their mothers in a beautiful way and is common in a Catholic wedding so mother’s appreciate it if you aren’t getting married in the church.   Tying a knot or doing a box ceremony.  They can have a powerful meaning or be really fun during your ceremony.  Just remember you don’t have to do a unity ceremony if you don’t want to.  It’s not in any way a required part of your wedding.  You may not want to spend the money on the supplies or it may just not completely unnecessary to you.  ​
Unity Ceremonies

Final Words of Encouragement for the couple ​
 This could also be a personal statement for the couple or a secular blessing. 
Secular Blessings

Final Blessing of Closing Prayer
   In a Christian wedding, a final prayer can be offered, or a mixture of many.  ​
Christian Blessings

Pronouncement of Marriage! 
 “ I now pronounce you married!”  “I now pronounce you husband and wife!”  Man and wife is definitely out of style, for the most part.  There are a few ways you can say this.  ​
Pronouncement Options
Christian Pronouncements

The Kiss!  
“You may seal this marriage with a kiss” or, “You may kiss your bride!” ​

Introduction as a Married Couple  
This can vary for everyone. Sometimes I just say Name and Name are Married!  Mr. and Mrs. Doe or Mr. and Mrs. John Doe or Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Doe.  Some people choose to leave it out.  

Instructions for the Guests 
Where should the guests go now? To another room for cocktails?  To the reception at another venue?  Should certain people stay for pictures?  I sometimes put the instructions for guests before the pronouncement, especially if there is some sort of send off for the bride and groom and you need to give specific directions.  

If you’ve read this far, thank you!  You may have learned more about wedding ceremonies than you realized.  Hopefully, you have more of an understanding of the parts of a wedding ceremony. 

 The biggest thing I think most people don’t realize is they don’t have to do each thing.  It’s OK to just say vows and exchange rings and be done.  I once wrote a long, detailed, personalized ceremony for a couple who came back with a request that I use a very short, traditionally worded ceremony, verbatim.  It seemed really odd to me, they’d literally rented one of the most amazing ceremony venues in town for a 5 minute ceremony.  It turned out, they really didn’t want to cry during the ceremony so they made it super simple and the verbiage make it hard to get emotional.  I received a thank you note from them stating they had more compliments on the ceremony and it’s brevity!  There is something to be said for keeping it short, simple and brief! 

Unplugged Ceremony

12/12/2022

 

The Unplugged Ceremony

It has become very popular to announce an unplugged ceremony.  It's when you ask your guests to silence and put away cell phones and refrain from taking pictures during the wedding.  There are opinions about this and it can be worded in many different ways. 

Many venues provide cute signs, or you may choose to invest in one for your ceremony thinking it will do the trick.  I think the signs are really cute but I think it's better to say something at the right time during the ceremony so guest actually get the message. 

This is not for everyone - and for more than one reason.  You may know your family better and know it's pointless to ask!  Some couples simply ask guests to stay seated during their ceremony instead of standing up and taking pictures. Some couples want you to keep the wedding off of social media.  

I talked to a  photographers that said she offers a discount if you announce an unplugged ceremony! ​
The One-Time Photo-Op
This is something new - at least to me.  You can choose to give your guests an opportunity to use their phones to take a picture  - all at the same time during the ceremony.  You might choose to do it at the beginning or at the end before you are pronounced married.  It can be fun!

Unplugged Wedding Ceremony Option 1
Family, friends, honored guests, on behalf of Name and Name, I would like to warmly welcome you to the celebration of their marriage. They wish to express their gratitude for each of you who has chosen to be here today.  During the ceremony this afternoon, we respectfully request that you silence and put away all cell phones and cameras so we can all be fully present in this moment. Thank you!  Let us begin…

Unplugged Wedding Ceremony Option 2
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to Name and Name's Wedding!  I ask that you silence your phones and refrain from taking pictures during the wedding.  There are professional photographers here to catch all the important moments.  They will be happy to share those pictures with you when they are done.  Thank you!  Let’s begin.

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Opening Prayers

12/12/2022

 
Opening Prayer Option 1
O God, Creator of us all, we thank you for the gift of life, and on this day we thank you especially for the joy that Name and Name have found in each other, and for the promises, they will make before you. Bless all of our families and friends who are present with us on this special occasion. We also remember those who couldn't be here today, particularly  (you can name people here if you like). We pray, O God, that you remain with them as a partner in their marriage. Grant to them, and to us all, love and understanding all of our days. Amen

Opening Prayer Option 2
Heavenly Father, we gather here together because you have promised that wherever 3 or more are gathered in your name, you will be in the midst of them.  We ask for your presence here, as we join Name and Name in marriage. We ask your blessings over this ceremony as Name and Name make their vows to each other.  Stand by them throughout their marriage and fill them with your perfect love so that they may grow in their love for you and for each other throughout their marriage and their lives.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen

Opening Prayer option 3
Father in heaven, You ordained marriage for your children, and you gave us love. We present to You Name and Name, who come this day to be married. May the covenant of love they make be blessed with true devotion and spiritual commitment. We ask that You, God, will give them the ability to keep the covenant they have made. When selfishness shows itself, grant generosity; when mistrust is a temptation, give moral strength; when there is misunderstanding, give patience and gentleness; if suffering becomes a part of their lives, give them a strong faith and an abiding love. Amen.​

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Welcoming - Welcome Guests to Your Wedding

12/12/2022

 
Welcoming Words Option 1
​Welcome!  We are gathered here today to celebrate and to witness the joining of Name and Name in marriage. As they promise to love, trust in that love, honor one another as individuals, and anticipate with joy spending the rest of their lives together. They are surrounded by you - their friends and family.  Thank you for gathering here to witness their marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion.

Welcoming Words Option 2
Welcome Everyone!  Thank you for traveling from far and wide to be here today as Name and Name are joined in Marriage. Each of you has played an important part in their lives helping to make them the people they are.  Your love for them has fueled the fire for them to find the true and lasting love that we celebrate today.  They are grateful for each you and are honored by your presence here with them today.  ​

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Moment of Silence

12/12/2022

 
Moment of Silence Option  1
At this time, we would like to take a moment to remember those who are not here with us today.  Those who could not be here or those who have gone on to greater things.  We know that they are here with us in spirit.  (We can list names here if you like) 
Can add:  
We know their force is with us, always.
Moment of Silence Option 2

​At this time, we'd like to ask for a moment of silence to remember those who are no longer here with us. Even though they're not physically present, they are a key part of the foundation that makes ​Name and Name the people they are today. We cherish our memories of them and all others who live on in our hearts.

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Declaration Of Support

12/12/2022

 
The marriage of Name and Name brings together two different families and their two unique story lines.  Today, a new chapter in their lives begins to unfold. Although this relationship was formed out of the love these two have found in each other, their marriage will ultimately be blessed by the support of their families.  At this time, I formally ask for that blessing.

Name’s Mother and father, Name and Name, do you offer this couple your goodwill?  Do you welcome Name as a member of your family and give him/her/them your  love and affection?  Parents: We do.

Name’s Mother and father, Name and Name, do you offer this couple your goodwill?  Do you welcome Name as a member of your family and give him/her/them your  love and affection?  Parents: We do.

All of you here present, As these two people join together in marriage, they ask for the support and love of not only their families, but of their friends as well. On this day, they ask that you be more than only Friends, family and honored guests, will you recognize this special union as well?  Welcoming the marriage of Name and Name into your lives?  If so, please say, “we will.” 

Thank you!

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Words About Love And Marriage

12/12/2022

 
Words about Love and Marriage Option 1
Name and Name, Today, as you two are joined in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great. We join with you in hoping you make real your dreams!  That you are reborn in each other as you share your loves and dreams, wants and desires and together are enriched by them. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life.There was a time when your lives were two separate paths.  Gradually, they were joined as you grew closer together.  Today, you proclaim to the world your choice to stay on the same path together.  ​

Words about Love and Marriage Option 2
Love has brought Name and Name together. But what do we mean by love? When we love, we see things other people do not. We see beneath the surface to the qualities, which make our beloved special and unique. To see with loving eyes, is to know inner beauty. And to be loved is to be known, as we are known to no other. We who love, can look at each other’s life and say, “I touched his life,” or, “I touched her life,” just as an artist might say, “I touched this canvas.” “Those brushstrokes in the comer of this magnificent mural, those are mine. I was a part of this life, and it is a part of me.” Marriage is to belong to each other through a unique and diverse collaboration, like two threads crossing in different directions, yet weaving one tapestry together. The secret of love and marriage is to be in love and in trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both. The true art of married life is an intimate, interpersonal journey. It is a mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities, which diminishes neither, but enhances both  It is, ultimately, the emergence of something greater than the individuals could never be alone. ​

Words about Love and Marriage Option 3
Today there will be no dearly beloved, no betrothed, and no ancient rhyme of the married. Today there are no dead languages to solemnize vows that are very much alive and will remain so for a lifetime. Today promises become permanent and friends become family. However, this day is not about the words spoken or the rings exchanged, nor is it about grand pronouncements and recessional marches.

This day – the day of Name and Name’s wedding – is about love.  It's been said, “If love is not all, then it is nothing: this principle, and its opposite, collide down all the years of my breathless tale.”

Name and Name, your breathless tale is about to begin.

If love is not all, then it is nothing.​  Its opposite – If love is all, then it is everything – is going to be the basis for every aspect of your relationship. All you have to do is simply love one another and that love shows through in everything you do for one another, how you treat each other, in good times and bad. Love isn’t just a word; it’s an action. Love isn’t something you say, it’s something you do. Love is genuine, honest, and open, compassionate and kind, passionate and blind, love doesn’t know space or time, nor look through jealous eyes, and in the modified words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never dies.”

There are many different kinds of love, almost if not all of which are represented here today. There is romantic love, the love of parents and children, of brothers and sisters and family, and love among friends. Not only do Name and Name love one another romantically – and they do, you can see it in every look, every touch, every moment they’re together – they also love one another as friends.  That love and enjoyment of each other as best friends will sustain them through this marriage. In addition, the love collectively in this room, from friends and family, will help sustain and support the promises they make today.

All of us here will help solidify this bond, as these two individuals are joined in marriage.This new journey will be at times richly rewarding and extremely difficult, but, most importantly, it will be a journey you take together.

Marriage is much more than your signatures on a legal contract. You are promising, in front of all these people you love, that you want to be with each other and only each other for the rest of your lives, and that you will do everything in your power to honor the promises you are making here today.For their part, the people who love you will also do everything in their power to try to help you hold up your end of the bargain.

Words about Love and Marriage Option 4
Marriage symbolizes the intimate sharing of two lives. This sharing must not diminish, but enhance the individuality of each partner. You do not shed your individuality, for that is what brought you together in the first place. Marriage is the loving declaration that you should be no other than yourself. A lasting marriage is not stagnant. The relationship and each individual are continually growing and developing. Your understanding of each other deepens and evolves. It is not this ceremony or the state of being married that will truly join and hold you together, but your ongoing commitment to your relationship and to the kind of life you wish to make together. In this way, your marriage will not be just a symbol; it will be more than that. It will be an action, something you work actively on every day.

Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colors seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.​

Words about Love and Marriage Option 5
Name and Name, your love for each other is what has brought you to this day and it will be the foundation of your marriage and your life together.   May your love create a safe haven for you both on the journey that lies ahead of you. Remember to lead with your hearts and take the time to do the simple things that will nurture your love. Deeply listen to each other—to your dreams, and to your frustrations. Be helpmates. Be playful in finding new ways to give your love anew to each other every day.  Let your love be an inspiration to others to reach for what is good within us all. May your love be so abundant that you have plenty to share with the rest of us as well. It is your love that has brought us together here today. May it grow deeper and sweeter with each passing year.

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Readings - Non-Religious

12/12/2022

 
from "Union"
by Robert Fulghum
"You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with "When we're married" and continued with "I will and you will and we will" - those late night talks that included "someday and somehow and maybe"- and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, "You know all those things we've promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word." Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife”​

The Art of Marriage
 Wilferd A. Peterson 
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In the art of marriage, the little things are the big things…
It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding, and a sense of humor. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is finding room for the things of the spirit. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual, and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner. It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.

Why Marriage?
By Mary Nichols-Haining
Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person, With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body. Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me, who won't hold them against me, Who loves me when I'm unlikable, who sees the small child in me, and who looks for the divine potential of me. Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night with someone who thanks God for me, with someone I feel blessed to hold. Because marriage means opportunity to grow in love and friendship, because marriage is a discipline to be added to a list of achievements, because marriage do not fail, people fail when they enter into marriage expecting another to make them whole. Because knowing this, I promise myself to take full responsibility for my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness. I create me. I take half of the responsibility for my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness. I create me. I take half of the responsibility for my marriage.  Together we create our marriage.  Because of this understanding, the possibilities are limitless. ​

Ultimate Geek Mashup
Compiler Unknown
We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. Love is the moment before you’re frozen in carbonite, when the girl you’ve had your eye on finally admits what you always knew. Love is when you say, “I know”. Love is do, or do not, there is not try. Wuv…twu wuv…goes on forever and ever. And always says “As you wish”. Love is not cupid’s Arrow, it’s a green one. It happens in a Flash, and makes you feel like you can leap tall buildings in a single bound. It’s a shield, a smash, a hammer, and an iron suit. You should always be in love. Unless you can be Batman. Then you should be Batman. Love is the Ron Swanson of emotions. There is nothing stronger, except Ron Swanson. When it comes to love, treat yo-self. Love says “Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear”. Love is like a prayer. It’s the great American hero, Kevin Bacon, teaching a small town that it’s our time, it’s our time to dance. Love is 1.21 gigawatts. It makes us drive 88 miles per hour, speeding towards our Density. It’s dogs and cats living together…mass hysteria. It’s more powerful than a T-Rex, and almost majestic. Love is our happy thought. Love is magic. Love is asking “After all this time?” and knowing the answer will be “Always."

​I Love You
by Roy Croft
​I love you, not only for what you are but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself but for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out;
I love you for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can’t help dimly seeing there, and for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.
I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life, not a tavern, but a temple; out of the works of my every day not a reproach, but a song.
I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good and more than any fate could have done to make me happy.
You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign. You have done it by being yourself.
Perhaps that is what being a friend means, after all.

These words were written by the one and only Mr. Fred Rogers.  You are never too old and it's never too late to hear his message. 
When we love a person, we accept him or her exactly as is: the lovely with the unlovely, the strong along with the fearful, the true mixed in with the facade. And of course the only way we can do it is by accepting ourselves that way. ... It’s what’s inside us that matters most. You can really love someone else when you really love yourself. ... As human beings our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has or ever will have. Something inside which is unique to all time. It’s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression. ... Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun, like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now, and to go on caring, even through times that may bring us pain.

A passage from Kurt Vonnegut’s “A man without a country”
​p. 132.
"But I had a good uncle, my late Uncle Alex. He was my father’s kid brother, a childless graduate of Harvard who was an honest life insurance salesman in Indianapolis. He was well-read and wise. And his principal complaint about other human beings was that they so seldom noticed it when they were happy. So, when we were drinking lemonade under an apple tree in the summer, say, and talking lazily about this and that, almost buzzing like honeybees, Uncle Alex would suddenly interrupt the agreeable blather to exclaim, if this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is. So, I do the same now, and so do my kids and grand kids. And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, if this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is."

Gravitation 
Albert Einstein
"Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love. How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity."

Destiny
Author, Unknown
Destiny is a mysterious thing.  No matter what you do or where you go, you cannot avoid it.  And, no matter how hard you try, even putting forth your greatest effort, you can’t force it to happen before it's time. This occasion we witness today is the destiny of two souls. There is not a force in the universe that could have kept you apart, and there is nothing they could have done to come together sooner. 
Each of you had to live your lives, lives that were stepping stones that have led to this moment in time, this uniting of hearts and minds that shall be forever more. 
This occasion we celebrate today is the destiny of two souls. Yes, destiny is a marvelous and mysterious thing.

He’s Not Perfect 
by Bob Marley
He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.

A book passage from Carl Sagan 
Consider our planet. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived here on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.

The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Once we lose our fear of being tiny, we find ourselves on the threshold of a vast and awesome Universe which dwarfs -- in time, in space, and in potential -- the tidy anthropocentric proscenium of our ancestors. And for small creatures such as we, this vastness is made bearable only through love.

Marry The  One
Author unknown
Marry the one who doesn’t mind doing dishes . . . or the laundry, or the cooking, or who will jump into home improvements to make a house a home or whatever needs to be done.
Marry the one who will support you in everything that matters to your heart, from your silliest ideas to your grandest dreams.
Marry the one who pulls you away from the sink and into a dance in the kitchen.
Marry the one who pays attention and is thoughtful with your wants and needs.
Marry the one who’s willing and happy to binge your favorite show. Each and every season. 
Marry the one who leaps into parenting with both feet. Who loves the children and is willing to learn with an open heart. Who through the hard days, gains their trust and love in return.
Marry the one who teases playfully, sneaks extra kisses, holds your hand in public, and says “I love you” unabashedly.
Marry the one who makes you feel beautiful. Who laughs with you. Who comforts you when you cry.
Marry the one who shows up every day—when life is great, when it’s miserable, when it’s everything in between.
Marry the one who’s willing to brave the rollercoaster—the ups and downs of marriage.
Marry the one who knows love is a choice more than it is a feeling. The one who will choose love, even when it’s hard. The one who will choose YOU, especially when you wouldn’t choose yourself.
Marry the one who’ll walk beside you all the way through. Through the late nights with sick children. Through the early mornings for the stressful job. Through weight gain and gray hair and wrinkles. Through the moments when you’re at your worst. Through weeks, and months, and maybe even YEARS of pain or distance. Through real sickness. Financial troubles. Old age. Devastating loss. Through the moments of wondering if the feeling can ever truly be captured again.
Marry the kind one. The GOOD one. The one who hears you, and sees you, and validates your feelings.
Marry the one who knows you deeply and who loves you as you are . . .
the one who will spend a lifetime trying to be the partner you deserve.
Marry that one . . .
and BE that one . . .
for the one you are marrying.

Thoughts In a Garden 
 R. Gerhardt
This is a special place, a place where people have brought beautiful living plants, here to establish them, to nurture and care for them, that they may forever surround us with the beauty we now see. And into this place where we stand, you have brought something beautiful — the relationship that is becoming your marriage. Here you are declaring it and pledging it, promising to establish and nurture it. We are aware of the special beauty between the two of you, just as we are aware of the special beauty of this place. We are with you now in this appropriate place to celebrate your relationship as it is and as it is yet to be, and in doing so, we ask only that you remember how your life together will have the same seasons and needs as this garden. There will be growth like spring and loss like fall; there will be giving as the blossoming flower, and rest as the seed beneath the snow. All the seasons will be yours, but remember, too, that gardens are not must happenings. The more wonderful the garden, the more skilled the gardener. So you will have to care deeply for the life that is yours together, and nurture it. You will have to appreciate your differences and cultivate them. You will have to take care of yourself, if for no other reason than out of love for the other. And you will need the support of family and friends to reach full growth. As you caringly chose this place to declare your marriage, so remember it's lessons for your life together through the seasons that are yours to share. And may those seasons bring you and yours joy and happiness.
​

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Louis de Bernieres
Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your root was so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.
Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being in love, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.

Marriage Joins Two People In The Circle Of Its Love 
Edmund O'Neill
Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other relationship can equal. It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.
Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life’s most important relationships. A wife and a husband are each other’s best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener and critic. And there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child.
Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.
Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing a love that is deeper than life.
When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfill.

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Christian Wedding Readings

12/12/2022

 
​1 Corinthians: 13 NIV
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.​

Based on 1 Corinthians: 13 

GOD IS LOVE.  May you have His kind of love for each other.

LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND.  May you be able to lovingly overlook each other’s faults and weaknesses.

LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS OR BOASTFUL. May you seek praise for each other and not for yourselves.

LOVE IS NOT ARROGANT OR RUDE. May you give of yourselves for each other’s needs and treat one another with utmost respect.

LOVE DOES NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY. May you genuinely listen to each other with a willingness to be wrong yourselves.

LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE OR RESENTFUL. May you be tolerant of each other’s moods, always ready to forgive, never holding a grudge.

LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE AT WRONG BUT REJOICES IN THE RIGHT.
May you experience happiness because of each other’s triumphs and successes.
​
​
LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS. May you seek to understand each other’s differences, knowing you will stick together through it all.

LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS. May you always expect the best in each situation, regardless of temporary setbacks.

LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS. May you never give up your commitment to work on improving your relationship.

LOVE NEVER ENDS. May you spend the rest of your lives together enjoying God’s love.

GOD IS LOVE.

Ecclesiastes 4: 7-12 NIV
The Chord of 3 Strands
Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil,yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless—a miserable business!
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ruth 1:16-17
But Ruth said, “Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God; where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if even death parts me from you.

Song Of Solomon 2:10-13
My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Song Of Solomon 8:6-7
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned.

The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.​

True Love
​Author, Unknown
Love can always conquer
Whatever discord brings
and love can also cover
a multitude of things.

Don’t you underestimate
what love can ever do,
for love is God eternal
and His love can renew.

What is cold and lifeless,
now lost all hope and died,
for love can breathe new meaning
and give it back new life.

Please don’t give up on love
when it seems that all is lost,
for there is always hope
if we’re prepared to pay the cost.

For love is always worth it
no matter how much the price,
for love will be much stronger
when we trust in Jesus Christ.

So let God have full reign,
let Him live within your heart
then you will know true love,
for this He will impart.

Treat Yourselves and Each Other with Respect
Treat yourselves and each other with respect, 
and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. 
Give the highest priority to the tenderness, 
gentleness, and kindness that your connection deserves. 
When frustration, difficulties, and fear assail your relationship, 
as they threaten all relationships at one time or another, 
remember to focus on what is right between you, 
not only the part which seems wrong. 
In this way, you can ride out the storms 
when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives... 
remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, 
the sun is still there. 
And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality 
of your life together, 
it will be marked by abundance and delight. 
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, 
there am I in the midst of them.

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Declaration of Intent - The "I Do's!"

12/12/2022

 
Declaration of Intent Option 1
Name, do you take Name, to be your Wife/Husband/Partner in Marriage  To have and to hold, For better, for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others from this day forward,  until death do you part?*

*You can also end with:
Forever and always.
From now until the end of time.
For all your days.
To infinity and beyond!

Declaration of Intent Option 2
​Name, from this day onward, do you choose Name to be your Wife/Husband/Partner-in-Marriage, your best friend and your only love? To live together, play together and laugh together; To work by his/her/their side and dream in his/her/their arms; To fill his/her/their heart and feed her soul; To always seek out the best in his/her/their Always loving his/her/their with all your heart, until the end of your forever?
If so, Say, “I do!”

Declaration of Intent Option 3
​​Will you, Name, keep Name as your favorite person — to laugh with him/her/them, go on adventures with him/her/them, support him/her/them through life's tough moments, be proud of him/her/them, grow old with him/her/them and find new reasons to love him/her/them every day?

Name: I will.

Will you, Name, keep Name as your favorite person — to laugh with him/her/them, go on adventures with him/her/them, support him/her/them through life's tough moments, be proud of him/her/them, grow old with him/her/them and find new reasons to love him/her/them every day?

Name: I will.

Will you, both, be each other's partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely — for the rest of this lifetime and for whatever may come next?
​
Both: We will.

Declaration of Intent Option 4
​Name, do you take Name, to be the Husband/wife/life-partner of your days, the companion of your heart and the friend of your life?  To stand united in the face of adversity and bask together in the light of good fortune? With these words spoken, and all those as yet unspoken, do you wish to marry Name and join your lives together?

Name:  I do

Declaration of Intent Option 5
​Name and Name, by coming here today, you have reached a crossroads in your lives. You’re turning away from your yesterdays and looking ahead to your tomorrows. Your past is a distant memory. Your future awaiting adventure. It is a new dawn, a new commitment, a new life. The bonds you are forging today will change your lives forever.

Do you, Name, promise to take Name to be your Husband/Wife/Partner-in-life? To play with him/her/them and care for him/her/them ; to make him/her/them  laugh, and let him/her/them cry? To offer your best counsel and give your sincerest support with all the love you have to give?

Name: I do

Is it your choice that Name be the one with whom you wish to spend your life?

Name:  It is

Declaration of Intent 6
​I know that I am here today as the officiant of your wedding.  However, that is really just to make it legal. What you are really doing today is making a public proclamation of your love.  Here, in front of these witnesses who will hopefully stand by you. And, even beyond that, you are here to make these promises to each other.  Take this moment to look into each other’s eyes - because it is nearly impossible to look into each other’s eyes and lie.  But even more so, by looking into each other’s eyes you are looking into each other’s soul’s. That is where your love for each other truly flows from. Take this time to have your souls speak in their language as I speak these words...

Name and Name?  Do you  choose to be husband/wife/partners in life? 
Do You promise to give the best of yourselves  and to ask for no more than you can give? Do you promise to respect one another as your own person and to realize 
that your interests, needs and desires are no less important than the other’s?  Do you promise to share your time and attention, and to bring joy, strength and imagination to your relationship? Do you promise to keep yourselves open to each other, to allow the other see through the windows of your world and into your innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams? Do you promise to grow along alongside each other, willing to face changes as you both change in order to keep your relationship alive and exciting? Do you promise to love one another in good times and in bad, with all you have to give, and all you feel inside, in the only way you know how ... completely and forever?  
​

Name, do you take Name to be your husband/wife/partner in life?

Name, do you take Name to be your husband/wife/partner in life?

Declaration on Intent 7
Name and Name, On this day do you affirm the love that the two of you share, looking to the future to deepen and strengthen it? Will you affirm that love in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. Together will you dream and break bread?  When you stumble will you restore one another? Will you share all things, serving one another and your fellow man? Will you cherish and respect, comfort and encourage one another? Be open with one another, and stay with one another as long as you both shall live, bound by your love?

Name, do you choose Name to be your Husband/Wife/Partner-in-marriage, your friend, and your love?
​
Name, do you choose Name to be your Husband/Wife/Partner-in-marriage, your friend, and your love?

Declaration on Intent 8
​Name, do you take Name to be your best friend, your faithful partner and one true love?  Do you promise to encourage and inspire him/her/them and to love him/her/them  truly through good times and bad?  Will you be there forever? to laugh with him/her/them, to lift her up when him/her/them’s down and to love him/her/them unconditionally through all your adventures in life together?

Declaration on Intent 9
Name and Name, do you, with your family and friends as your witnesses, present yourselves willingly and of your own accord to be joined in marriage?

We do

Will you promise to care for each other in the joys and sorrows of life, come what may, and to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your life together?

We will

Name, please repeat after me:

I, Name, take you Name, to be my Husband/Wife/Partner-in-marriage
I give to you in the presence of these witnesses
My promise to stay by your side,
In sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow,
As well as through the good times and the bad.
I promise to love you without reservation,
Comfort you in times of distress
Encourage you to achieve all of your goals,
Laugh with you and cry with you,
Grow with you in mind and spirit
Always be open and honest with you,
And cherish you for as long as we both shall live​​

Declaration on Intent 10
Do you, Name, promise to give Name, your deepest love, and your truest thoughts,As you create a home together that is a place of joy and comfort, being his/her/their faithful champion, partner, and best friend? Do you commit yourself to Name in Marriage? 

Declaration on Intent 11
Do you, Name, take, Name, to be your partner for life. Do you promise to walk by her/his/their side forever, and to love, help, and encourage her/him/them in all she/he/they(do) does? Do you promise to take time to talk with her/him/them, to listen to  her/him/them, and to care for her/him/them? Will you share her/his/their laughter, and her/his/their tears, as her/his/their partner, lover, and best friend?
​

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Declaration Of Intent - The "I do's." Christian Options

12/12/2022

 
Christian Vow Option 1

Groom/Bride, will you have this woman/man to be your wedded wife/husband/spouse to live together after God's ordinance in the Holy Estate of matrimony? Will you love her/him/them? Comfort her/him/them, honor and keep her/him/them, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto her/him/them as long as you both shall live?

Please repeat after me:

In the name of God, I, Name, take you, Name, to be my wife/husband/spouse, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.​

Christian Vow Option 2
I, Name, take you, Name, to be my wife/husband/spouse, and these things I promise you: I will be faithful to you and honest with you; I will respect, trust, help, and care for you; I will share my life with you; I will forgive you as we have been forgiven; and I will try with you better to understand ourselves, the world, and God; through the best and worst of what is to come, and as long as we live.

Christian Vow Option 3
In the presence of God and these our friends I, Name, take you, Name, to be my husband/wife/spouse, promising with Divine assistance to be unto thee a loving and faithful husband/wife/spouse so long as we both shall live.

Christian Vow Option 4
Catholic Wedding Vows

Name and Name, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?

Will you honor each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives?

Will you accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?

You will respond with either "I will" or "yes," then continue onto the vows themselves:

I, Name, take you, Name, to be my husband/wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.
** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

How To Write Your Own Wedding Vows

12/12/2022

 

The Marry Me In Indy!
​Vow Writing Guide

The words below are my opinion.  Do with them what you will.  Every wedding officiant has an opinion.  My goal is to help to inspire you to make your wedding ceremony your own.  If this is not this path to perfection for you, no worries!  You don’t have to write your own vows and I have plenty of material already written you are welcome to use.
​

A few years ago, I received the question - How do we write our wedding vows?  
 
I had never really given any thought as to how to write your own wedding vow.  The words and ‘vows’ you share with your partner on your wedding day are thoughts and feelings that come from the heart.  There is no right or wrong.  
 
What they were really looking for was an outline to help them collect and organize their thoughts. 
 
When I’m helping a couple personalize their wedding ceremony they often ask if I need their vows ahead of time or if I need to check them and make sure they are OK.  I don’t.  I’m happy to read them over if you want me to but I would never correct you.  You can’t get it wrong - ever.  I’m certainly in no position to judge your heart!
 
Coupes are sometimes afraid their vows won’t ‘match up’ with their partner’s vows.  I think that’s impossible.  We all have our own ways of expressing ourselves and, by your wedding day, you probably already know enough about your partner to know each other’s hearts and intentions.  
 
I will always remember a wedding I officiated where the groom had pages of vows.  We were all in tears listening to him express his love for his wife and her son.  When he was done, the bride took out a small sheet of steno paper and said exactly the same things in just a few sentences.  It was sincere and perfect. 
​
What exactly are wedding vows?  

Essentially, a vow is a solemn promise to do something.  During a wedding ceremony, as your officiant I ask “Do you take this person to be your husband or wife?”  That’s what the law requires.  Are you promising to fulfill the contract of marriage?  There is a feeling of classic romance when I ask these questions - at least I think there is. 
 ​
Beyond the Basic Vow

I  think when many couples are wondering about writing their own vows, they are thinking beyond the basics.  They want to say heartfelt, charming, and fun statements mixed in with the words of undying love.
 
Saying “I promise to love you, honor, respect, make sure we have gummy bears in the house, and not bother you when the Colts are playing the Patriots,” is probably what more people are looking to create as part of their wedding ceremony.  
​

Do I have to say Obey?

If you want to promise to “Obey” that’s up to you.  What the two of you agree to in your one marriage is between the two of you.  If you choose to use the statement, that’s something you can write into your own vows. ;-)
 
 
Some couples want to quote the vows they have heard over and over again while watching their favorite movie.  I will love you to Infinity and Beyond! Or, “you and me, we’re in a club now…”  
 
 
Sometimes, everything I’ve written above is all a couple needs to hear and their imagination is sparked enough to take it from here.  Others, appreciate more direction.  Below is my direction. 
​

Write Vows for YOU

When the question “do you want to write your own vows?” comes up, so can anxiety!  Many couples very much want to personally express their love for each other on their wedding day, they just don’t want to share it with the 150 people they invited to the wedding.  That is ABSOLUTELY OK!!!
 
Many couples will write their vows for each other and share them privately, before the ceremony.  They may do it during their first look, or, they will read the letters they’ve written for each other alone - with a photographer catching the moment.  They may use those letters as part of a unity ceremony during their actual ceremony creating a memory box or a wine box.  You do NOT have to share your intimacies with everyone!
​
Give yourself permission to be honest.

Keeping in mind that  you don’t have to share your heart with the world, just your spouse, give yourself permission to be honest.  You are sitting down by yourself and thinking  your thoughts and feeling your emotions.  It’s part of a process, it’s not necessarily the final draft.  Life is a process!  Marriage is a process!  Enjoy the process!

​

The (Not so) ULTIMATE Wedding Vow Writing Guide

Here is the guide I have put together.  It’s a guide to help you to do you. Please feel free to make it your own.   
 
These are some questions I ask couples when we start personalizing their ceremony.  They help me to get to know a couple and come up with ceremony ideas that match the tone of their relationship. They help serve as a way for you to collect your thoughts about your relationship.  Sometimes, we get caught in day to day life and we don’t think about our relationship because we are too busy living our relationship.  These questions can help you focus.
 
No one is ever required to answer the questions.  There might be one question that sparks all of your feelings and emotions.  Or, it may just be fun to answer them all.  


1. What are your hopes for the future?
2. What are three pivotal moments in your relationship?
3. Tell me about your first official date.
4. Tell me about the first time you met.
5. What is (or was) your favorite date?
6. When did you fall in love?
7 Why do you want to get married?
8. Favorite way to spend the day together


Now that your juices are flowing, here are some ways to take the thoughts and put them in some sort of order.​


Who is this person to me?

It could be something like “You are my best friend, partner in crime, mother to my children…”  "My True Companion, my soul mate."  
​

What do I love about this person?

It could be one of the 3 pivotal moments in your relationship that made you see that this person is “The One.”  You might tell stories about your relationship here.  “When she made BBQ nachos and started lamenting the end of football season, I knew she was the one for me.”   Or, “when my cat was sick, he took us to the vet and took care of us.”  One groom had moved in with the bride’s parents while he looked for a job in the city the bride had found her dream job in so he could help her pay her rent until he was able to afford the move!

What are you promising?

Some people may just want to be funny, romantic, or serious. You may want to discuss this ahead of time. Maybe the two of you agree, you just want to be funny.   You may want to incorporate a little of everything.  
 
“I promise to support your dreams.”  
“I Promise to march alongside you in protest to support the rights of the underprivileged.”  
“I promise to support your team - unless they are playing my team.”
“I promise to kill the spiders.” 
“I promise to love your children as my own.” 
“I promise not to steal the covers.”  (Pro-tip:  I’ve been married for 30 years.  SEPARATE blankets are a very good idea!)
​

Share your hopes and dreams for your future together.

What do the two of you dream of?  (Don’t feel bad if you don’t!)
You are going to buy land and build a house.  You are going to travel through South-East Asia and eat all the bugs sold in the marketplaces.  You are going to work hard to retire by 50.  You are going to have a house, 2 kids and a dog.  You promise to grow old together, getting to know each other a little more each day…
​

In Good Times and Bad,  In Sickness and in Health.

You may want to elaborate on the traditional wedding vows.  Some couples say “for richer or richer!”  because they never want to be poor - or they KNOW who of them is high maintenance and they LOVE that about them! COVID has changed a lot of families and relationships, mentioning that could be a poignant moment.  Taking care of each other during pregnancy might be a topic too.  
​

End with a bang!

This may be to recite the actual traditional wedding vows with feeling, emotion and gusto! “I take you as my spouse to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part!  You may change these for you.  You may say “for as long as love shall last.” or “Forever and Always.” or anything else you may choose to say. (Pro tip:  Don’t use “for as long as love shall last” unless you have already agreed on that!)
​


Now, take what you’ve learned and make it your own. 


Now that you’ve read the guide, make it your own.  The two of you may want to discuss how you want to approach this together.  Maybe you want to keep it light?  Maybe you want to be very serious.  You may want to put some guidelines together as to how you want to approach this part of your ceremony as a team.  You may not want to share personal stories or anecdotes.  That’s perfectly OK. Don’t do anything that embarasses the other person or makes them feel uncomfortable.  Some couples don’t want their ceremony to be personalized in such a way.  That’s perfectly OK.  Just agree on it ahead of time.  


​
It’s OK to look for inspiration!  


I’ve collected and share vows from all over.  The one thing I will say is this.  Don’t just use someone else's vows as they are written.  If your partner really wants to write their own vows, they will probably have read many examples.  Don’t just use one of those examples and try to pass it off as your own as it’s already written.  It shows you really don’t care.  At least say something like, “I’m really not good at this, but I’ve been inspired by the words of others to help me express myself…”
​
​

Meaning of Your Wedding Rings

12/12/2022

 
Meaning of the Rings Option 1
​​The circle has frequently been used to symbolize eternity. The ring, like the circle, is a reminder of the perfection and endurance of you commitment to and love for one another.

Meaning of the Rings Option 2
​The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, you Name, may place a ring on the finger of Name...

Meaning of the Rings Option 3
The ring is a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken.

Meaning of the Rings Option 4
May these rings symbolize your inherent wholeness and unity with one another, giving you the strength to happily honor your commitments to each other. May they remind you that marriage is not a destination but a journey, with no beginning and no end, just a moment to moment opportunity to love and be loved to the best of your ability.

Meaning of the Rings Option 5
The ring is an ancient symbol, so perfect and simple. It has no beginning and has no end. It is round like the sun, like the moon, like the eye, like arms that embrace. It is a circle; for love that is given comes back round again. Your rings are precious because you wear them with love. They symbolize your commitment in marriage. They remind you of who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are as individuals, but also who you are a couple.

Meaning of the Rings Option 6
The wedding rings are a symbol of the vows you have made.  The ties that bind you together as husband and wife.

Meaning of the Rings Option 7
Wedding rings are symbols of the journey taken together, a completion of one chapter and the start of another. ​

Meaning of the Rings Option 8
The rings are the universal symbols of marriage.  They mean many things.  From now on you will wear these rings and they will remind you...  They will remind you of the endless circle that they are.  Like love, there is no beginning and no end.  They will remind you daily that you are married.  Sometimes they will remind you of the commitment that you have made - for better or worse.  But, may they always remind you that there is one other person in the world that has pledged to love you forever, through thick and through thin and with all that they have. ​

Meaning of the Rings Option 9
You’ve both chosen to wear rings as a reminder of these promises. People often say wedding bands are a perfect circle, with no beginning and no end. But these rings did have a beginning. The stones were formed a long time ago deep with the earth. Eventually, a series of lucky events caused them to rise to the surface, where someone dug them up. Metal was then liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees — molded, cooled, and painstakingly polished. Something beautiful was made from raw elements. Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, and through a combination of serendipity and effort, imperfect beings shape it into something extraordinary. It’s the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all. As you look at these rings over the years, I hope you remember that. You’ve created something invaluable, and just as I know you’ll protect these rings, I’m confident you’ll protect the commitments you’ve made to one other today.

Meaning of the Rings Option 10
The wedding ring's circular shape reflects the unending power of love a force with no beginning and no end.  You should wear these rings proudly, and let them remind you each day of your commitment to one another.

Meaning of the Rings Option 11
The roundness of the wedding ring is said to represent eternity and to symbolize unending love, devotion and that the couple is forever united in the marriage bond, in this physical life and the next.

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.

Wedding Ring Exchanges

12/12/2022

 
Ring Exchange Option 1
With this Ring, I marry you.  Or  With this ring, I, thee wed.

Ring Exchange Option 2
This ring is my promise to accept your imperfections and appreciate all that makes you unique and beautiful.

Ring Exchange Option 3
I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.

Ring Exchange Option 4
I Name, take you, Name to be my Husband/Wife/Partner in Life.
To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer,
in joy and sorrow, and I promise my love to you for as long as we both shall live.

Ring Exchange Option 5
​​I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful partner to you

Ring Exchange Option 6
​​Let this ring be a symbol of my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you. I am honored to call you my wife/husband/partner-in-life.

Ring Exchange Option 7
I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. I will be by your side now and forever.

** Formal Wedding Ceremony Guide ** Formal Wedding Ceremony Scripts ** Elopement Ceremony Guide ** Elopement Ceremony Scripts ** Parts of a Wedding Ceremony ** Vow Writing Guide ** Unplugged Ceremony ** Opening Prayers ** Welcoming ** Moment of Silence ** Declaration of Support ** About Love and Marriage ** Non-Religious Readings ** Christian Readings ** Secular I-do's! ** Christian I-do-s! ** Ring Meaning ** Ring Blessings ** Secular Ring Exchanges ** Christian Ring Exchanges ** Unity Ceremonies ** Secular Blessings ** Christian Blessings ** The-pronouncement-Secular  ** The Pronouncement - Christian **

Diversity Statement
I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. 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 I will be happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect those personal preferences.
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