Formal Wedding Ceremony 3 - A Modern, Romantic Ceremony

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!

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Welcome

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. 

Words about Love and Marriage

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.

You can add your personal story here.

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?
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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.  

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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. .....!!

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** 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 **