A Wedding Ceremony Script For First-Time Officiants

Beach Wedding

After officiating my first wedding and taking the time to pull together the wedding ceremony script I thought it would be good to post what I came up with for others to use. There are lots of things that can be added/removed from this example but it’s a good foundation that can help save some time for any other future first-time officiant out there.

In this particular wedding ceremony script there’s some humor, reading of vows, exchanging of rings and pouring of the unity sand but feel free to do what you need to this script to make it your own. Have a great wedding!

Processional Ends

Minister: Please be seated.

MInister: We’re all here today to celebrate the relationship of [Bride] and [Groom] and to be witnesses and supporters of the commitment they share with one another. Together we’re a group of the most important people in their lives and they’ve brought us here to publically recognize that we’ve all played some special part in the love they share today.

[Bride] and [Groom] wanted me to thank you all for being here and to recognize how important each and every one of you are to their relationship. They would also like to recognize all of those who couldn’t make it here today as they are certainly missed but not forgotten on this day of celebration — especially [something funny like their dog or other pet].

Speaking of important people, there were none more important in influencing the lives of [Bride] and [Groom] than their parents. With that being said, who gives [Bride] away in marriage to this man?

Father answers: “Her mother and I”

*At this point the Father let’s go of Bride’s arm, hugs and kisses her and gives her hand to Groom and sits down. Bride then hands her flowers to her maid of honor and Groom and Bride then stand there holding hands facing one another. They can be holding hands at this point or standing side-by-side facing the minister.

Minister: Marriage gives permanence and structure to a couple’s love. It’s a way to tell one another that no matter how much you snore or how much you spent while out at the shopping mall, we’re still in this together. It’s more permanent than the weird tattoo that [Groom] got on his arm in his early twenties and has more staying power than [Bride]’s cute southern accent that she’s had since they first met (you can add anything funny into this section that makes sense for the bride and groom). Marriage is telling the person you love that you’re not going anywhere and that’s a powerful commitment for two people to make to one another.

A good marriage must be built on the foundation of this commitment. In 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 standing together and facing the world. It is speaking words of appreciation, and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is not only marrying the right partner — it is being the right partner .

The road that has brought [Bride] and [Groom] here today hasn’t been easy. It’s been filled with challenges that they weren’t necessarily prepared for. But together they’ve taken each one on and have used those experiences to strengthen, not weaken their love.

Reading

*This can be any type of reading you prefer. Also, someone else can read it if you preferred

Minister: In the Bible, first Corinthians chapter 13, verses four through eight tells us:
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. Love never fails.

Reading of the Vows

*Groom, be sure to have these in your pocket and Bride, be sure to give these to your maid of honor.

Minister: [Bride] and [Groom], the vows that you are about to make are a way to share your love and commitment to each other in your own words. Sometimes poems, verses and quotes just don’t get the point across the way you need them to and the best option is just to do it yourself. These vows are your way of openly declaring your promise to one another as well as to all of those who are here in attendance today.

[Bride], ladies first.

Bride: Reads her vows.

Groom: Reads his vows.

Exchanging of Rings

*Get rings from Maid of Honor and Best Man. Feel free to customize what you say to each other if you like.

Minister: [Bride] and [Groom] will now exchange rings to symbolize their commitment. Rings are derived from humble beginnings of imperfect metal to create something striking where there was once nothing at all. It is customarily worn on the ring finger as it is the only finger with a vein running directly to the heart. The wearing of the rings is a visible, outward sign that they have committed themselves to one another.

Minister: [Groom], please take [Bride]’s hand and repeat these words.

Minister: I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love,
Groom: I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love,

Minister: for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come.
Groom: for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come.

Minister: Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day
Groom: Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day

Minister: and know that my love is present,
Groom: and know that my love is present,

Minister: even when I am not.
Groom: even when I am not.

*Groom puts ring on Bride’s finger

Minister: [Bride], please take [Groom]’s hand and repeat these words.

Minister: I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love,
Bride: I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love,

Minister: for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come.
Bride: for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come.

Minister: Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day
Bride: Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day

Minister: and know that my love is present,
Bride: and know that my love is present,

Minister: even when I am not.
Bride: even when I am not.

*Bride puts ring on Groom’s finger.

Pouring of the Unity Sand

Minister: By sharing your vows and exchanging rings here today you both have decided to share the rest of your lives together. You are no longer two separate people but one couple together. This unity is symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand. One, representing you, [Bride] and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, and the other representing you, [Groom], and all that you were and all that you are, and all that you will ever be.

As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be, united as one for all of your days.

*Walk over and pour the sand — usually while music is playing.

The I Do’s

*This is it, time to make some magic happen.

Minister: [Bride] and [Groom] you have professed your love by exchanging your vows. You have symbolized your commitment by exchanging rings. And you have expressed the end of your individual lives by the pouring of the unity sand. With all of this there is just one more question I need each of you to answer and then we’re off to the reception to celebrate.

Minister: [Bride] – do you take Groom to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

Bride: I do.

Minister: Groom – do you take this [Bride] to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

Groom: I do.

Minister: By the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife. [Groom] you may kiss your bride.

*It’s kissing time! (keep it classy, kids)

Minister: It’s my great honor and privilege to be the first to present to you Mr. and Mrs. [Groom’s Full Name]!

*Time to get our party on, but first we need to get everyone out of the wedding.

Recessional Begins

Leave a Reply

167 Comments

  1. jay

    Hup — Just a quick note of thanks for posting the script. I used it as a framework for a wedding I am officiating tomorrow (also my first). You laid the groundwork for what, I hope, will be a memorable day, and I wanted to let you know that your effort was appreciated… jay

    • Hup

      Hey Jay, more than happy to help. How did the wedding go?

  2. Joe

    Hi Hup. I’m going to be officiating at a ceremony in a few weeks. Do you have any suggestions as to good quotes to use? The bride doesn’t want a “traditional” Christian ceremony, but does want some religion in it. I’ve looked up a few, but not being Christian myself I don’t know what’s typically used at a ceremony. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,

    Joe

    • Debra

      Doing my first wedding October 6th for my great niece, a situation that was heavy on my heart she lost her mom at 16 and dad this summer . I was close to both, she had no one to do the wedding and ask my husband he didn’t feel comfortable doing it because we are Catholic, well long story short I said yes for love of God and these two kids who have had it so rough in life already more then most❤️So pray I do well I am using your format thank you it’s beautiful God bless, Iam excited about this so I know it’s right!!!!

  3. jenni

    Love this!! My dad will be the one oficiating my wedding and I wanted to find something that would fit. Thank you for posting this 🙂

  4. Marymjoy

    Thank you so much for sharing this as it brought lightness and humor to my mind as I am preparing a ceremony for next week. It is the first big wedding I will officiate. I like the sand as candles would go out in the breeze on the beach.
    Aloha Margaret

  5. Thank you for your help. This is my first wedding ceremony. I will use the script. God Bless You.

  6. Jen

    Hup,
    Thanks for the words! My first wedding is in an hour and I was afraid it’d be off the cuff!
    Jen

  7. Kim

    I am officiating my very first wedding next weekend… my son’s! This was so perfect! Thank you so much!

  8. Thank you so much for sharing this, Hup. My daughter & her fiance are getting married in a few weeks & I am officiating. They’re planning a flashmob wedding, so I was looking for a script that is contemporary yet intimate. With a few minor customizations, your script is perfect! Blessings to you & those you cherish.

  9. leoneconnell

    Good Day,

    Thank you for posting this. I would like some advice. I’m 21 years old an I recently became an Ordained Minister. How do I go about starting officiating weddings? How do I make this a career? I am also a photographer.

    God Bless,
    Leon

  10. limbic13

    thanks hup! i’m officiating another wedding and needed some ideas and came across your script. i really like it. thanks so much!

  11. Erin

    Thank you so much! I’m doing my 3rd wedding on Friday, but the first two were very small and very casual. They didn’t want anything structured or traditional. This one is a bit more traditional and I needed an outline. I came across this and it’s perfect. Thanks so much for sharing!

  12. Chaz Hunt

    Nicely done sir, thanks. Where did you get the idea for the sand – I love it!

  13. I am a Reverend, and I understand legally, you have to ask “If any person can show just cause why they should not be joined in marriage, let them speak or forever hold there peace”
    Rev.Dorothy C.Rothwell

    • David

      In Georgia, it is not required – it is not in the Georgia Code (law).

      • daphne

        do I have to ask that in the state of Mississippi?

  14. what a lovely day it was be blessed .you have very nice words keep showing some of us who can not.Hope to use them.GOD be with you.

  15. Kathi

    I am getting married in 2 months & our officiant is a first timer. We are in our mid 60’s & my 12 year old grandskn will be giving me away. Any advice for verbiage that could be used? My fiance & I are both widowed. Thanks

  16. Dan

    Thanks, Hup. This is exactly what I was looking for. I’m officiating for the first time in a month, and the couple I am marrying has no idea what they want out to do for their ceremony. I’m going to use your framework as a starting point.

  17. Nice job on this site. I just stumbled because I was hitting a writers block on some vows. This is year three for me part time averaging 45 weddings a year. Loving every minute of it. Laying the groundwork for something to do when I retire from co-operate

  18. gigi

    Thanks for sharing! We asked the friend that introduced us to officiate our wedding and this is a really helpful guide (and i like your humor).

  19. ps

    Thank you for posting the script. Great foundation!

  20. Brianna

    Thank you so much for posting this! I am getting married in June and I am writing my own ceremony and was stressing out because after 5 days of looking for a foundation that I liked, I finally found this one and now I am more excited than ever! Thank you Thank you Thank you!

    A very thankful bride! 🙂

  21. jessicaselbach

    Hey! im Jessica. I am 22 years old and in may i will be officiating my first wedding! I have done a lot of research on outlines, and i believe that this is the best one yet! thank you so much!

  22. reed

    Used your script as the basis for officiating my first wedding yesterday, and it went very well. Thanks for doing most of the work for me!

  23. Thanks Hup. Its funny how you can know someone for years and there’s a side of them you might never see. Until you go googling for wedding ceremony scripts 48 hours before you officiate your first ceremony.

    And here we are. You and I. I’m giving you a big hug from Austin. And you are totally bailing me out of a jam!

  24. revcampbell

    Thank you for the scaffold. I am experienced, but my ritual is in storage and I find myself needing to replace it for an upcoming wedding and this was very helpful. Keep up the good work.

  25. mcgregml

    Thank you so much for posting this! I officiated a friend’s wedding over the weekend and this made up approximately 80 – 90% of the service and was a life saver! I received a lot of compliments afterwards on the ceremony. Again, can’t thank you enough!

  26. msfrolic

    Thank you for the post, I am officiating my first wedding in a few weeks for a same sex couple and like many of the traditional pieces along with the opportunity to weave in some non-traditional elements.

  27. Molly Waters

    Good Morning, Hup;

    You’re a life saver! I have the honor of having been asked to officiate a wedding aboard my Coast Guard cutter. This will be my first, and your script has provided the critical foundation I need for a wonderful event. Thank you!

    Very Respectfully,

    LCDR Molly Waters, USCG
    Commanding Officer
    USCGC NEAH BAY (WTGB 105)

    • Willy

      I was just asked to officiate my nephews wedding. I like your framework and appreciate that you took the time to help others with your ideas.
      Thank you,
      Willy

  28. This is by far the best and most straightforward officiant script i’ve seen. I’ll be giving this as reference to my professor who is officiating our wedding informally. Thank you so much!

  29. Excellent post, Hup.
    Thanks very much for this script. I will start working with your script to make it “Bilingual” to help Officiants at the time of a bilingual wedding.

    Keep your good work.
    Blessings.

    Jose Lasa

  30. Aimee O

    THANK YOU!!!!! I am officiating my friends wedding this weekend and have been so worried because I couldn’t find an real guidance – until you!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

  31. jessica

    thank you for posting, getting married in august and I am having a hard time writing the line up for my marriage vows, until I found this.

  32. Kristi S

    Thank you Hup! This is GREAT! My sister and her future hubby asked me to officiate their wedding. They are rock climbers and we are replacing the sand part with a knot tying demonstration (boaters/sailors could use this too) about how the knot gets sturdier with more stress. Thank you for doing the hard work for me and it is so kind and gracious of you to share this!!!

  33. trhodes-3-2

    Thanks for sharing this man. It’s been tough trying to write something original and from the heart. I will be poaching your “Ring ceremony” though, haha. Thanks again!

  34. trhodes-3-2

    Paying it forward, if anybody wants to read my wedding script to get some ideas going, feel free to e-mail me at trhodes-3-2@hotmail.com and I’ll send you a copy of what I’ve got written.

  35. normboyd

    I have done many weddings, but, strangely, never a traditional (fairly formal) one. I found your model to be a very helpful guide as I prepare for a very traditional wedding next month. I am considering adding a “Celtic hand-weaving” in place of the “Unity Sand” and I will add a few tiny anecdotes from my past relationship with the bride and her family. I will get a little mileage out of the fact that both bride and groom are tattooed and pierced. I confess I had been rather at a loss until I found your very helpful and malleable model. I hope that my adaptation retains the warmth and gentle humor that yours offers. A sincere thank you.

  36. E Alexander

    Hup,
    My son asked if I would officiate his wedding. This will be my first. I found your site and read through your ceremony. Looks and sounds great!! It really hit the mark as for the ideas I had in mind. Arriving a few days early and will be discussing this with him and my future Daughter-in-Law for any changes. Looking forward to the momentous day! Thank you so much for all your work!!

  37. richwright

    Thank you for posting this! I used this with minor modifications two weeks ago to officiate my stepdaughters wedding and people were surprised to learn it was my first time.

  38. Thank you so much for helping me with my first wed ding. My niece has asked me to marry her and her fiance this October and I am so excited. The foundation of this script you have provided has helped in so many ways, Thank You!!!!!

  39. Eugene Small

    Yo Hup- thanks for taking the time to put together a script to help us first timers out.

  40. Barbcb

    Thank you so much ! I used your script to build the ceremony for my neice’s wedding that I officiated last Saturday. The bride and groom loved the ceremony and so did the guests.

    Thanks again for making my job much easier!!!

  41. Robin

    THANK YOU so much. I am marrying my daughter in 2 weeks, and scared. Ive searched the net for something like this for hours. Thank you, Thank you, Robin

  42. Jennifer Robertson

    I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this. I will be using it as framework as well for my first ceremony next week. I have had a bit of trouble finding this in a useable form.(happily shared).

  43. Emmi

    I am officiatine at my first wedding in a few weeks. I am going to be using your script as I draft up the ceremony because you give so many valuable reminders. THANK YOU!!!! This is a treasure that I will keep in my files for years to come. May God bless your work.

  44. kalysp

    Best one I’ve seen so far! Thank you!

  45. Surfoo

    Wow! Amazing and thank you for the model!! Will be officiating next year:) this is beautiful and helpful.

  46. Aleonzipper

    hey Jay
    well my bff just asked me to marry them i have never done this and i have never been married my self im a little worried they are a fun loving couple with lots of humor in there life i want it to be romantic and funny because i am a joker to but i have been having a hard time coming up with this

  47. Just wanted to give you a shout out and say “THANK YOU” for the framework. This is my first time officiating a wedding and its my youngest Son’s. While I consider myself a good writer, I just couldn’t separate myself from the fact that I’m a parent and a Minister. I tweaked the ceremony a little and then met with the couple and got their feedback. We added a segment in place of the unity sand where they seal love letters in a box with a bottle of wine for their 5th wedding anniversary. You are a lifesaver, and I just wanted you to know I now have confidence officiating the upcoming wedding in April 2015! Peace……..

  48. Jennifer Archer

    Hup,
    Thank you so much for your help. My sister asked me to become ordained for her wedding and I was overwhelmed. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

    Sincerely,
    Jennifer Archer

  49. Ricky T

    This is a wonderful example of an elegant, yet flexible framework from which to craft my first ( and only ), wedding ceremony script.
    Thank you for taking time to share your experiences.

    Rick Lites

  50. Dan

    Thank you Hup for this script. I could use it as a foundation for my 1st wedding on 3/7/15. My niece asked me to officiate her wedding and I was honored. You have covered all the necessary steps.

  51. Daniel

    I love the base you have given. The nerves are never ending as I will be marrying my brother and sister-in-law! I had a one month notice, and will be taking action on March 28 of this year.

  52. VAL

    JUST FOUND THIS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING IT, MY SON HAS ASK ME TO MARRIED HIM AND HIS GIRL FRIEND THIS WILL BE THERE SECOND TIME FOR THEM BOTH, YOUR WORDS ARE JUST WHAT I NEED.

  53. Keith

    Hup, love this ceremony, going to use parts of it in a wedding ceremony tomorrow afternoon. Can you put these in printable form? I wanted to print it up using my I-Pad on my wireless printer, but don’t see a link to print it.

    Thanks,
    Keith

  54. Dorothy Boyce

    I am doing at wedding today, it is 4 A.M. and I realized I left my Minister’s Manual at the Couple House during the rehearsal. Went online to get some ideas. Found this. Love it. Thank you for bailing me out! Be Blessed!

  55. It’s an remarkable post for all the online people; they will obtain benefit from it I am sure.

  56. Monica

    Hi there…I appreciate the ideas. I am coming up with ideas for my fiance and I for our officiant. We will be incorporating a wine ceremony letter box. Have you done that before? If so do you have a flow for that? We will be getting married near a vineyard (not a winery) but beautiful accomodations by a vineyard and a beautiful outdoor setting. We have an amazing love story, found our way back to each other 13 years later and are being featured in a couple magazines for this wedding that all of the area is looking forward to..I would love the wording to mirror that. Thanks so much!

  57. Pat

    Hey Hup, First Timer here :=) either after or before?? the ceremony what legal paperwork is needed and where do I get that??

    Thanks,

    Pat Morgan

  58. Pingback: Tips for personalizing your wedding ceremony | An Aspiring Heroine

  59. dankedoab

    Thanks for the info. Officiating my first wedding in about a week and this has been a big help!

  60. Hup…dude you’re a life saver as I could never put together such a great framework. some tweaking and mods personalizing and its perfect.
    God and Hup came thru for me on this one!
    Thank you
    Mike

  61. LindaW

    Thank you so much for this script! This wedding, which is in a few days, is also my first! Alleviated a lot of stress and anxiety! Again, thank you & God Bless!

  62. suzi

    Does anyone have any advice on what else could be used in the section

    has more staying power than ( the brides southern accent )

    Thanks so much in advance !

  63. Pingback: A Time Like This Wedding Planning & Officiating | big-city . the best wedding

  64. John michael

    Please help me get the the certification. So I can officiate a ceromony

  65. JFSoccerCoach

    Hup,

    I have blended your script into the plans I have made with my bride and groom and I do believe we will have a great ceremony (also my first ever!)

    Thank you kindly!

    Joe

  66. Susan Landry

    Dear Hup,
    Last night my niece asked me to officiate at their wedding in August. I am honored but have never done so before.

    I immediately got on Google and found you! Thank you so very much. Your service is beautiful and I am so very grateful. God bless you Hup!

  67. Ann

    Thanks Ryan! It is a beautiful ceremony you have here and a wonderful outline for me to use for my first official ceremony. Bless you for taking the time and for sharing it!!

  68. spatester

    Thank you so much for posting this I’m officiating my first wedding today (my sisters) and this has helped add so much more to what I already had thank you very much. Thank you thank you thank you thank you

  69. Sterling

    Thanks, this is very helpful. God Bless.

  70. nconn

    this is so great!!! I have been looking for a foundation script for my friend that will be our officiant, This is perfect and she has a strong sense of humor so this be natural for her! Thank you so much for sharing this!!

  71. Jennie

    I was just asked to officiate my first ceremony in July for my sister. I am a nervous wreck and had no idea what do say for a simple but intimate day. Thank you so much for laying this out for all of us to use. Your words are wonderful!!

    thanks again!!

    • Hup

      You’re welcome and I’m happy I could help out — be sure to come back and let me know how it goes! 🙂

  72. Tanya

    I’m scared I may go to fast or to slow I’m preparing for a call to do my first wedding I dont want to mess up so do you have to be loud or just normal tone

    • Hup

      Hey Tanya, I think it really depends on how the wedding is going to be setup. If you have a mic or not is important to know, too. For example, I didn’t have a mic on the beach, so I had to be much louder than if I had a microphone hooked up. And don’t worry, just practice it a few times and you’ll be all good – just relax and have some fun!

  73. Gary Borque

    Hey thanks for sharing.
    I will be doing my first wedding next week. I am not ordained but was asked to perform just the ceremony. In place of saying by the power vested in me what would you suggest I say?
    – thanks Gary

    • Hup

      I said “by the power vested in my by the internet” since I was ordained on one of the websites, which I suggest you do, too. It’s easy and free. 🙂

  74. jackie

    I will be officiating my first wedding in May ,and I feel so comfortable using this format .Thank you so much .

  75. I have never performed a wedding ceremony but my mom performed it when my sister married her boyfriend of 4 years. They got married on August 28th 2016! They will be married a year

  76. Cece

    I am using this for my cats wedding,it sound weird know•_•

  77. mitch

    Hub thanks so much for the frame work, im officiating my son wedding this wkend hope all goes well….kinda nervous talking in front on about 200…..yikes anyway Thanks so much!!

  78. Steve

    Loved your presentation and used the bulk of it. We had everyone laughing at times and tearing up at times. Wonderful script!
    I added the following, “all great marriages have three things in common, I call them the three C’s. They are Commitment, Communication and COMPROMISE.

  79. Cheryl Byrnes

    Thanks I just found this
    I’m soon to start my course so reading examples like yours is so helpful
    Regards
    Cheryl

  80. Thanks , I’ve just been searching for information about this topic for a long time
    and yours is the best I’ve found out till now.
    But, what in regards to the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?

  81. Barbara Guyton

    This is awesome. I am performing my very first wedding in May and this will help me a whole lot. Thank you sooooo much.

  82. LARRY CUSACK

    RYAN, I AM GOING TO OFFICIATE MY FIRST WEDDING IN JULY OF 2017. IT WILL BE A DOUBLE HONOR, AS THE GROOM IS MY SON. MY FUTURE DIL WANTS THE CEREMONY TO BE SHORT, BUT SWEET. YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS WILL SURELY HELP ME TO HEED HER WISHES. THANK YOU FOR POSTING YOUR HELPFUL HINTS.LARRY CUSACK

  83. HerbieSmith

    Ryan, my name is Herbie Smith I was asked to ordained minister my nieces wedding and the first script I read was yours it was perfect for me to do for my first wedding. Nice. I seen you went to school in Indiana, I live in Lawrenceburg, Ind. Is there any way you can send me that script. I will be lost without it. Thank you if you can make time to send me it. I will tell everyone that you wrote it. Herbie Smith 252 knoll CT Lawrenceburg In 47025. Thank you and good luck back packing, God bless and safe travels.

  84. HerbieSmith

    Ryan, this is Herbie Smith I sent you a message to see if you can send me the script it would just make it so easy to just read from the script if you would send it. If you can just add grooom & bride name for me it would be great. Carl Andrew Paxson & Heather Morgan Holtecgal. Grooom than Bride. I hope you understand and can help, I don’t want to mess day up for the newly weds and my first time at this and talking in front of a crowd of people in a church. Thank you senserly Herbie Smith 252 knoll CT Lawrenceburg In 47025.

  85. becky Baum

    This is perfect. this is my first time and I am so thankful for all the work you have done. thank you again.

  86. Nydia

    Hi! I am officiating my first wedding in June for my daughter, no less! I am not a nervous wreck at the moment because I am so honored, but I am concerned that my emotions (I choke and cry at Hallmark commercials) will get the best of me even before I begin on that very special day. Your outline and suggestions are tremendously helpful, thank you!

  87. Vicki Simes-Hartman

    Hi

    I am officiating my first wedding in August of this year 2017 This is beautiful

  88. Anna

    Thank you so much! My wedding is in a few weeks and this script is perfect for what I need!

  89. Absolutely lovely ceremony! Thank you so much for sharing. It is the first one I will show to my son and his fiance’ as a choice for their ceremony. Thank you!

  90. Deidra

    Thank you for taking the time to share your script.. this will help me with my first ceremony in 50 days:) I will use your script to get me started…

  91. Rosanne

    A lovely ceremony. I’m marrying my niece next spring. I was thrilled that you posted this!
    I can use it, personalize it and it will be perfect!
    Thank you

  92. Deepak Menon

    In these trying times – your great wedding ceremony paper is like a breath of fresh air – I think my son would like his wedding to have just this kind of ceremony – thank you so much

  93. Dean S

    It is customarily worn on the ring finger as it is the only finger with a vein running directly to the heart.is that wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because of the vena amoris, the vein that carries blood from the fourth digit of the left hand straight to the heart

    How sweet. How about no.

    The vena amoris does not exist. The vasculature in your hands is pretty much all the same, and there isn’t one vein in your hands linked directly to the heart. The belief originated in ancient Egyptian times and influenced the modern wedding ring custom in the Western part of the world.

    So you could just say something…. the Egyptian belief that there was a direct vein to the heart

  94. Gary Garcia

    Thanks Ryan
    Thank you for posting it was very helpful.

  95. Terrance

    I know you posted this a long time ago, but I wanted to let you know that this is still reaching people. My friend is going to be our Officiant in a few weeks and this will have him fully prepared. We are also not traditional, so this one was right on the money. Thank you!

  96. Thank you for posting this and I will use it for an upcoming wedding in September. very nice!!!

  97. T-man

    I’m a officiating my cousin wedding in 2 weeks. This will give me a base to work on.

    Thanks!

  98. Greg Steele

    I have been sweating this, as I’m sure you know all about. I’m getting ready to give preform a ceremony for my Son and his Fiancé. If you don’t mind, this will be a huge help. I’m sure it won’t be word for word, but having something to start/work with is great. Wish me luck, I’m more nervous than the couple that is getting married. Thanks again

  99. Michael

    Hup- I want to thank you for this scrip. It is so much like the one I prepared for my first wedding,but I loaned it to a couple to go over to see what they thought about it. They loved it, but decided not to get married at the time and lost the script I had prepared. They have now decided it is time to be married and your script fits perfect with the sand ceremony I had prepared for them. I still have the two tubes of sand and the third tube to pour them in.I even had two colors of sand to make it more interesting. I would have to say, This is nothing less than a miracle from God!!!!!

  100. Ashley

    Thanks Ryan – Last Saturday, I was given the opportunity and had the privelege to officiate my very 1st wedding ceremony. It was especially delightful since the groom is my big brother. Thankfully,
    I searched and found your very moving & heart felt script. After highlighting a few suitabley key elements, including the Bible verses from first Corinthians chapter 13 on the true meaning of Love, the responses & complements following the service were overwhelming. May our Good Lord Bless you for your generosity & Thanks again!!

  101. David Baxter

    Wow, I’m doing my first and this helps…Thanks

  102. pastor wallace

    need this so much doing a wedding and they had no clue to how and what to say i found this it will do fine god bless you

  103. John

    How long is the average length of time to Officiate a wedding officiate a wedding

  104. Hello Hup,

    I’ve officiated my first wedding ceremony this past weekend and it was great! I used the script and everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing making it so EZ.

    Doris

  105. Linda Komer

    These beautiful words are a great foundation I will joyfully use as I officiate my first wedding. The bride & groom are choosing not to write their own vows so there will be a bit of tweaking. I am blessed & honored to have been asked . . Not to mention excited! Thank you for sharing your experience.

  106. Man, kudos to you for posting this and sharing with others. A google search led me here, and led me to read more about you. You’re living a fantastic life man. Cheers!

  107. Thank you for making this available for those of us who are first time wedding officiators. My daughter is getting married in June. This article is very educational. I will be using most of suggestions. My daughter, and her fiancé are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. I was planning on using the verses in I Corinthians 13, and when I saw they were used by you I knew this was right for us all. Thank you. God bless you.

  108. Beth L.

    we are using this for a wedding puppet show!!! thank you so much …
    The middle schoolers

  109. Olivia

    i used this for my best friends weding in school an dyes im only in the 5th grade and they do not know how to kiss atleast i got what to say. BTW i was the minister and they could not kiss but still thanks Hup

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  111. Ann miles

    This was so great for you to do . My brother in law and my daughters God father and uncle will be the officiant . He is very nervous but this has definately put his mind at ease . Thanks again

  112. Jen G

    Thank you so much!!! This has given me such a sense of relief, I wasn’t sure how to organize the ceremony and you placed it all together so nicely. Wish me luck, the wedding is in 3 weeks

  113. Lauren

    This was great, just what I needed. I’m officiating my first wedding in 2 days. Now I’m a bit more relieved and not so nervous. Thanks so much!

    Lauren

  114. KURT NEU

    For those wanting copies of this, just write the author for permission and then when he/she approves your request, copy the text that you wish to use and paste it into a word document.

  115. KURT NEUFER

    Ryan,

    Nice work. Thank for providing others the framework in which to build and plan their weddings.

    I appreciate what you have done and I am planning to borrow some of your ideas for my daughters wedding that I am officiating. After reading all of the nice comments that folks were courteous enough to leave, that inspired me to share some of my work with weddings.

    I wish to share a poem, actually song lyrics that I wrote for my son’s wedding and have performed many time at weddings. The song can be googled “From Now Until Forever” by Kurt Lewis Neufer, Soundclick.com. Anyone may have permission use this song and even the soundtrack in their wedding without written prior permission, it is my gift.

    From Now Until Forever (Full Version)

    © Kurt Lewis Neufer 2006
    Author: Kurt Lewis Neufer

    Long guitar lead in
    C G Am C# E7 G G C C
    Verse 1
    C G Am
    From now until forever,

    F C G
    I offer you all my love,

    C G Am
    From now until forever,

    F C G
    May God richly bless our love,

    F G
    Though life may be hard

    C G Am
    When we are apart

    F G C
    I’ll always be thinking of you ,

    F G C G Am
    No matter where I go, No matter what I do

    F G C
    I promise I’ll always be true

    Bridge
    C G Am C# E7 G G C C

    From Now Until Forever – Page 2
    Word and Music by Kurt Neufer 1/8/06

    Verse 2

    C G Am
    And With this ring, I thee wed,

    F C G
    A tok-en of my true love,

    C G Am
    From now until forever,

    F C G
    I pro-mise you my love,

    F G
    For better, for worse,

    C G Am
    For rich-er or poor-er,

    F G C
    I pro-mise to hon-or you ,

    F G C G Am
    Thru sickness and health, till death do us part

    F G C
    I promise to cherish you.

    Bridge
    C G Am C# E7 G G C C

    From Now Until Forever – Page 3
    Word and Music by Kurt Neufer 1/8/06

    Verse 3

    C G Am
    From now until forever,

    F C G
    Oh, How great, our love shall be,

    C G Am
    From now until forever,

    F C G
    We’ll live in harmony

    F G C G Am
    We’ll face each day, walk’in hand in hand,

    F G C
    How great, our love shall be,

    F G C G Am
    Thru good times and bad, we’ll still come, out smiling,

    F G C
    For together, we always shall be.

    End
    C G Am C# E7 G G C C

    Slowly sing From Now Until Forever as song fades

    For those wanting copies of this, just write the author for permission and then when he approves your request, copy the text that you wish to use and paste it into a word document.
    If you publish things from an artist, it is appropriate to cite the source of your information.

  116. KURT NEUFER

    For those of you reading this who feel uncomfortable speaking in front a number of people, I have a suggestion that may help you with this. I joined a Toastmaster’s club where I have the opportunity to speak in front of other club members who also wish to improve their public speaking abilities and overcome the jitters that come with it. There are hundreds of Toastmaster’s clubs across the country. It has opened my eyes to what I am capable of doing. So please, consider something like this to help you to prepare for your weddings and events.

  117. Ken Hollman

    Thank you for posting your script. It’s well thought out and written. It gives me food for thought as I write the script for the upcoming marriage of my granddaughter. I will be officiating and want this event to be very special.
    Ken

  118. Rebekah

    I LOVE this. Were going to tweak a few things, but this is absolutely the best scripting I’ve found! Thank you for sharing!

  119. Ooh, thank you for the post. I didn’t know if that exchanging of the rings precedes the wedding vows! I thought the rings are just to show signs but the vows are the commitments!

  120. Marisa

    This is fabulous ….I thank you for sharing ….this is what I want for my wedding and I plan to share it with the minister officiating it …I love the humor and it seemed as if it were written with my fiance and myself in mind

  121. Christy Parker

    Thank you, this will make it much easier step by step.

  122. Andy Cumbo

    I’m officiating my first formal wedding, and I found this page to be extremely helpful. Thank you SO much for the sample text and suggested order of service.

  123. SANDRA BURKS

    Thank you very helpful

  124. Dani

    Thank you so much for your efforts! I, used this as a rough copy for my brother’s wedding and just tweeked a few things to make it fit them. I really appreciate you putting this up!

  125. James Smith

    Thank you so very much I will be officiating my first wedding I will use it this is perfect God bless.

  126. Lydia

    This is my first time officiating. This is my brothers wedding. It is not the first for either. Can I say, I would like to introduce my brother (name) and sister in law Mr. & Mrs. (name)

  127. Rudy

    Thanks for sharing this script, Ryan. For the second time in a dozen years, I’ve been asked to be a younger friend’s officiant. I don’t recall what I said, or what script those friends, long ago, gave me. Today, it’s been left up to me to craft the script for my two friends. Reading this helped me a great deal. Many thanks!

  128. linda williams

    thank you so much was having a hard time trying to put together a wedding using there vows & sand knowing where to do what.this is my first marriage always did the wedding part a lot harder than I though ,again thank you!!!!

  129. Pat

    Ryan,
    Thanks for this. I’m officiating my first wedding in September, for my Niece and had no idea what to do. This will be a huge help.

  130. Jill

    Hup, thank you for sharing your script. This will be my second wedding, the first was very small and very short so I am a little nervous about the upcoming wedding as to it will be in front of several more people. I actually teared up a little reading over yours. Good job!

  131. Tonya Denise Lewis

    Thanks so much for the script! I was looking all over for a format, this also is my first wedding to officiate.

  132. Sarah Rosenberg

    This is such a great foundation and I can now start preparing my first speech! Thank you so much!

  133. rylee

    i just married a guy and a left hand

  134. michael schumaker

    thank you for the outline. I am officiating my first wedding this fall. Thanks for saving me much legwork. It’s really well done
    Pastor Michael

  135. Kimberly Keating

    Thank you for sharing. This is definitely going to help shape the first wedding I will be officiating this year.

  136. Maribel

    Thank so much not just for putting together but for to share publicly and allowed others to use it and make adjustments to make it our own. Just wanted to leave this humble note of thank you to you.

  137. Riley

    I’m writing a wedding into the book I’m doing and this was perfect! My characters are both non-religious and this was just the right thing I needed to base my own script off. Thankyou!!

  138. Dennis

    Very good general outline thanks

  139. Patricia Weeks

    thank you so much for this. I have done 3 wedding using this basic format and tweaking for each wedding. I have my 4th and 5th wedding coming up. I only became a minister to marry my son and daughter in law. family and friends keep asking me to do it now.

  140. Jeannette

    This is awesome! Thank you so much for posting – I am officiating my first wedding, well it is actually a Renewal of Vows ceremony for my son and daughter-in-law
    this is exactly what I needed to get my thoughts together!!

  141. Tiffany

    I am officiating my sister’s wedding next week and this was exactly what I needed to finalize the flow of the ceremony. Thank you for sharing!

  142. Ushelor Lowery

    I love this script it is simple and to the point as this is my first time officiating a wedding. This has really help me out a lot again thanks

  143. Marsha Crook

    Hup, thank you so much for sharing this ceremony. I am officiating for my grandson and this sweetheart this month and have been getting nervous about the whole ceremony. I am thankful that I was lead to this link today. Divine intervention.

  144. LAURIE

    Thank you! My first wedding I’m officiating and it gave me a basis to begin. Much gratitude!

  145. Minister Alvin Jackson

    Hey bro. This was real helpful. I did my first wedding last week. I used your script and added somethings. I truly appreciate this post.

  146. Ronita Giznsky

    Hello, I will be doing a wedding and have not a clue. I seen your script and would like to request permission to use it please. Thank you very much

  147. Jordyn

    This is so helpful, thank you so much for sharing!

  148. Gwen

    Thank you for this layout for first time officiants. I will be officiating my first wedding in April, 2019 and plan to use this outline.

  149. Don

    Officiated my son’s wedding Saturday. I used your foundation and added some of my own words and phrases. I want to say thankyou for your inspiration.
    It was perfect.

  150. sharon ann bell

    I have a “first” coming up in December. A niece. I know what and honor this is, but also a huge responsibility. Thank you for setting the framework…..it will be a big help.

  151. Ryan, just had to email you and tell you how much I appreciated your WEDDING CEREMONY SCRIPT FOR FIRST-TIME OFFICIANTS. I’m 83 years old, married to Marlene for 64 years, and we are born-again Christians. My 30-year old granddaughter asked me to officiate at her wedding on September 3, 2022 in Greeley, CO, and I explained that I am not a minister, but she countered that in Colorado that is not a requirement. She suggested I check the internet and her only request was that I somehow include some 1 Corinthians 13 scriptures verses, the Biblical LOVE chapter in the Holy Bible. My first try turned up the above script and I was so happy with your production and that you had taken the time to make it available. THANK YOU SO MUCH, my granddaughter and husband were very pleased with your script and it was a very successful wedding. I was honored to be asked and you made it a joy for everyone. I doubt that I will ever be asked again, but I do know the script I would use if called upon. You’re my hero.

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