Ready-Made Wedding Ceremony Scripts

A formal, time-honored ceremony of about 20 minutes. Replace (Name) and (Name) with your names, and adjust any wording to fit your faith or family traditions.

Welcome

Officiant: Dear family and friends, we are gathered here today in the presence of those who love (Name) and (Name) to witness and celebrate their marriage. Marriage is a gift to be received with gratitude, entered into with care, and honored for a lifetime.

Reading

A reading chosen by the couple is shared here by a family member or friend.

Charge to the couple

Officiant: (Name) and (Name), marriage asks for patience in hard seasons, kindness in ordinary ones, and faithfulness through them all. Today you promise to be that kind of partner to each other, and these people have come to hold you to it with love.

Declaration of intent

Officiant: (Name), will you have (Name) to be your spouse, to live together in marriage? Will you love, comfort, honor and keep your spouse in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful for as long as you both shall live?

Each: I will.

Vows

Officiant: Please face one another and join hands.

Each: I, (Name), take you, (Name), to be my wedded spouse, 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, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

Exchange of rings

Officiant: These rings are an outward sign of an inward promise: a circle without beginning or end.

Each: (Name), I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness. With this ring, I marry you.

Pronouncement and closing

Officiant: (Name) and (Name) have promised themselves to each other before God, family and friends. By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss.

Officiant: May your home be filled with peace, and your days with gladness. Friends and family, it is my joy to present, for the first time, (Name) and (Name).

A relaxed, warm ceremony of about 15 minutes with a conversational voice. It keeps the essential moments and drops the formality.

Welcome

Officiant: Hi everyone, and welcome. Thank you for being here. Look around: every person in this space is here because of the love they have for (Name) or (Name), or both. That's what we're celebrating today.

Their story

Officiant: (Name) and (Name) met (how you met). Somewhere between (a shared memory) and (another memory), they figured out that they were better together. Today they make that official.

A few words about marriage

Officiant: Marriage isn't a finish line. It's a decision you make again on ordinary Tuesdays, when it's easy and when it isn't. The strongest couples aren't the ones who never struggle. They're the ones who keep choosing each other anyway.

Vows

Officiant: (Name) and (Name) have written their own promises. (Name), please begin.

Each: I choose you, today and every day after. I promise to listen well, laugh often, and tell the truth kindly. I promise to be your teammate when life is hard and your biggest fan when it's wonderful. I'm all in.

Rings

Officiant: May these rings remind you, every time you look down, of the people who stood here and the promises you made.

Each: Wear this ring as a sign of my love and my promise to you.

Pronouncement

Officiant: (Name) and (Name), you've told each other and everyone here what you intend. With great joy, I now pronounce you married. Go ahead and kiss!

Closing

Officiant: Everyone, please join me in celebrating the newly married (Name) and (Name).

A faith-centered ceremony of about 20 minutes that welcomes prayer and reflection without belonging to one denomination. Swap in the scripture, prayer and traditions of your own faith.

Welcome and opening prayer

Officiant: Friends and family, we gather in gratitude. Let us begin with a moment of prayer.

Officiant: Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of love. Be present with (Name) and (Name) today, and with all who have come to celebrate with them. Bless this ceremony and the life they begin together. Amen.

Scripture or sacred reading

A reading from your faith tradition is shared here. Many couples choose a passage about love, faithfulness or companionship.

Message

Officiant: Marriage is more than a promise between two people. For many, it is a calling to serve, to forgive, and to grow in love over a lifetime. (Name) and (Name), may you keep your marriage rooted in what you hold sacred.

Vows

Officiant: In the presence of God and these witnesses, please make your vows.

Each: I, (Name), take you, (Name), to be my spouse. I promise to love you faithfully, to honor and respect you, to forgive as I have been forgiven, and to walk with you in faith through every season of life, as long as we both shall live.

Rings

Officiant: May these rings be a sign of a covenant that is meant to last.

Each: I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you.

Blessing

Officiant: May God bless you and keep you. May peace go before you and love remain beside you. May your home be a place of welcome, and your marriage a source of strength to all you meet. Amen.

Officiant: By the authority entrusted to me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss.

A short, legally focused ceremony of about 8 minutes, ideal for a courthouse, small gathering or elopement. Requirements vary, so confirm the exact wording your officiant or local office requires.

Welcome

Officiant: We are gathered today to join (Name) and (Name) in marriage, a union founded on love, respect and mutual commitment.

Declaration of intent

Officiant: (Name), do you take (Name) to be your lawfully wedded spouse?

(Name): I do.

Officiant: (Name), do you take (Name) to be your lawfully wedded spouse?

(Name): I do.

Vows

Each: I, (Name), take you, (Name), to be my spouse. I promise to love you, support you, and be honest with you, in good times and in difficult times, from this day forward.

Rings

Each: I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment.

Pronouncement

Officiant: By the authority vested in me by the State of (State), I now pronounce you legally married. Congratulations!

A story-driven ceremony of about 25 minutes that weaves your own history, humor and people into every step. Fill the blanks with your details; the more specific, the better it will feel.

Welcome

Officiant: Thank you all for coming. Some of you traveled a long way, and (Name) and (Name) want you to know that being surrounded by you is the best part of today.

Their story

Officiant: They first met (where and when). (Name) knew something was different when (moment). (Name) knew for sure when (moment). Since then they have (milestones: moving in, adopting a dog, traveling, building a home).

What they love about each other

Officiant: Ask each of them what they love most, and the answers match. (Name) loves (Name)'s (quality), their (quality), and the way they (small habit). (Name) loves (Name)'s (quality) and how safe it feels to be completely themselves.

Involving loved ones

Officiant: Marriage is never only two people. Would the parents and grandparents of (Name) and (Name) please stand? Will you support this marriage with your love, your advice when it's asked for, and your patience when it isn't?

Family: We will.

Personal vows

Each: (Name), you are my favorite person. I promise (specific promise tied to your story), (a funny promise), and (a serious promise). I choose you as my partner for the rest of my life.

Rings and a ritual

Officiant: These rings carry more than metal. They carry (the story of the ring or token). With them, (Name) and (Name) will seal their promises. You may also include a ritual here, such as a unity candle, sand, or a handfasting.

Pronouncement and closing

Officiant: With love, and in front of the people who matter most, I now pronounce you married. Kiss your spouse!