Wedding Welcome Speech Examples

Traditional welcome: journey theme

We gather today in celebration of (Bride and Groom)’s love for each other. Through this ceremony, we rejoice with them as they are about to embark on an exciting journey. We know that God will be their guide, his presence their light, and his word their compass. Those of us who know the early days of (Bride and Groom)’s relationship, will recall, with them, the preparation that has been made for this voyage: the love that formed the sails, the patience that charted their course, and the gentleness that preserved their vessel. We, who are gathered, bid each of them farewell, and quickly step to the other shore to greet them as sojourners.

Faith-based welcome: celebration and blessing

Best for couples who want a warm, spiritual opening that emphasizes gratitude, celebration, and shared joy.

Today is a day of celebration. As Jordan and Chris have expressed, welcome to our wedding.

Jordan and Chris have made the feast ready and we have been made welcome. The flowers are in bloom, the table spread, the candles lit. Let us rejoice together, for today two hearts are made glad and God’s grace is upon us.

Warm welcome: inclusive and reflective

Best for ceremonies that invite guests to join in offering a shared blessing and support.

The love of God is good, and his favor is upon us. The light that shines from the east reminds us of a new day, and the breeze from the south, that there will be creation again. When the western sky tells us that a time of rest has come, love will be our cocoon, and in the chill of the north, the glow of commitment will warm us.

As an expression of the blessing that you would bestow upon this day, would the congregation please respond with the words printed in your bulletin.

Bride and Groom: Welcome to our wedding!

Leader: (Bride and Groom), we have gathered to accompany you to the gates of your journey.

Congregation: May you enter through these gates with joy, and tread paths of delight.

Leader: (Bride and Groom), we have gathered to rejoice with you.

Congregation: May the voice of your celebration be clear, and resound throughout your life together.

Leader: (Bride and Groom), we have gathered to offer our support.

Congregation: May our prayers go before you, our presence be felt by you, and our help be near.

Formal welcome: sacred union

We have gathered together to celebrate with (Bride and Groom) the marriage into which they are about to enter.

Throughout time, marriage has been recognized as a natural relationship. It has been solemnized by the observances of ritual and by the gathering of family and friends to proclaim their blessings. Women and men of holy designation have consecrated these unions and announced the favor of God.

Marriage, therefore, is to be entered into with deliberation and reverence. The celebration in which we join today, is the outward symbol of an inward relationship, recognized by God, by society, and by law. While it is recognized, it is made real and living only within the lives of those who share it.

We are privileged today because we, who gather here, are celebrants and witnesses to the sacred union that (Bride and Groom) desire to enter.

To the bride and groom:

(Bride and Groom) you have freely decided to commit yourselves to each other.

Your commitment means that you will work together to continue your relationship and, by so doing, intertwine your lives bringing you even closer to each other.

In the presence of these witnesses you will give your word to that commitment, confirming your intention and determination to strengthen and cherish the relationship you are building together.

Formal welcome: covenant of marriage

Today we have come together to witness the covenant of (Bride and Groom) in marriage. This is a state which embodies all the warmth and precious values which grow from love and human companionship.

It changes the lives of two people in a permanent way. It is not, therefore, entered into lightly or carelessly, but wisely, thoughtfully, and in the knowledge that love, and its expressions, are the highest form of human achievement. With this in mind, (Bride and Groom) now come to be recognized as husband and wife.

This celebration is an outward ceremony signifying an inward union of hearts and minds. (Bride and Groom), it is a union which you create through your loving purpose and which you will keep by your enduring fidelity to each other. It is blessed by the congregation and legalized by the state. Neither congregation nor state, however, can truly bring about this union of minds and hearts.

Simple welcome: short and celebratory

Welcome to this day of celebration! It is a day to celebrate love, to celebrate life, and to celebrate the union of these two people before us.

Simple welcome: ceremony opening

We have come together in this place to share the joys and hopes of (Bride and Groom) who will live from now on as husband and wife. They have come here to pledge their vows of marriage, one to the other.

Warm welcome: shared celebration

Dear friends, you and I are privileged to share with (Bride and Groom) in their celebration of one of the most significant and memorable moments of their lives.

The marriage between them is not created by you or by me. (Bride and Groom) create it through the mutual love and commitment that they already share.

Today, in the presence of us all, they will simply put to words, the commitment that has been born out of their love.

It is good that you, who are of special significance to (Bride and Groom), should be present to rejoice with them today. Let us now hear (Bride and Groom) pronounce their vows. Let us listen to their hopes and plans. As we extend our good wishes, may we be reminded of the love and commitments that are part of our own lives.

Supportive welcome: commitment and growth

(Bride and Groom), you have invited us to be with you today as witnesses to the happiness you have found together, and to confirm the pledge which will publicly express your commitment each to the other. We gather with you, indicating that we support the decisions that you have made, and that we will continue to stand by you.

This ceremony, in truth, marks neither a beginning nor an end in your relationship. Rather it is a step in a continuing process of change and growth.

As you go forward together, we pray that your marriage will remain as a source of strength, and that you will gain new insights from each other.

When you make mistakes, when there are times of tension and conflict, we pray that these will be openly acknowledged and faced. Our hope for you is that joy will be yours to share, and that you will find new meaning and richness in your life together.

Poetic welcome: love and wonder

Is the beauty of today in the bride dressed in splendor, or in the sparkle in her eyes?

Is the joy of today in the stature of the groom, or in the passion of his heart?

Is the fragrance of today in the flowers around the room, or in the bouquet the guests comprise?

Is the music of today in the pipes and flutes and strings, or in the symphony created by two in love?

Today is magic, and all that is before us only tokens of that which (Bride and Groom) feel for each other.

May we, who are guests, look with delight upon what is before us and give expressions of gladness that can be mingled with those of (Bride and Groom).

Poetic welcome: the mystery of love

What brings two people together? Can it be discovered by research, study, or observation?

It is a wonderful mystery that cannot be tarnished by tampering. We can ponder how we come to meet that one who, from thousands, becomes precious.

Alas, we cannot create the substance of the jewel. It is from a world that we can enjoy, but not possess, for we are love’s possession.

Therefore, let us rejoice! Today we participate in a miracle. Two people have found each other and love has created a precious gem.

The brilliance of the stone can best be seen by (Bride and Groom), and so it is, through their eyes, that we share these moments today.

Spiritually based welcome: love as a gift

Is the celebration that we are about to enter made possible by a plan or accident of the divine? Out of thousands, have two people just stumbled upon one another?

Whatever you believe to be true makes no difference, for that which is about to take place is only possible because of the capacity that has been placed within us by our Creator.

Love cannot be manufactured, sought out, or insisted upon. It is a gift and can only be given. If it is rejected, the gift has not gone away.

(Bride and Groom) have received that gift from each other and today we are here to bear witness to its fruit. May we celebrate with full hearts the joy of this day and all that is before us.

Personal welcome: guest commitment and support

Welcome! We are happy that you have come to join (Bride and Groom) to celebrate this day. Today marks an entrance, the introduction of a new book, the telling of a new story.

We are not here by accident, or simply because we are family. It is because of the relationship that we have developed with (Bride) and (Groom). We have given ourselves to them, and now our attachment calls us to express some of what we feel.

By our presence we acknowledge our support for the love that (Bride and Groom) feel, and for the decision that they have made to live together as husband and wife.

As (Bride and Groom) make commitments, so too, we acknowledge our pledge. We commit ourselves to support (Bride and Groom) in their new relationship, to rejoice in their love for each other, to be with them in times of trouble, and to pray for them that they grow together.

As we begin the pleasures of the day, may their union, and our presence, be pleasing in God’s sight. Welcome to our wedding!

Personal welcome: guest appreciation and reflection

To all who have traveled, whether from down the street or across the land, (Bride and Groom) greet you.

Thank you for choosing to arrange your time so that you could share in this day.

(Bride and Groom) hope that you will be able to experience even a small part of the joy that they feel.

As we proceed into the marriage ceremony for (Bride and Groom), may your own relationships become richer as you call to remember those times of special significance in your lives.

Personal welcome: love and lifelong journey

We are here today because we know (Bride and Groom), and want to participate in the celebration of their love for each other.

This is a good thing to do, for we are witnesses to a relationship that will grow and bear fruit.

Together (Bride and Groom) will come to share with each other in all joy, strengthen each other in all adversity, help each other in all toil, hear each other in all pain, and rejoice with each other in all memories.

As they grow old together, life’s joys and sorrows will become golden threads that bind their relationship, forming a unique and priceless tapestry, a treasure beyond the grasp of anyone save (Bride and Groom).