Write Your Own Ceremony with Wedwordy
Newly engaged and head over heels in love, you dream of a wedding day that is memorable and meaningful, a celebration of love and togetherness. In your wedding ceremony script, beyond “I do”, you want every word to be just as meaningful, a personal expression of your loving relationship, witnessed by your family and friends. Let’s be frank, there’s a lot riding on the ceremony words! So how does one even begin this momentous endeavor? Where does one start?
Introducing Wedwordy, the only Web application for composing a wedding ceremony script from the professional to the pronouncement. It was developed from over 1500 ceremonies performed by husband-and-wife ordained ministers and co-founders of Tan Weddings & Events and Wedwordy, Rick and Jennifer Tan, our guest writers.
When Rick and Jennifer married 24 years ago, they knew that their ceremony, to be authentic and meaningful to them, must place love and friendship at the core, while honoring their families, cultural backgrounds, and respective beliefs. As ordained ministers, the Tans wanted couples to have the same sense of freedom in creating their ceremony.
Wedwordy offers you what you need in one app. Open a private account, make a secure payment ($9.99 - half of the price of a boutonniere!), fill out profile info, and begin composing a ceremony draft! Eight templates such as Christian, Secular, Spiritual, or Custom help get you started.
ceremony scripts you'll want to use
When you have finished editing your Wedwordy draft, you can then save it and share it as your personalized, formatted, and completed wedding ceremony script, ready for your wedding day. And if you are having a friend or family member officiate, Wedwordy is an excellent resource to help them create a professionally-written wedding script. See a few example scripts below.
Ceremony Script Example One
Greeting
Welcome all to this glorious day - the wedding day of Carly and Brenda! My name is Reverend Jennifer Tan.
Just as we are here to witness this couple enter into an everlasting commitment, we are here as well to participate in the celebration of togetherness. On behalf of Carly and Brenda, I thank you for your joyful presence here this day.
You may all be seated.
Reflection | Giving and Receiving Love
Carly and Brenda, love is a gift that we must value above all else, and between partners entering into the union of marriage, love is paramount.
The gift of love is delicate and powerful, and therefore, when given, it is done with thoughtfulness and purpose. Giving love in marriage is a lifelong endeavor, so be prepared for the responsibility of nurturing your partner’s soul.
Like the circle of life itself, love given is made complete by love received. The gift of love is powerful and delicate, therefore, when received, it must be handled with trust and respect. Receiving love is a lifelong practice, so be prepared to experience the growth, happiness, and delight that comes of it.
Carly and Brenda, giving and receiving love is a task for the both of you to balance equally as a couple. Let love be the best gift, the most precious and priceless gift, the both of you will share with kindness, generosity, compassion, and trust.
Declaration of Intent
Carly and Brenda, I ask you now to please declare your intent to marry, responding with “I DO” at the end of the question.
Carly, do you receive Brenda with all your heart and intend let love grow and flourish in your married life together? Response: I DO!
Brenda, do you receive Carly with all your heart and intend let love grow and flourish in your married life together? Response: I DO!
Exchange of Vows
Carly and Brenda, marriage is an agreement to live heart to heart, body to body, mind to mind, and soul to soul. In this regard, marriage is a true spiritual practice of willful giving and receiving, and your vows shared now are an outward sign of your inward commitment to one another. Please respond together with “I WILL” to each question.
Carly and Brenda, will you love your partner completely and immeasurably with all your heart? Response: I WILL!
Will you nurture your partner with vigilance and uncompromising tenderness for their well being? Response: I WILL!
Will you affirm your partner’s creativity with constant advocacy towards fulfillment of their hopes and dreams? Response: I WILL!
Will you cherish always your partner’s spirit to live this life with compassion and purpose? Response: I WILL!
Giving of Rings
May I have the rings please?
As you wear these rings, whether you are together or apart for even just a moment, may these rings be a constant reminder of the promises you are making to one another this day.
Carly, as you place the ring on Brenda’s finger, please repeat after me: On this day / I join my life with yours / I offer you my heart / my hand, and my love. / Please accept this ring / as a symbol of my devotion to you.
Brenda, as you place the ring on Carly's finger, please repeat after me: On this day / I join my life with yours / I offer you my heart / my hand, and my love. / Please accept this ring / as a symbol of my devotion to you.
Poems & Readings | Old Irish Blessing
May the blessing of light be with you always,
And may the sun shine upon you and warm your heart Until it glows like a great fire so that others may feel The warmth of your love for one another.
Officiant’s Charge
Carly and Brenda, as we conclude this ceremony, I’d like to offer you both some insightful thoughts from a passage written by James Freeman called “Blessings for a Marriage”.
May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you embrace one another, but not contain one another.
May you succeed in all-important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces. May you look for things to praise, often say, “I love you!” and take no notice of small faults.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.
Pronouncement
Carly and Brenda, may the love you share guide you always in your days together. A new journey for you both begins now.
In fulfillment of my honor as your humble celebrant, I pronounce you as partners in life!
Congratulations, you may share a kiss!
Dear guests, I present to you the newlyweds, Carly and Brenda Jensen-Webber!
Ceremony Script Example TWO
Greeting
We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite Matt and Ana in Holy Matrimony. Your presence here this day affirms this sacred bond, and it is with Divine Grace that we gather as one family of the Lord to bless Matt and Ana on this day their wedding day!
You may all be seated.
When We First Met
Matt and Ana had attended the same high school, though their separate circle of friends and different interests had kept them too preoccupied to even notice each other. Fast forward ten years, and the couple connected on FaceBook! They discovered how effortless their conversations, discovering common interests and values. They dated soon thereafter and fell in love.
Their relationship, from the beginning, is enriched by mutual respect and admiration. Matt appreciates Ana’s determination and compassion. Ana adores Matt’s thoughtfulness and tenderness. They are loyal partners, encouraging each other, lifting each other up, and being present always to lean on.
Matt and Ana are best friends, enjoying each other's sense of humor, and spending time with one another, whether going on road trips or staying in and binging on favorite TV shows.
The couple looks forward to married life, being together and building a family. With that, I'd like to offer you a few words about selfless love to reflect on.
Reflection | Selfless Love
Matt and Ana, in the sanctity of marriage, true love is true selflessness, when one gives of him or herself fully. We give of ourselves in ways both large and small, yet every gesture of love must be meaningful and shared without expectation, totally unconditional.
We could turn to Jesus, who is the enduring example of selfless love; his life was his gift to us. In his final moments as a physical being on earth, he gave completely, and in terms we can understand, he was saying, “I love you.”
A partnership in Holy Matrimony is held to the most sacred and divine of human relationships. It represents a commitment of mutual consent, intimate grace, and humble willingness to serve. It is a union blessed by God, and nurtured by our own human desire to be selfless.
Declaration of Intent
Matt and Ana, I will now ask you to declare your intent to marry. Please respond together with “WE DO” at the end of the question.
Matt and Ana, do you present yourselves willingly to each other, do you hold yourselves true to the promises you share, and do you take responsibility for each other’s happiness every day in your life together?
Respond together: WE DO!
Exchange of Vows
The couple will now be exchanging their marriage vows. Matt and Ana, I would like to remind you that these vows represent a covenant that will guide you in your days together. So speak from your hearts.
Matt, please repeat after me.
I, Matt, take you Ana, to be my wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my one and only love. I promise my faith and trust in you And cherish you always.
Ana, please repeat after me.
I, Ana, take you Matt, to be my wedded husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my one and only love. I promise my faith and trust in you And cherish you always.
Giving of Rings
May I have the rings please?
Lord, bless these rings that Matt and Ana are bestowing upon each other. May these rings be the beacon of the covenant of Holy Matrimony. Lord, let your love fashion these rings to be the constant and infinite example of selflessness and courage for Matt and Ana. Let your spirit guide the hands and hearts of this couple in the promise of abiding love. Amen.
Matt, take this ring, and repeat after me: Ana, I give you this ring / as a symbol of my love and devotion to you.
Ana, take this ring and repeat after me: Matt, I give you this ring / as a symbol of my love and devotion to you.
Lighting of the Unity Candle
Matt and Ana, the individual candles represent your individual lives before today. Now please take your candle and together, light the center candle. This one candle represents your two lives joined into one life, a single flame shining brightly, a beacon of shared hopes, dreams, and love.
Prayer
Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, our hearts are filled with great happiness on Matt and Ana’s wedding day, as they come before You pledging their hearts and lives to one another. Help them to remember to be each other's helpmate, best friend and guide, so that together they may meet the cares and problems of life more bravely. May the home they are creating today truly be a place of love and harmony, where Your Spirit is always present.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Bedrock and Journey
Matt and Ana, today signifies the creation of a new home for you both. Marriage is a journey – a time of adventure and excitement enhanced by the love, trust, dedication and faith you share in one another.
May you be fulfilled by each other’s love and friendship. Be constantly grateful for the presence of this precious person who has chosen to make a life with you. Make each other the recipient of daily kindness that makes your marriage and your home an uplifting refuge. Make truth the unfailing bedrock of your lives together.
May the promises you have made to one another today be lived out to the end of your lives. Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys, and today is the day it all begins.
Pronouncement
Matt and Ana, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Holy Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, the joining of your hands and the giving of these rings, I now declare you to be Husband and Wife.
Congratulations, you may kiss your bride! Dear family and friends, it is my privilege to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Bradley!
TOP 10 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE WRITING YOUR SCRIPT
1. How do you define your relationship? Discuss with each other what you both value as a couple. When assembling your Wedwordy draft, choose readings, reflections, and wording that reflect your personalities and your ideals about married life.
2. Where are you in the spectrum of traditional to contemporary? Wedwordy gives you the opportunity to choose passages that lean towards traditional such as the reading from Corinthians “Love is patient and kind…” or to contemporary such as the Key to Love “The key to love is respect…” and to mix-and-match to give your script just the right flavor!
3. Is your faith central to your beliefs in guiding your marriage? Wedwordy templates such as Christian or Catholic give you a starting point that honors your faith, or choose the Secular or Custom templates to reflect your personal beliefs as a couple.
4. Is your cultural background important for you to honor? There are unity rituals that are cultural-based in Wedwordy, such as the ritual of the veil and cord. Add them to your script if it resonates with you.
5. Are there any family expectations you feel need to be met? Often, couples find it a challenge to create a ceremony that reflects them and honors family at the same time! With Wedwordy, since you are able to select/edit a range of passages, you can harmonize wording that appeases and appeals to invested family!
6. How comfortable are you in being the center of attention? Wedwordy gives you an estimate of the length of the ceremony and allows you to choose elements where you have more to say, or less to say, depending on your comfort level.
7. Would you like to share your story or written personal vows? In Wedwordy, add the element “Story | Admiration” to allow your officiant to write a narrative about how you met and fell in love! You’ll also find wording in the Exchange of Vows where you can share written vows.
8. Will you have friends/family participate in the wedding ceremony? In Wedwordy, there is an interactive “Shout Out” that allows your guests to offer their support with an “I will!”. Or honor a family member or friend by having them do a reading or blessing, in the app or imported from an outside source.
9. Will you translate the words, or some of the words, to another language? If you will be translating your script, or portions of the script, to another language for your officiant, keep in mind how that will flow in your ceremony, and how that might adjust the length of the ceremony as well.
10. What do you want your gathered guests to remember most about your ceremony?Lastly, this is a good question to consider. This may help shape the flow of your wedding ceremony script. Consider what the highlights of the ceremony will be – a reading, your personal vows, a unity ritual, and consider the overall mood – light, traditional, fun.
With the frenzy of wedding preparations, it’s comforting to know that the most important piece of the day - your wedding ceremony script - is going to be awesome. Compose love with Wed w ordy, your wedding ceremony script app!
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About the authors: Rick and Jennifer Tan are husband-and-wife ordained minister duo and co-founders of Tan Weddings & Events and Wedwordy.