Opening Words And Introduction 20
We are gathered here today to celebrate one of lifes greatest moments, the joining of two hearts.
In this ceremony today we will witness the joining of BRIDE and GROOM in marriage.
Today we have come together to witness the joining of these two lives.
For them, out of the routine of ordinary life, the extraordinary has happened.
They met each other, fell in love and are finalizing it with their wedding today.
Consult With The Couple
Before the wedding, you’ll need to meet with the couple to iron out the details of the ceremony. They may have special requests or certain aspects they’d like included/excluded. You can also tailor the ceremony to be in line with their specific religious preferences. If the wedding is being held at a special location, you should make a point to ask about travel arrangements.
Be advised, the couple may ask you to write a script for the wedding. This can be a difficult task, which is why we’ve created a simple tool to help our ministers: the Wedding Ceremony Script Generator.
In order to ensure the ceremony goes smoothly, it may also be a good idea to hold a rehearsal. This is often necessary for elaborate ceremonies that involve the participation of the guests. While rehearsal is not as important for smaller ceremonies, you should at least create a timeline and run through it with the couple beforehand. The excitement of a wedding makes it possible to overlook important details no matter how small the ceremony.
Opening Words And Introduction 13
We are gathered here in this beautiful place to join together this man, GROOM, and this woman, BRIDE, in marriage a state instituted in love, occasioned by joy.
Honored and renewed by each person who pledges themselves to each other.
It is therefore, not to be entered into lightly, or, unadvisedly. It is to be entered into with praise and delight for its inexpressible gifts.
Let us be honest enough with ourselves to know that there is no true marriage, except the inward bond of trust and love that dwells in the hearts of BRIDE and GROOM.
Only the two of you will know what marriage exists between you the outer forms are only signs and covers over the love of your hearts.
We wish that you will find together, a richness beyond the wealth of money a depth of soul that will make beautiful everything you do in life, both separately and together.
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Seating Of The Parents
Having the support and involvement of parents and grandparents in the ceremony brings a special blessing to the couple and also expresses honor to the previous generations of marriage unions.
The processional music begins with the seating of the honored guests:
- Seating of the Groom’s grandmother
- Seating of the Bride’s grandmother
- Seating of the Groom’s parents
- Seating of the Bride’s mother
Opening Words And Introduction 2
Good evening, welcome to this most important moment in the lives of this couple.
We invite you to leave behind the worries and concerns of every day life and join us in the celebration of their marriage.
This is an opportunity for us to share not only in the joy of BRIDE and GROOMs love but also to reaffirm and appreciate the love and the friendship we experience in our own lives.
May we all celebrate by being fully present during our short time together.
BRIDE and GROOM have chosen this setting in which to be married because it provides an appropriate backdrop for the public affirmation of their love.
BRIDE and GROOM view marriage as a coming together at all levels of being mind, body, and spirit.
A marital commitment includes the willingness to be open and vulnerable, and the courage to take risks.
To remain in marriage we must continually renew our will to be married.
They decide that they will face the fears that are a necessary part of establishing and nurturing an intimate relationship.
And you, BRIDE and GROOM have made the commitment to create and recreate this conscious partnership.
Those of us who are married or in relationships may take this moment to consciously reaffirm our commitment to our partners and ourselves.
It is a public and legal act to be sure.
It is also an emotional and spiritual act.
The spiritual aspect of marriage must be embraced openly, seriously, and completely for the marriage to endure.
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Why Would You Or A Friend Want To Officiate A Wedding
Not all people have a pastor, rabbi, imam or other religious leader in their life, especially one they would want to handle such a big event. Because the wedding officiant plays such an important role in communicating these aspects to the guests, many couples ask friends or family to do the honors, said Lewis King, director of communications at American Marriage Ministries. They want someone officiating who understands who they are, and who has a past and future with the couple.
My sister and her husband, Greer and Chris Spangler, were one such couple, and being one of the more religious members of their family, they asked me to officiate their wedding. Since he is family, the details of his homily matched perfectly with our personalities and values, Mrs. Spangler said. During stressful moments, it was reassuring to have someone we love and trust standing next to us. A stranger would not have been able to provide that same comfort.
Mr. King said it was important to note that L.G.B.T.Q. couples were at the forefront of this trend, since most mainstream churches discriminated against them in the past.
Back in the day, it wasnt uncommon for interracial couples to also be turned away, he said. Unfortunately, these attitudes are still around, and its sometimes hard for couples to find ministers that will accept them for who they are. Online ordination eliminates the potential for discrimination by removing the gatekeepers.
Protestant Wedding Script And Vows
Protestantism is the largest grouping of Christians in the United States with its combined denominations collectively comprising 141 million people.
Each Protestant group has its own ceremony. Some are more liberal than others and more open to non-traditional components. Many of its ceremonies can be traced back to the 16th century Church of England.
The Introductory Prayer
The Protestant wedding ceremony script begins with the officiant â known as the Celebrant in this case â faces the audience and offers the introduction that Hollywood has made so familiar:
Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by His presence and first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and His Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people.
The union of husband and wife is intended by God for their mutual joy for the help and comfort given each other in prosperity and adversity and, when it is Godâs will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.
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Opening Words And Introduction 29
Dear family and friends we have gathered here today to joyfully acknowledge the wedding of BRIDE and GROOM.
They have requested your presence on this memorable occasion in order that you might share with them the pledging of their everlasting love on this day of commitment. Let us pray in silence as we wish them all the happiness in their new life together.
Wedding Ceremony Template Generator
If you want to create something unique, use Wedding ceremony template generator. A template generator allows you to choose what you want for every stage of your wedding script.
Use the list of instructions below:
Although just one piece of a very special day, your wedding ceremony script is actually the most important one! They are the words that will unite you as a couple. So while you may use some suggestions and ceremony outlines available online and elsewhere, make sure that a part of the script is in your own words and reflect the love and commitment you are making to each other on this big day.
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Complete The Application Form
Attach additional pages if necessary.
PDF form issues
Fillable PDF forms do not open properly on some mobile devices and web browsers. To fill in and save the form:
Step 4. Gather supporting documents
Ensure you include with your application:
- a cover letter
Step 5. Send your application form
Email, mail, fax or courier your application and the supporting documents to Vital Statistics at:
Become An Ordained Minister Now
When looking for a ceremony, no need to reinvent the wheel, find something simple.
But you gotta pick one and please dont agonize. This should be the easiest part. I suggest picking one of my 7 favorites here:
Really the only important question you need to ask yourself at this stage is whether the couple wants religious or not. When in doubt, find a non-religious ceremony. But the couple will probably have strong feelings one way or the other. So just ask.
Once you pick a script, send it to the couple. They probably wont read it all and will probably be cool with almost anything you send them.
Once you get approval, its game on.
Things to avoid when picking a ceremony:
Youve picked the script. Now you have to
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How To Perform A Wedding Ceremony
Entitlement or authorization means that an individual is either entitled or authorized to perform the solemnization of marriage by the ordaining entity and the respective state.
What you will need to perform a wedding:
- Know the State Laws of where the marriage will be performed
- The couple may need to obtain a marriage license from the State or County
- Have the Marriage License & Wedding Certificate for the couple to sign
Each state has specific rules about who can solemnize weddings. If you are unsure visit our or contact the local county clerk where the wedding will take place and tell them you are a new Minister and would like to know if you need to register or follow any other procedures before performing a wedding within that state.
Review the for the state to confirm.
Need More Wedding Ceremony Help
Wow, that was a lot of information. I hope you arent feeling overwhelmed.
If you need more help and want to save time, check out my Wedding Sermon Bundle.
It includes five fully customizable wedding ceremony scripts and a Wedding Planning Sheet to help when you meet with the bride and groom to discuss their wedding.
Most importantly, it will help take the stress out of trying to figure out how to perform a wedding.
You dont have to recreate the wheel.
Did I miss anything? What questions do you still have? And if youve performed a wedding before, what other tips would you add?
This article originally appeared here.
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Check Your Local Laws
Specific requirements for performing a wedding vary from state to state, and sometimes even from county to county. Some places require additional documents in order to confirm your credentials as a member of the clergy. In order to determine if there are any specific requirements, you should contact the county clerk in the county where the wedding will take place and ask what they need to see from you. Any documentation you may need is available on our church supplies catalog.
Weddings performed by Universal Life Church ministers are generally recognized across the country. However, there are a few areas where our ministers sometimes experience problems. Just in case you’d like more info, we’ve published every state’s wedding laws on our site. You should make a point to check your local marriage laws.
Opening Words And Introduction 35
We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to recognize a bond that already exists.
This marriage is one expression of the many varieties of love. Love is one, though its expressions are infinite.
It is fitting to speak briefly about love.
We live in a world of joy and fear and search for meaning and strength in the seeming disorder.
We discover the truest guideline to our quest when we realize love in all its magnitudes.
Love is the eternal force of life.
Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage.
For the giving of our self in love is difficult, for you must learn to give of your love without total submission of yourself.
Therefore, in your giving, give your joy, your sadness, your interest, your understanding, your knowledge all expressions that make up life.
But in this giving, remember to preserve yourself your integrity, your individuality.
This is the challenge of love within marriage.
Although you will be sharing one life, never forget, you are two separate people.
Cherish and affirm your differences.
Love each other.
Keep your commitment primary.
Together you will laugh and cry, be sick and well, be happy and angry, share and grow.
Grow, sometimes together, sometimes separately.
But never remain stagnant. Love and life are always changing, always new.
If you will insure a healthy lasting marriage, always, always value each other.
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Practice Your Public Speaking
Before the ceremony rehearsal arrives, take time to practice reading through your script. Make notes about where to pause for effect and practice saying words that might get stuck on your tongue. This is a great way to get used to what you’ll be saying to minimize how emotional you may be on the wedding dayyou’ll be more familiar with the lines, so hopefully, you won’t get too choked up. Read through the script in front of a mirror to practice making eye contact with the couple and the audience. In addition, make sure the couple practices their lines and vows in advance, too.
