Traditional Wedding Script

Introduction

Officiant: Welcome, to all of you who have gathered today to share in this ceremony with [Name] and [Name].

The words that will be spoken here today are significant, though they are not what join these two. Nor is it this ceremony. For we are not here to mark the start of a relationship but to recognize a bond that already exists. [Name] and [Name] have already joined themselves together, and we have gathered to bear witness to the love that has grown between them.

We are here to witness their statement of love and commitment. This is an act as ancient as the human race and, at the same time, as new as each morning. For it speaks of the past and hopes for the future, of the life of the individual and the existence of the community. Marriage is a going forth; a giving up of one way in search of a greater fulfillment than either can achieve alone, risking what they are for what they might be.

Declaration of Intentions

Officiant: [Name] and [Name], do you come with joy and anticipation to this moment when you will be legally joined in marriage? Do you pledge to treat each other with kindness, respect and compassion, to listen to each other and to speak to each other with honesty, today and always?

Response: We do.

Recognition of the Gathered Company

Officiant: Each of you has been invited here because you are a special person in the lives of [Name] and [Name]. You have come to celebrate with them and to witness their commitment to one another. Will you, their friends and family, do all in your power to support this couple now, and in the years ahead?

Response: We will.

Words to the Couple

Officiant: You have come to love each other deeply and sincerely. That love has given you the desire to unite in marriage and to establish a home together. In this ceremony you are dedicating yourselves to give happiness and well-being, each to the other. Your marriage is an act of trust. It must not be based on the vain hope of what the other will do or will not do, might become or might not become. It must be based on the firm belief in your own individual worth and that of the other. Your pledge today is an expression of your devotion. The words spoken in this ceremony will validate your marriage only if your love and commitment to one another are strong enough to sustain it. Today you announce your love for each other in the presence of families and friends. We rejoice with you and we wish you well.

Other words (Apache Wedding Blessing)

Officiant: May the sun bring you new energy by day;
May the moon softly restore you by night;
May the rain wash away your worries
And the breezes blow new strength into your being,
And all the days of your life may you walk gently through the world and know its beauty.

Now you can feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now there will be no more loneliness,
Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling to enter into the days of your life together,
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

Vows

Repeat after Officiant:

I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my spouse/partner/husband/wife; 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 the end of our days.

(Repeat)

Presentation of Rings

Officiant asks for and receives the rings saying:

The ring is the symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end. Love freely given has no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May your rings always call to mind the freedom and the power of this love!

[Name]: I give you this ring as a sign of my love and commitment.

[Name]: I accept this ring as a sign of your love and commitment.

(Repeat)

Pronouncement

Officiant: [Name] and [Name], inasmuch as you have pledged yourselves, each to the other, and inasmuch as you have declared the same in the presence of this company by exchanging vows and by giving and receiving rings, I do now pronounce you husband/wife/legally married/life partners/etc.

You may seal your covenant with a kiss.

Closing

With abiding confidence and deep affection,
We send you forth on life’s journey together.
May love and peace be yours always.
A peace which the world can neither give nor take away,
A love which the world cannot destroy.
May you have courage, wisdom and peace in your future years together.
And may the happiness you share today be with you always.

Ladies and Gentlemen: I present to you [Name] and [Name] as [husband/wife/married/life partners/legally married/etc].

Sample wedding scripts are based, in whole or in part, on a sample ceremonies from the Humanist Society and are used with permission.

17. [Name], I used to be afraid of falling in love, of giving my heart away.How could I trust a wo/man to love me, to give to me all that I wanted to give to him/her? When I met you, I realized how much we could share together.Today I join my life with yours.Our miracle, today, lies in the path we have chosen together. I enter this marriage with you knowing that the true magic of love is not to avoid changes, but to navigate them successfully. Let us commit to the miracle of making each day work together. Respecting each other, we commit to live our lives together for all days to come. I ask you to share this world with me, for good and for ill. Be my partner and I will be yours.

8. [Name], In you I have found a friend, a lover, A companion on life’s path. You have become the single most important person in my life. With you I have experienced more happiness, more love and more freedom than I’ve ever known. To you I give my strength and my weakness My beliefs, courage and my fears To you I give my past and my future, My hopes and my dreams.[Name], I promise to accept you without conditions, To love and cherish you, not only for this hour, but for all that may follow. I love you.As I stand before you now, I pledge that these are my solemn intentions.

2. I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my [spouse], to love you, to cherish you, to help you and honor you, to give you comfort and understanding in whatever the future may bring, in confidence that together we are responsible for our destiny.

3. Today, I join my life to yours. From this day on, I will be your partner and companion, for you are my dearest love and my best friend. I look forward to the joy we will find in each other’s separate successes, as well as our shared ones, and welcome the challenge of whatever obstacles we encounter, for I know that whatever we face, we face it together. Because your happiness is vital to me, I will help you to grow as an individual. I will also strive to be more fully myself because you deserve no less than the best of me. I pledge that I will listen to you when you speak encourage you in times of doubt, comfort you in times of sorrow, and be a refuge of strength for you in times of uncertainty. I will be faithful to you all of my days, will always be honest with you, and will cherish and adore you every moment of my life. This is my solemn vow.

4. I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be no other than yourself loving what I know of you trusting what I do not yet know with respect for your integrity and faith in your love for me through all our years and in all that life may bring us.

5. I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my [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, till death do us part. With my whole heart and with my earnest and complete devotion I give you my love.

6. I, [Name], do take you, [Name], To be the [spouse] of my days The friend of my life We shall bear together Whatever trouble and sorrow Life may lay upon us. And we shall share together All the good and joyful things Life may bring us With these words, I marry you And bind my life to yours.

7. I, [Name], promise before family and friends, to commit my love to you, [Name], I promise to speak truthfully and lovingly to you, to respect your individuality and encourage your fulfillment, to compassionately support you through good times and bad, and to do all that I can to nurture and strengthen the love between us, through all of life’s changes.

9. I, [Name], take you, [Name], exactly as you are, to be my [spouse] and my best friend. I love what I know of you. I trust what I do not yet know. I respect you and have faith in your love for me through all our years and in all that life may bring us. I offer you this ring as an emblem of my love.

16. From this day forward, I pledge to live each day with your happiness as my guiding thought.I will listen to your words, your actions, and your thoughts as though they were my own because they are as much a part of me as they are you.I pledge my unwavering trust and devotion no matter what the circumstance. I will support and encourage your dreams, because your dreams are my dreams.I will open my heart, mind and soul to you, so that I may be ever worthy of the selfless love you give. From this day forward, my life is yours.

10. Today, [Name], I accept you for who you are: the wo/man I love. For the honor of your hand in marriage, I vow to be your partner in life, to make you smile when you are sad, to lift you when you are down, to rejoice and share in both your trials and successes. Your path will be my path and I promise to walk not behind or in front, but next to you, together, to face whatever is before us. I vow to remain the man that you love. This ring is a promise that I will love you in all times, all places, in all ways, forever.[Name], I take you to be my lawful wedded [spouse] on this day and everyday hereafter. I will stand by your side at every crossroads to be your shoulder to lean on, your ear to talk to and the mirror for your smile when you are doubled-over laughing. I vow to be a part of the endless love that we see for each other. I will be there for every adversary you face and every joy you experience. This ring is a promise that I will love you in all times, all places, in all ways, forever.

11. [Name], today I take you to be no other than who you are, the wo/man I fell in love with, and now you give me the honor of being able to call you my [spouse].For that honor I promise to always be there to love you and make you smile, or to comfort and protect you.And I promise, that no matter what lies in our path it will be our path, and I will stay the man you fell in love with.I give you this ring as a token that I shall love you, in all times, in all places, and in all ways, forever.

12. [Name], today I choose to make a deeper commitment to you.It is my way of telling you that our experiences together have been so good that I want them to continue for the rest of my life.I loved you before the ceremony and I love you more because of it. You are everything I ever hoped to find in a partner.I want to spend the rest of my life with you.I give you this ring as a token that I shall love you, in all times, in all places, and in all ways, forever.

13. Spouse 1: Today, I join my life to yours. From this day on, I will be your partner and companion, for you are my dearest love and my best friend.Spouse 2: I look forward to the joy we will find in each other’s separate successes, as well as our shared ones, and welcome the challenge of whatever obstacles we encounter, for I know that whatever we face, we face it together.Spouse 1: Because your happiness is vital to me, I will help you to grow as an individual. I will also strive to be more fully myself because you deserve no less than the best of me.Spouse 2: I pledge that I will listen to you when you speak, encourage you in times of doubt, comfort you in times of sorrow, and be a refuge of strength for you in times of uncertainty.Spouse 1: I will be faithful to you all of my days, will always be honest with you, and will cherish and adore you every moment of my life.Both: This is my solemn vow.

14. Before our family and friends, without reservation of any kind I say to you, [Name], I love you. I need you. I promise to unfailingly share and support your hopes and dreams and goals. I will be there for you always; when you falter I will catch you; when you are sad I will comfort you; when you laugh I will share your joy. I will grow old with you by my side. You are the joy in my life and the love in my heart. I commit myself to you today and for always. I promise to be faithful and true to you for the rest of my life.

15. Today is a culmination and a beginning. It is the ceremonial confirmation of what my heart already knows: That you are my one true love, my best friend, and the person I was meant to share my life with. Together we have only begun to experience what love truly means. Together we have only begun to live up to the ideal that is a life filled with love. In you I find my smile, my laugh, and my contentment. In you I find a caring heart and compassionate mind. In you I find trust and togetherness. In you I find a daily reminder of all that makes me feel alive. With you by my side, my life unfolds before me in a panorama of happy days and contented nights.

1. I, [Name], promise you, [Name], that I will be your [spouse] from this day forward, to be faithful and honest in every way, to honor the faith and trust you place in me, to love and respect you in your successes and in your failures, to make you laugh and to be there when you cry, to care for you in sickness and in health, to softly kiss you when you are hurting, and to be your companion and your friend, on this journey that we make together.