Non-Traditional Wedding Ceremony Script

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~12 Minute Ceremony

Traditions can be powerful, but they aren’t a requirement on one’s wedding day. Couples often look for ways to make their nuptials memorable and unique to their story, and maybe that means removing traditions – or even starting new ones. Sometimes a tradition ceases to serve its original purpose. Sometimes a couple simply decides that they don’t align with what a given wedding tradition represents.

Crafting a non-traditional wedding ceremony can help modify the event to reflect the couple’s own beliefs, values, and personalities. As an officiant, you may be responsible for developing a non-traditional wedding ceremony script that incorporates new rituals or elements that hold special meaning for the “nearlyweds.”

This page will explain how to develop a personalized script that represents the couple authentically, and includes a sample non-traditional wedding script to show an example of what this can look like.

What Makes a Wedding Script Non-Traditional?

Non-traditional wedding ceremony scripts will often deviate from traditional ones in these aspects:

Vows: Often these are personalized and written by the couple themselves.
Rituals: You can go with cultural traditions, symbolic acts, unique elements, or a combination of all three, according to the couple’s vision.
Structure: A non-traditional wedding script can have a flexible structure, incorporating unusual readings, music, or performances, or even changing up the traditional order or flow.
Religious elements: Such a ceremony can also introduce unique religious elements in a way that deviates from customs – or leaves them out altogether.

Creating a Non-Traditional Wedding Officiant Script

Here are some things to remember as you work with a couple to craft and develop the script for their unique nuptials:

Focus on the core message: Create a script that celebrates the couple’s authentic selves. That spirit should shine through in every part of the ceremony.
Develop a clear flow: Make sure that the script has a clear sequence of the events, especially the sections that ensure the marriage is considered legal (the declaration of intent and the pronouncement).
Maintain a collaborative spirit: Throughout the process, talk regularly with the couple making sure that you’re all on the same page. If the couple is also working with a wedding planner, be sure to communicate regularly about the ceremony.
Set the right tone: Be intentional about language and elements that will create the right mood for this important chapter in the couple’s love story.

A non-traditional wedding ceremony is the ideal opportunity to let a couple’s personalities and values shine. Encourage creativity, authenticity, and fun. Consider the following sample script as a guide:

Introduction/Welcome

OFFICIANT (to everyone after the couple is in place to start the wedding):

Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we gather here today in the beautiful surroundings of ____________ (location) under the grace of this splendid day, to witness and celebrate the union of ____________ and ____________ in marriage.

We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to acknowledge and strengthen a bond that already exists. This ceremony is a public affirmation of that bond. As their dearest family and friends, it is our honor and privilege to stand witness to this event. ____________ and ____________, this day is made possible not only because of your love for each other but through the grace and support of your family and friends. It is a testament to the powerful partnership you’ve built, fortified by the support of those present here today.

We’ll begin with a reading.

Reading

OFFICIANT OR FAMILY MEMBER/FRIEND (to guests):

“People are like cities: We all have alleys and gardens and secret rooftops and places where daisies sprout between the sidewalk cracks, but most of the time all we let each other see is a postcard glimpse of a skyline or a polished square. Love lets you find those hidden places in another person, even the ones they didn’t know were there, even the ones they wouldn’t have thought to call beautiful themselves.”

-”Wild Awake” by Hilary T. Smith

Declaration of Intent

OFFICIANT (to couple):

[Partner 1] and [Partner 2], today marks a momentous step in your journey. You arrived here as individuals but will move forward as one. Do you both wish to enter into this marriage, offering your unwavering love and commitment through all of life’s successes and challenges?

Partner 1:

I do.

Partner 2:

I do.

Vow Exchange

OFFICIANT (to Partner 1):

[Partner 1] and [Partner 2], please turn towards each other and take each other’s hands. Do you vow to cherish and support each other as lifelong partners and equals, leading your union with love, laughter, and mutual respect?

Couple (to officiant):

Yes, we do.

Ring Exchange

OFFICIANT (to couple):

Although a kiss traditionally seals your love, today you will also solidify your commitment through the exchange of rings. The unending circles of these rings represent the unbreakable, perpetual nature of true love. May they forever remind you of the happiness you feel today, and the commitment you’ve made. Please, place the rings on each other's fingers.

(The couple exchanges rings. Alternatively, the couple may choose to include another symbolic ritual – such as lighting a unity candle, or doing a handfasting. Any non-traditional element chosen can serve either in addition to the ring exchange, or in place of it).

Pronouncement

OFFICIANT (to couple):

[Partner 1] and [Partner 2], it has been a privilege to share in your path to this moment and to witness your commitment to each other. Today, you have pledged yourselves to each other as lifelong partners, promising fidelity and unwavering support through all of life's seasons. By the authority granted to me by the Universal Life Church, I am honored to pronounce you married. You may now seal your vows with a kiss!