Ceremony Examples
Here are examples of some of the Choose Your Own Adventure ceremonies I have done for couples I have married. Prior to the day of the wedding, the couple received a copy of the ceremony, including any script notes on the procession, the exchange of rings, and other directions.
My ceremonies include original content as well as adapted pieces that are in the public domain or whose authors have provided their material to the public for use in weddings. I also have written very customized ceremonies for couples that includes personalized information about the couple. I do not publish those on my website to respect their privacy, but can email amended samples to those who are interested in that type of ceremony.
I also perform more traditional and spiritual ceremonies, including ones that include classic text from Christianity, Judaism or Buddhism and can provide examples of sources. For my couples who are looking for something off-beat, I can use pop-culture references to create a ceremony and vows that satisfy all of your your inner-nerd needs (I recently wrote a ceremony that quoted from The Wedding Crashers AND The Love Boat). Anything can be customized.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Inspirational Ceremony Example with Sand Ceremony
Tracy’s Note: The introduction and address for this specific ceremony is short because we included a sand ceremony. The couple was seeking a non-denominational ceremony which is why God is included as part of this ceremony. I read these vows as the officiant and the bride and groom said ‘I Do’ (actually, this groom said “Absolutely!’). This ceremony is very popular with couples joining families.
Introduction and Address
Welcome! A wedding is such a wonderful occasion, filled with hopes, dreams, and excitement. We have come here today, in the presence of God, to celebrate and support the choice of XXX and YYY to join in marriage.
Love is a miraculous gift, and a wedding is a celebration of that magic, and that’s why we are here today—to share in that magic.
Marriage is also a place of freedom. Freedom to fully express who you are, knowing that you have someone there to catch you when you fall, encourage you when you are discouraged, and applaud your successes.
May the life you choose to share, lavishly fulfill each of you, inspiring you to give abundantly to the rest of the world. May the promises you make here today, reflect the love and sincerity of your truest intention for this union. When life is peaceful and when it is painful, may you continuously be reminded of the beauty and deepest intention of the vows you make here.
Sand Ceremony
Today, XXX and YYY have chosen to commemorate their marriage through the celebration of the sand ceremony. This ceremony symbolizes the inseparable union of XXX and YYY into a new and eternal marital relationship.
XXX and YYY, your relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand.
One, representing you, XXX and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be. XXX, please pour your sand into this container.
The other represents you, YYY, and all that you were and all that you are, and all that you will ever be. YYY, please pour your sand into this container.
Each grain of sand holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own and be whole, without the need of anything else. When the two are blended together they represent an entirely new and extraordinary love relationship. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the combination.
Please pour the rest of your sand into this common container to symbolize the union of your two lives.
XXX and YYY, may your love always be as constant as the never-ending waves, flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea.
Just as the waters touch and nourish the many shores of the earth, may your love be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Just as there will never be a morning without the ocean’s flow, there will never be a day without your love for each other. The life that each of you have experienced until now, individually, will hereafter be inseparably united, for the two shall become one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your union be.
Vows
XXX-
Do you vow, in the presence of God to love and cherish YYY,
– to respect and support her dreams,
– to laugh with her,
– to trust and always believe in her,
– to shelter her when times are difficult,
– to grow with her,
– to have faith in your journey together through all the changes that will come,
– and to faithfully love her forever, with all of your heart?
YYY-
Do you vow, in the presence of God to love and cherish XXX,
– to respect and support his dreams,
– to laugh with him,
– to trust and always believe in him,
– to shelter him when times are difficult,
– to grow with him,
– to have faith in your journey together through all the changes that will come,
– and to faithfully love him forever, with all of your heart?
Pronouncement
XXX and YYY, you have expressed your love to one another through the commitment and promises you have just made. It is with these in mind, that I pronounce you husband and wife. Ladies and gentlemen, I now present you Mr. and Mrs. ZZZZ!
Romantic Ceremony Example
Tracy’s Note: This was a couple-only elopement. In this ceremony, the bride and groom said their vows to each other. They read them off cards that I provided- no memorization necessary!
Introduction and Address
We have come here today to celebrate the relationship of XXX and YYY, to join their lives together in a marriage filled with hopes, dreams, and excitement! XXX and YYY chose to make their commitment in Savannah because of its romantic atmosphere so let’s reflect on love and its beauty.
When we marry, we promise to love not only as we feel right now, but also as we intend to feel. In marriage we say not only, “I love you today,” but also, “I promise to love you tomorrow, the next day and always.”
Love doesn’t limit. Love means each person is free to follow his or her own heart. If we truly love, our choices will naturally and freely serve that love well.
Love is content with the present, hopes for the future, and does not brood over the past. Love is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection, and makes allowances for human weaknesses. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you do not have it, no matter what else there is, it is not enough.
When we marry, we promise to exercise our love, to stretch it large enough to embrace the unforeseen realities of the future. We promise to learn to love beyond the level of our instincts and inclinations, to love in hard times- as well as when we are exhilarated by the pleasures of romance. We try some things and resist trying others because, having promised, we feel secure- to see, to be, to love.
Because we know we are loved, we can step beyond our fears. We can make mistakes, knowing we will not be cast out; take missteps, knowing someone will be there to catch us. And because mistakes and missteps are the stuff of change, of expansion, in marriage we can expand to our fullest capacity.
So please know these things, as you go out into the world as a married couple: that your love will have seasons, that your relationship is a progression, and that love will prevail.
XXX and YYY, through your marriage, and through your love, may you give the gifts of tenderness, comfort, joy, and peace to each other to nurture you throughout the years. Enfolded in love, inhabited by hope, bathed in the infinite spectrum of light that is love, may you always be infused with it and beautifully illuminated by it. And may every desire you have for your love be fulfilled.
Vows
Your rings seal the vows of marriage and represent a promise for everlasting love. It is a physical manifestation of the promises joining the bride and groom together.
YYY, I take you, as my wife. I promise to love and cherish you, to grow with you, and to have faith in our journey together through all the changes that will come. I promise to share my life and all that I am with you. I will have no greater love than you. I promise in faithfulness, to love and respect you and our marriage, for all my tomorrows and beyond
XXX, I take you, as my husband. I promise to love and cherish you, to grow with you, and to have faith in our journey together through all the changes that will come. I promise to share my life and all that I am with you. I will have no greater love than you. I promise in faithfulness, to love and respect you and our marriage, for all my tomorrows and beyond.
Pronouncement
XXX and YYY, you have promised each other your love, devotion, and commitment. It is with this in mind, that I pronounce you husband and wife and present you publicly as Mr. and Mrs. ZZZ. You may kiss the bride!
Traditional Ceremony Example
Tracy’s Note: The couple was seeking a non-denominational ceremony which is why God is included as part of this ceremony. It focuses on a more traditional reflection on marriage. I read these vows as the officiant and the bride and groom said ‘I Do’. There were about 20 guests at the wedding.
Introduction and Address
We are assembled here in the presence of God to celebrate and support the marriage of XXX and YYY. They ask for your blessing, encouragement, and life long support of their decision to become husband and wife. They are delighted that you are here and thank you for your participation on their special day.
Love is a miraculous gift, and a wedding is a celebration of that magic and that’s why we are here today- to share in that magic. May the words spoken here today and the choice of XXX and YYY to enter into this union, be fled with blessing. May their marriage provide the live and support for each of them to expand into their greatest purpose.
Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other relationship can equal. It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime. When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer than any spoken or written words.
Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly. Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing a love that is deeper than life.
XXX and YYY, may every desire to have for your love be fulfilled. May your vision clearly behold one another. May you hear each other most genuinely. And may you give of your endless generosity to nourish one another’s hearts and sweetly keep the promises you make here today.
Vows
XXX-
do you promise YYY, in the presence of God,
– that you will love her for today and for all of your tomorrows,
– that you will offer her your friendship and loving care,
– to cherish and respect her and to love and embrace her in times of challenge as well as times of joy,
– and that from this day forward, you will walk beside her as her husband?
YYY-
do you promise XXX, in the presence of God,
– that you will love him for today and for all of your tomorrows,
– that you will offer him your friendship and loving care,
– to cherish and respect him and to love and embrace him in times of challenge as well as times of joy,
– and that from this day forward, you will walk beside him as his wife?
Pronouncement
XXX and YYY, you have promised each other your love, devotion, and commitment. It is with this in mind, that I pronounce you husband and wife and present you publicly as Mr. and Mrs. ZZZZ!
Traditional Ceremony with Readings
Tracy’s Note: This ceremony was conducted for a couple with many Spanish speaking family members. I added readings in Spanish and English to make the ceremony special for everyone in attendance. I can add any type of reading to fit the tone of your wedding.
Introduction and Address
Welcome! A wedding is such a wonderful occasion, filled with hopes, dreams, and excitement. We have come here today, in the presence of God, to celebrate and support the choice of XXX and YYY to join in marriage.
Blessed are the man and the woman who have grown beyond themselves and have seen through their separations.
They delight in the way things are and keep their hearts open, day and night.
They are like trees planted near flowing rivers, which bear fruit when they are ready. Their leaves will not fall or wither. Everything they do will succeed.
Blessed is one who comes in the name of Love.
This is a new beginning for both of you and I’d like to offer some gentle reminders to ease your life-long task of living and growing together.
Be kind to each other. And, when you disagree, do it respectfully.
Be gentle and forgiving with each other. When you forgive, your hearts make room for a little more love, a little more understanding and a little more compassion.
Communicate with each other. Share the joy that’s in your heart and the sorrow that burdens your soul.
Open your hearts to each other and find the love.
Nunca podrás escapar de tu corazón. Así es mejor escuchar lo que tiene que decirte.
In the words of Paulo Cohelo, “You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it is better to listen to what it has to say.”
And finally, as Pablo Neruda teaches us, laugh!
Ríete de la noche,
del día, de la luna,
Laugh at the night,
at the day, at the moon,
pero cuando yo abro
los ojos y los cierro,
cuando mis pasos van,
cuando vuelven mis pasos,
niégame el pan, el aire,
la luz, la primavera,
pero tu risa nunca
porque me moriría.
but when I open
my eyes and close them,
when my steps go,
when my steps return,
deny me bread, air,
light, spring,
but never your laughter
for I would die.
XXX and YYY, may every desire to have for your love be fulfilled. May your vision clearly behold one another. May you hear each other most genuinely. And may you give of your endless generosity to nourish one another’s hearts and sweetly keep the promises you make here today.
Vows
Your rings seal the vows of marriage and represent a promise for everlasting love. It is a physical manifestation of the promises joining the bride and groom together.
XXX,
do you take YYY, as your wife? Do you promise to love and cherish her, to grow with her and to have faith in your journey together through all the changes that will come? Do you promise to share your life and all that you are with her?
YYY,
do you take XXXX, as your husband? Do you promise to love and cherish him, to grow with him, and to have faith in your journey together through all the changes that will come? Do you promise to share your life and all that you are with him?
Pronouncement
XXX and YYY, you have promised each other your love, devotion, and commitment. It is with this in mind, that I pronounce you husband and wife and present XXX and YYY as a married couple. You may kiss the bride!
“Friday Night Lights” Inspired Wedding Vows
Tracy’s Note: When I work with couples who are looking to customize their vows, I often first refer them to pop-culture and literary references (I talk about this in my free wedding vow guide which you can download in the form in the footer of the website). What marriages inspire you?
For my husband and I, it was most definitely Tami and Eric Taylor from the TV show Friday Night Lights. We even dressed up as them for Halloween one year! When we wrote our wedding vows, we scoured the internet for quotes and re-watched some episodes.
Of course, Friday Night Lights was just one of our references, but definitely a major influence. Feel free to use our vows if they also resonate with you.
XXX, today I take you to be my husband.
I promise to be there for you when you need me, whenever you need me.
I promise to respect, admire, and appreciate you for who you are, as well as for the person you wish to become.
I promise to nurture your dreams and ambitions, and to support you through misfortunes and to celebrate your triumphs.
I promise to persevere when times get tough, knowing that as long as we stick together, it all works out.
I promise to keep our lives exciting, adventurous, and full of passion.
I promise to show you, every day, that I know exactly how lucky I am to have you in my life.
And finally, I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all that I have to give in the only way I know how…completely and forever.
XXX, do you take you this ring, which to me is a symbol of my love and commitment to you?