This past weekend I was the officiant at my friend’s wedding ceremony in Los Angeles. Rather than using a canned officiant speech script, I wanted to write a custom ceremony that meant something to me, as well as the bride/groom. It might be the only time I’m ever officiating a wedding speech, so i wanted to do it right!
The only parameters I was given before hand were:
- Keep it short (whole ceremony to last 15-20 mins)
- No religion
- Bride/Groom had their own vows
- Add some funnies (if you want)
So, here’s the wedding officiant speech I wrote and presented at the ceremony. All in all, I think people liked it. I got a few compliments after the ceremony, and a couple tears too which was nice to hear.
Officiant Speech Script
[STAND UP STRAIGHT | BREATHE | SMILE]
[Bride arrives: 4:20]
WELCOME!!!
This is the first wedding I’ve ever officiated 🙂 So please, take it easy on me…
Thank you all for being here!
A huge thank you to xxxx and xxxx, [Bride’s] parents. Thanks for everything you’ve done in helping set up today and for being here to support this marriage.
And a massive thank you to [Groom’s] family for being here. xxxx, [Groom’s] Dad, xxxx and xxxx his brother and sister. Thanks for being here as a part of this wedding.
[Bride] and [Groom] want to make a special mention to the people that can’t be here today. [Groom’s] Mum, xxxx, [Bride’s] Grandpa, xxxx. And other close family and friends from across the country. Although they are not here physically, they are supporting and celebrating this marriage in spirit.
— Pause
For those who don’t know me, my name is Joel. [Bride] and [Groom] picked me to officiate their wedding because I am the most handsome and professional person they know. (smirk)
Hahaha… Nah, actually I was a little tipsy when I wrote this speech. haha.
Just kidding. I think they picked me because I have been there from the beginning of their relationship. And I’ve seen some pretty cool stuff over the last 7 years… Not just as a couple, but as individuals. They have grown and matured in amazing ways.
You all probably know that [Bride] and [Groom] met on Tinder…. which is a dating app that helps you meet…. all types of “interesting” people. haha.
But, sometimes, if you’re lucky, you stumble across someone extra interesting… And you think to yourself… Ooooh, there’s something different about this one. That person has layers. They’re worth getting to know a little more.
Then after a few more dates, you think… Hmmm… That person is living life like I want to live. I can learn stuff from them. They inspire me.
Then you get even closer to the person start to notice the tiny small things that nobody else notices. You see their true character and respect them even more.
And one day, before you know it, you’re in LOVE. You can’t help how you feel. You’ve found YOUR PERSON.
**People wonder all the time “how do you know when you’ve met “the one”?”. And if you ask couple’s like [Bride] and [Groom], they’ll say something like, “YOU JUST KNOW”.**
That’s TRUE LOVE — it transcends regular dating and romance… True love means surrendering yourself to your full feelings. You can’t control it. You can’t deny it. You are incomplete without the other person.
— Pause
Another really cool thing about true love is that everyone around benefits. It’s a celebration for the rest of us, too!
We not only get to be here on this day to witness the wedding… We get to be around [Bride] and [Groom] for the rest of their lives. And we get to watch them merge together as one being. One family. (actually, I think everyone here will agree they’ve already started this process this today)
— Pause
One last thing about true love and marriage…. (this one is for you, [Bride] and [Groom]…)
Marriage is HARD. Although you love each other and your feelings are strong, you have to consciously commit to one another. 100%.
People say marriage is a 50/50 kind of thing… You know, like meeting the other person half way. BUT… I like to think of it as 100% / 100% thing. You BOTH have to give 100% to the other person. That’s how strong marriages work.
So, if you guys are ready… I’d like to ask you some questions, so you can attest your commitment to each other today…
(face bride and groom)
-
- Do you choose each other to be partners in life? [We do]
- Do you choose to trust and respect each other? [We do]
- Do you choose to support one another in good times and in bad times? [We do]
- Do you choose to share your laughter and your tears? [We do]
- Do you love what you know of each other, and trust what you do not yet know? [We do]
Awesome.
And now [Bride] and [Groom] are going to share some personal vows they have written to each other.
—> BRIDE reads her vows she wrote (2 mins)
—> GROOM reads her vows he wrote (2 mins)
Who has the rings?…
(As bride and groom are putting rings on each other): These rings are a symbol of life long commitment. They seal the vow you have just taken to love each other for the rest of your lives.
(couple are now holding hands)…
By the power vested in me by the state of California, and by the strength of your own love, I now pronounce you, husband and wife.
You may kiss each other!
WOOOHOOOO!!!!
Ladies and Gentleman… For the first time, I introduce to you…. Mr. and Mrs. [Groom] and [Bride] xxxxxx!
*******
Hopefully you liked it? I’d love to hear your feedback. I’ll be officiating another wedding soon, so stay tuned for another script!
This time I’ve enlisted the help of couples on my email list… I created a survey and collected marriage advice quotes from 27 REAL couples that have been married happily for 20+ years. My plan is to make a custom speech from these quotes. 😉
Any questions, please ask! Contact me here.
Cheers!
Joel
Update September 2022!: Here is the second wedding officiant speech I wrote and used for another friend’s happy day in Sep 2022.