Planning a wedding requires you to put the guest's speeches and the officiant wedding script at the top of your TO DO LIST.
Despite them being one of the most special aspects of your wedding, they аre usually considered as less important by couples.
It’s a fact that no matter the type of ceremony chosen, in all of the wedding officiant speeches, words of love, gratitude, and happiness should never lack.
First of all, I will answer a very important question that you are probably asking yourself: Who traditionally says what, and what is the order of speeches at a wedding?
Father of the bride speech
The father of the bride should start by selecting a short story about his daughter's growth and share it with the guests. Consider something humorous or an exciting sentimental memory with her.
A pro tip for all dads! You should continue by giving positive advice related to married life. You're experienced in marriage and the wisest gentleman, so if it makes sense to you, give the new couple some advice for happiness. Jokes about the divorce rate are strictly forbidden.
They will only make everyone feel uncomfortable.
The Groom speech
The best and easiest way to start is by saying thanks to the bride's family for the warm welcome and their support.
Next in line is the future spouse and the love story you share together. Some sweet memories, like your first date or your first kiss story.
Keeping it light and funny, continue by telling how much the bride means to you for making a maximal impact on guests.
The Best Man speech
When wondering what the best man speech should take into account, they are undoubtedly the words of thanks to the bride and groom for the trust placed in their hands.
At this point, it would be good to tell a funny, emotional, or complicit anecdote, without falling into mockery or indiscretions.
Nor should you touch on the subject of ex-partners, or talk about situations they don't want to remember. He could also talk about your friendship and how you continue to grow as a couple.
The Bride's speech
The bride should give general thanks to all the guests, еspecially her parents, and a toast to the bridesmaids. She should compliment her groom, share her emotions, and make a toast to their love.
Maid of Honor speech
Last but not least, she shares an anecdote or short funny story about the bride, and also she should thank the bride for the honor.
Read this: The Best Wedding Officiant Script
Minister wedding script - What does a minister say at a wedding
There are various types of wedding officiant speeches, but each of them consists of essential parts that should not be left out.
Furthermore, I will tell you the basics on how to officiate a wedding, what to say, and give a couple of example wedding scripts.
Statement of Purpose
Although it's quite obvious why everyone has gathered, the officiant usually states the reason, says highly important things about married life and tells something beautiful about the couple's love story (see the example given below), or reads a part of a song, or includes a movie quote.
Declaration of Intent
The second important thing is the words that will imply an answer from the wed-to-be. The minister or officiant could formulate the question in different ways, and one of them is:
'Will you have this woman to be your wife? Will you love and honor her, comfort her when she is sad, and be with her, in sickness and in health, and be faithful to her so long as you both shall live? If this is the case, answer, 'I will.'.
The same question goes for the bride, as she must declare intent too.
Marriage Vows
The wedding officiant speeches can include two options, depending on the type of ceremony the couple opts for. In a case where there are specific vows that should be included, the officiant will guide the partners to repeat the vows line by line.
However, if the love birds are saying their own personal vows, the role of the officiant might only consist of giving them a cue to start, by saying: The bride and groom can now proceed to their wedding vows.
Exchanging of Rings
The exchange of rings part of the ceremony is symbolic and represents something beautiful. In many cases, the officiant says something about the symbolism and the importance of wearing the ring.
For example, a quintessential and yet deep message is the following “These rings have a huge significance and importance in your joined life, though small in size. Because of the precious metal they are made of, you should always remember that your love is not cheap, nor common, and you must cherish it for eternity.”
Afterward, the officiant asks the couple to repeat the words: “With this ring, I wed thee…,” while they place the rings on their partner’s finger. Instead, the minister could simply say 'Now you can proceed to the ring exchange', especially in cases when the pair decides the ceremony to be shorter.
Pronouncement of Marriage and the Kiss
The legal binding of the marriage is the last thing every minister or officiant should include in their wedding officiant speeches. The proclamation of marriage should be like:
‘By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.’. And finally, the most expected and irreplaceable 'You may now kiss your bride', which is an all-time classic and always included due to its romantic nature.
Here are some parts of wedding officiant speeches, you will love to use.
Wedding Officiant Speech For A Friend’s Wedding
It’s a true honor to be chosen by a friend or family member to officiate their wedding, so you should give a great speech, with humorous and yet emotional elements. You could start with this opening:
On this beautiful day, _______ and _______ have brought us together to celebrate their love and union in matrimony.
After years of nurturing a beautiful relationship, it’s great to witness these two taking this step towards building a family.
I remember the day _______ told me about their first date. She had a sparkle in her eyes and I’d never seen that before in her. She was so excited and yet nervous because she didn’t know if he felt the same connection as her. Luckily the strong feeling was a mutual thing that led to this day.
It warms my heart seeing them share laughs, exchange jokes, and the most incredible thing of all – I’ve seen _______ share his plate with _______, and that is the precise moment I knew this was serious.
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Funny Wedding Officiant Speech
This kind of wedding script has humor-laced all over, and it is a great way to keep the ceremony heartwarming and sweet. As an example, the declaration of intent may sound like this:
Do you _____, promise that you will support and defend the institution of marriage against all enemies, foreign and domestic;
Do you promise to cherish her/him as your most beloved according to the regulations and the uniform code of love justice, so help you God?
There is so much more where this came from, so contact me for my wedding speech writing service and buy the best officiant scripts that would make your big day extra special!
Send this to the Bride and Groom: What to say as Wedding Vows
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