Components of a Wedding Ceremony : Write Your Own Wedding Vows

Components of a Wedding Ceremony

Generally a wedding ceremony consists of several parts beginning with the Entrance of the Wedding Party usually to music then:
1. Welcome or Introduction done by the Officiant.
2. Presentation of the Bride to the Groom by either the parents or special person.
3. Reading of a Poem or Bible verse by Officiant or special person.
4. Recitation of the Wedding Vows either traditional or words written by the couple.
5. Exchange of rings and/or giving of gifts to children of the couple.
6. Any special event like  lighting candles, drinking wine, or other special ceremony addition.
7. Declaration of Marriage where the Officiant declares the couple married and closing remarks.
8. The First Kiss as a Married Couple.
9. Exit or recessional usually to music.

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Simple Basic Wedding Ceremony

 The step which you are about to take is the most important into which human beings can come. It is a union of two people founded upon mutual respect and affection. Your lives will change, your responsibilities will increase, but your joy will be multiplied if you are sincere and earnest with your pledge to one another.
 __(Groom)___________, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto her, for so long as you both shall live? 
_ (Bride)____________, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto him, so long as you both shall live?
 Take hands and repeat after me: I, __(Groom)___________, take you, __(Bride)___________, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, to love and to cherish, from this day forward.
 I, ___(Bride)________, take you, _(Groom)__________, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, to love and to cherish, from this day forward.
 Do you have a ring for the bride?   Please place the ring on the bride's finger and say: With this ring, I thee wed. 
Is there a ring for the groom? Please place the ring on the groom's finger and say: With this ring I thee wed. 
Let these rings be given and received as a token of your affection, sincerity and fidelity to one another.
 In as much as _____________ and _____________ have consented together in wedlock and have witnessed the same before this company, and pledged their vows to each other, by the authority vested in me by the State of Louisiana, I now pronounce you husband and wife. (You may now kiss .)

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Jerry Kenneth Schwehm  served as as Justice of the Peace in 1990 to 1994 in  Slidell, La. and was ordained in 1989 as a Lay Minister after serving as Elder and Deacon in his church for many years. He has a BA and JD from Louisiana State University (1972) and an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from a  local Bible Church in 1990. He has performed numerous wedding ceremonies and is available in the Greater New Orleans and South Mississippi area to perform your personalized marriage ceremony. He will go to your location or at his office in New Orleans. He may be contacted at the below e-mail.