If you’ve been tasked with officiating a wedding in the near future, now is the perfect time to consider what you’re going to say during the ceremony. The role of the officiant is a vital one when it comes to the overall success of the event, so you should put thought behind the exact words and phrases you use in your speech. While it can be a bit overwhelming, figuring out the perfect script is all about doing a little research and focusing on the couple. Writing a marriage ceremony script is a lot easier with some guidance. Use these tips to begin your journey and craft an ideal message for the special day.
Review Templates
Starting with a blank slate can be the most frustrating aspect of writing. Thankfully, you don’t need to beat yourself up over an empty page when there are tons of examples available to you. The internet is an amazing resource when you want to review existing templates for any type of writing. Review the standard marriage ceremony template and as many variations as you can to create a general foundation regarding the flow and structure. You don’t need to follow the examples, but you should be familiar with them.
Think About the Couple
Though weddings may all feel the same to a certain degree, each is made unique by the distinct personalities of the couple getting married. The officiant is given the specific task of taking a standard wedding script and infusing personal details about the couple into the speech. Making your words relevant to the couple helps to add significance to the message you are trying to get across. If the couple are close friends or family members, write out some favorite anecdotes and see if any may be a good fit to include.
Though being personal is important with your marriage script, you need to remember you’re not giving a toast or a speech during the reception. There needs to be a degree of formality in how you present the story and which details you include. Anything that feels inappropriate should be edited out to make your script fit the mood of the day.
Keep the Message Short and Sweet
While the wedding ceremony is the point at which the couple actually ties the knot, most of the people present have their hearts and minds set on the reception. Being stuck in a ceremony where the officiant is rambling on and on can be a special kind of torture, especially if the venue is uncomfortable. No matter how much you have to say, you want to keep your message simple. Say what you need to in as succinct a way as possible to keep people engaged.
The length of marriage scripts is also important to consider. As a rule of thumb, aim for your entire speech to fall roughly in a timespan of 10 minutes or under. Practice as much as possible to keep the length short. Read your draft out loud with a timer to find the right places to make cuts.
Cater the Speech to the Audience
Finally, keep your audience in mind. Some groups are more fun than others. If you know the crowd is going to appreciate a joke or two, add some humorous moments here and there. Conversely, avoid anything too informal if your crowd is going to contain mainly people with strict, traditional views.
Though being asked to officiate a wedding is a great honor, you may feel a bit stressed about finding the perfect words when making a pronouncement of marriage. Thankfully, setting aside time to research some examples and write out some drafts can make a world of difference with the finished product.
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