CEREMONY PLANNING GUIDE
Wedding Ceremony Template
This Wedding Ceremony Template will help you design your wedding ceremony to include the functions and features that you want.
Please remember, that your properly executed Ohio Marriage License must be presented to your Wedding Officiant prior to the start of your wedding ceremony.
Groomsmen enter with Wedding Officiant.
YES _____ NO _____
If no, list how the entrance of the Groomsmen and the Wedding Officiant will take place.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Bridesmaids enter, followed by the Bride with the person who is giving her away.
Some couples choose an appropriate song for the Bridesmaids to enter to, along with a different song for the Bride to enter to. Your Wedding Officiant can offer suggestions for these, as well as a person with the proper equipment to play these songs, or a professional Harpist to play accordingly. (Additional charges will apply.)
List how the entrance of the Bridesmaids and Bride will take place.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Presentation of Bride by the person who is giving her away.
Minister: "Who presents this woman to be married to this man?"
The person giving the Bride away answers with whatever phrase they care to use. Typically, (if the Bride's Father is giving her away) it would be "Her Mother and I".
YES _____ NO _____
If no, list whatever verbiage is to be used.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Welcome to family and friends.
Minister: "Welcome family and friends of (enter names here)
__________________________ and
__________________________.
We come here today to unite this couple in holy matrimony, a commitment that they shall make here together before you today. Marriage is an institution not to be taken lightly. It is a vow that this couple shall make. A vow to spend the rest of their lives together, joined as husband and wife, loyal to each other, promising a promise deeper than any ocean, higher than any mountain, stronger than life itself.
YES _____ NO _____
If no, list whatever verbiage is to be used.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Optional reading #1
YES _____ NO _____
If yes, list who is giving the reading so that the Wedding Officiant can call them up by name. I.E.,
Officiant: We will now have a reading by
___________________________.
Marriage Vows
Choose form these vows, change them, or compose your own. The vows are the personal commitment that a Bride and Groom give to one another, either by saying their own vows, or by answering with "I do" after the Wedding Officant asks the question.
Officant: Do you (insert full name of Groom here) ___________________
take (insert full name of Bride here) ______________________________
to be your lawful wedded wife, forsaking all others, keeping yourself only onto her for as long as you both shall live?
Groom responds with "I do."
Officiant: Do you (insert full name of Bride here) ____________________
take (insert full name of Groom here) ____________________________
to be your lawful wedded husband, forsaking all others, keeping yourself only onto him for as long as you both shall live?"
Bride responds with "I do."
YES _____ NO _____
If no, list whatever verbiage is to be used.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Optional reading #2
YES _____ NO _____
If yes, list who is giving the reading so that the ULC Minister can call them up by name. I.E.,
Officiant: We will now have a reading by
___________________________.
Exchange of rings.
Officiant: "With no beginning and no end, the wedding ring is the eternal symbol of love. Our Bride and Groom will now exchange rings, each placing the band on the ring finger of the other's left hand, as they repeat these words, ‘With this ring I pledge my love.'"
The Groom places the ring on the Bride's ring finger, repeating the words, "With this ring, I pledge my love."
The Bride places the ring on the Groom's ring finger repeating the words, "With this ring, I pledge my love."
YES _____ NO _____
If no, list whatever verbiage is to be used.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Lighting of the Unity Candle
Officiant: "The lighting of the Unity Candle represents this couple bonding as one flame with one heart for the rest of their lives."
The Bride and Groom together light the Unity Candle. Some couples choose to an appropriate song to play during this. Your Wedding Officiant can offer suggestions for this, as well as a person with the proper equipment to play these songs, or a professional Harpist to play accordingly. (Additional charges will apply.)
Pronouncement of couple.
Officiant: "By the authority vested in me by the State of Ohio, witnessed by your friends and family, I have to pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. You may now seal your vows with a kiss."
Presentation of couple.
(Some couples may prefer to not be presented, and just exit after the kiss.)
Officiant: "Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand as I present to you as husband and wife (enter names as you wish to be announced)
_______________________________________________________
YES _____ NO _____
If no, list whatever verbiage is to be used.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Some couples choose to an appropriate song to play during this. Your Wedding Officiant can offer suggestions for this, as well as a person with the proper equipment to play these songs, or a professional Harpist to play accordingly. (Additional charges will apply.)
Post Ceremony
It is important that you not leave the marriage ceremony location immediately following the ceremony. The bottom portion of an Ohio Marriage License has a perforated section that will be signed after the ceremony by the Wedding Officiant. This can not be done until after the ceremony is complete. Your Wedding Officiant will remove the perforated section, sign it, and return it to the appropriate Probate Court within 30 days of the ceremony. The Probate Court will then enter your marriage into the Court records as "official and complete".
Rev. Mark Simon is a legally ordained Minister of both the Universal Life Church, 601 Third St., Modesto, CA 95351, and the Universal Ministries, 201 N. Chicago St., Milford Il 60953. Rev. Simon's ministry is also sanctioned by the United Evangelical Church of America, Inc., 125 East Blvd. Jonesboro, TN 37659 and the New Horizon Ministry, 6117 East Janice Way, Scottsdale, AR 85254. Rev. Simon is solemnized to perform marriages sanctioned by the State of Ohio through the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Ohio, while representing ULC Ministries of NW Ohio.
The above information is copyright 2008 by ULC Ministries of NW Ohio, PO Box 392 Maumee, OH 43537, (419) 464-9464. No part of this document may be copied or used without written permission of ULC Ministries of NW Ohio.
Use of this document without express written consent is a violation of Federal copyright laws.