Complete Wedding Ceremony Script: Full Celebrant Script Template

A wedding ceremony script is the spoken blueprint for the most important few minutes of your day. It maps out who says what and when, from the moment the music starts to the final walk back down the aisle, so nothing is left to chance and no legal requirement is missed. Whether you are a couple writing alongside your celebrant or planning a ceremony yourselves, having a complete script means you can relax and simply be present.

This guide is a full, usable wedding ceremony script template you can adapt to your own style. We walk through every part in order, with example wording you can borrow word for word or rewrite entirely, plus short planning notes between each section. We have also included the Australian legal requirements, because a beautiful ceremony still has to be a legally valid one. After more than 1,000 Melbourne weddings since 2015, we know how much a clear, well-paced script does for the feel of the day.

How a Wedding Ceremony Script Works

A wedding ceremony script is simply the running order of everything spoken aloud during your ceremony, written out so your celebrant, your readers, and you yourselves know exactly what comes next. A typical ceremony runs 20 to 30 minutes and follows a familiar shape: an entrance, a welcome, some words about love and marriage, the legal and personal vows, the rings, the pronouncement, and the exit.

The structure below is the standard order most Australian celebrants follow. Some parts are legally required and worded precisely; others are entirely yours to shape. Throughout this template, the blockquoted lines are the spoken script and the plain text between them is guidance to help you adapt each section. Read it through once start to finish, then go back and personalise.

The Complete Wedding Ceremony Script Template

1. The Processional

The processional is the entrance. Music plays, the wedding party walks in, and the person or people being walked down the aisle arrive at the front. There are no spoken words here, but it sets the tone, so choose music that feels like you and decide the order of entrances in advance.

Planning note: confirm who walks when, where everyone stands, and whether your celebrant will quietly cue guests to rise. A small printed order or some clear ceremony signage at the entrance helps guests know where to sit and what to expect.

2. Welcome and Introduction

Once everyone is in place, the celebrant opens the ceremony, welcomes guests, and introduces the couple. This settles the room and signals that the ceremony has begun.

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome. We are gathered here today, in the company of family and friends, to celebrate the marriage of [Partner A] and [Partner B]. My name is [Celebrant], and it is my privilege to be their celebrant today.

[Partner A] and [Partner B], you have chosen to invite the people you love most to witness this moment, and what a wonderful thing that is. So before we begin, take a breath, look around, and take in this room full of people who are here only for the two of you.

Planning note: this is a natural place for the celebrant to add a warm, personal line or two about the couple, how they met, or what the day means. Keep it brief; there is more storytelling to come.

3. Giving Away (Optional)

The “giving away” is a traditional moment where a parent or loved one formally presents the person walking down the aisle. Many modern couples skip it, reword it, or replace it with both partners being walked in. It is entirely optional.

Celebrant: Who supports [Partner A] in their decision to marry today?

Response: We do, with all our love.

Planning note: if this tradition does not feel right for you, simply leave it out, or use inclusive wording like the above that thanks loved ones without the language of “giving away”. Decide together and brief whoever is responding so they are not caught off guard.

4. Readings

A reading adds meaning and gives someone special a role in your day. You might choose a poem, a passage, song lyrics, or something written for the occasion. One or two readings is plenty.

Celebrant: [Partner A] and [Partner B] have asked [Reader] to share a reading they have chosen for today.

[Reader delivers the chosen reading.]

Celebrant: Thank you, [Reader].

Planning note: print the reading for your reader in a large, clear font, and give them a copy in advance to practise. Choose words that genuinely reflect your relationship rather than the most famous passage you can find.

5. The Address on Marriage

The address is the celebrant’s reflection on love, commitment, and what marriage means to this couple. It is the emotional heart of the ceremony and often where guests laugh, cry, or both.

Marriage is a promise made in front of the people you love. It is choosing one person, every day, in the ordinary moments as much as the extraordinary ones. It is partnership, patience, laughter, and the quiet comfort of knowing someone is in your corner.

[Partner A] and [Partner B], the love you share has brought you here today, and the commitment you are about to make will carry you forward. May you keep choosing each other, in every season of your life together.

Planning note: a good celebrant tailors this to your story. Share details with them, how you met, what you admire in each other, an inside joke, so this section sounds like you and not a template.

6. The Monitum (Legal Requirement)

This is the most important legal moment of an Australian ceremony. By law, an authorised celebrant must say the Monitum, the official words that define marriage, before the couple exchange their legal vows. It must be said exactly and cannot be paraphrased or skipped.

Celebrant: Before [Partner A] and [Partner B] make their vows, I am required by law to remind us all of the nature of the commitment they are about to make.

Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.

Planning note: in Australia, the Marriage Act requires an authorised celebrant to say this exact wording, “Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.” It is a legal requirement for a valid marriage, so your celebrant will include it whether your ceremony is religious, non-religious, or entirely your own design. Your celebrant manages this part; you do not need to memorise it, but you should know it is coming.

7. The Declaration of Intent (Legal Vows)

Alongside the Monitum, Australian law requires both partners to speak words showing they are freely choosing to marry. These are your legal vows. The traditional civil wording is below; minor variations are permitted, but check the exact form with your celebrant.

Celebrant: [Partner A], please repeat after me.

Partner A: I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, [full name], take you, [full name], to be my lawful wedded [wife/husband/partner].

Celebrant: [Partner B], please repeat after me.

Partner B: I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, [full name], take you, [full name], to be my lawful wedded [wife/husband/partner].

Planning note: these legal words are separate from your personal vows. Some couples say only these; most follow them with personal vows in the next section. Use your full legal names as they appear on your identification.

8. Personal Vows

This is where you speak from the heart. Personal vows are your own promises to each other and are entirely yours to write. They are optional in the eyes of the law but unforgettable in the eyes of everyone watching.

Partner A: [Partner B], from the moment we met, you have made my life bigger, brighter, and far more fun. I promise to stand beside you, to make you laugh, to listen when it matters, and to choose us, every single day, for the rest of my life.

Partner B: [Partner A], you are my favourite person and my best friend. I promise to support your dreams, to weather the hard days with you, to never stop being curious about you, and to love you with everything I have, always.

Planning note: keep personal vows to around a minute each, and consider matching their length and tone so one is not far longer than the other. Write them on a small card; nerves make even memorised words vanish. If you want help finding your voice, our guide to non-religious wedding ceremony scripts has more wording ideas and structures.

9. The Exchange of Rings

The rings are a physical symbol of the promises just made. The celebrant introduces the exchange, and each partner places a ring while speaking a short line.

Celebrant: The wedding ring is a circle, with no beginning and no end, a symbol of love that endures. [Partner A] and [Partner B] have chosen to exchange rings as a sign of the vows they have made today.

Partner A: [Partner B], I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and my promise. Wear it as a reminder that you are cherished, today and always.

Partner B: [Partner A], I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and my promise. Wear it as a reminder that you are cherished, today and always.

Planning note: decide who holds the rings (a ring bearer or a member of the wedding party), and make sure they are easy to retrieve. If you are not exchanging rings, this section can simply be left out.

10. The Pronouncement

The pronouncement is the celebrant’s announcement that you are now legally married. It is the moment the room has been waiting for.

Celebrant: [Partner A] and [Partner B], you have declared your love, made your promises, and exchanged your rings before everyone here today. It is therefore my absolute joy to pronounce that you are now married.

Planning note: this is a high-energy beat. Many couples invite applause here, and a good celebrant will pause to let the room react before moving on.

11. The Kiss

Short, simple, and the most photographed moment of the ceremony.

Celebrant: [Partner A] and [Partner B], you may share your first kiss as a married couple.

Planning note: tell your photographer and content team this is coming so the moment is captured well. A quick glance to your guests before the kiss makes for a lovely, natural photo.

12. The Signing of the Register

Australian law requires the marriage to be signed by the couple, the celebrant, and two witnesses aged 18 or over. This usually happens during the ceremony, often with music playing while guests watch.

Celebrant: To make this marriage official, [Partner A] and [Partner B] will now sign the marriage documents, witnessed by [Witness 1] and [Witness 2]. While they do, please enjoy this moment with us.

Planning note: choose your two witnesses in advance and let them know their role. A short song or instrumental piece fills this pause nicely. Confirm with your celebrant which documents are signed during the ceremony and which are lodged afterwards.

13. The Recessional

The recessional is the joyful exit. The celebrant presents the newly married couple, and you walk back down the aisle together as music plays.

Celebrant: Family and friends, it is my great pleasure to present, for the very first time, the newly married [Partner A] and [Partner B]. Congratulations!

Planning note: pick upbeat exit music, line up your wedding party to follow, and decide where you are heading next (often straight into photos or a receiving line). This is the perfect cue for confetti, bubbles, or a guard of honour if you are having one.

Adapting the Script to Suit You

The template above is a starting point, not a rulebook. Outside the legally required Monitum and the declaration of intent, you can move sections, add cultural or family traditions, include a unity ritual, or strip the ceremony back to its essentials. A great Australian celebrant will help you weave personal storytelling through the structure so it never feels formulaic.

A few practical tips as you finalise your script:

• Read it aloud with your celebrant. Timing on the page is different from timing in the room.
• Decide who holds what. Rings, reading cards, and vow cards all need a clear owner.
• Brief your key people. Readers, witnesses, and anyone with a speaking role should know their cue.
• Plan for nerves. Cards in hand for your vows are not unromantic; they are sensible.
• Match the script to the space. An outdoor ceremony may need a microphone and signage so guests can hear and find their seats.

Style and Sign the Day With GB Events

Once your wedding ceremony script is locked in, the finishing touches make it feel complete. Custom ceremony and event signage, from a welcome sign at the entrance to an order-of-service display, helps guests follow along and adds a polished, personal layer to your styling. We design and produce signage to match your theme, your wording, and your venue.

Planning a Melbourne wedding? Enquire now and our team will help you bring your ceremony to life with bespoke signage and styling, backed by 1,000+ events of experience since 2015.

Frequently Asked Questions