How to Build a Wedding Ceremony

There’s a saying in storytelling: “Endings are hard. Get yours working up front.”

Fortunately for you, you already have your ending nailed down. You’re going to pronounce the couple married, you’re probably going to say “You may kiss,” and then they’re going to walk down the aisle together to rapturous applause.

So that’s sorted.

All you need to do is get them there. Here’s the trick: wedding ceremonies are modular. There are a variety of prefabricated chunks that you can basically drag and drop into the ceremony as you like. You will probably recognize them:

• The Story of the Couple
  

• Readings from beloved friends and/or family
  

• The Vows
  

• The “I do” moment
  

• The Exchange of Rings
  

• Traditional Rituals (usually religious)
  

You may want to diverge from these prepackaged moments. You should! Saying something beyond the conventional will likely be the most memorable piece of the ceremony. Here are some slightly less rote options that you can slot in:

• Why have they chosen to get married? What does marriage mean to this couple?
  

• Honor those assembled. People love to be mentioned in a speech. If you can find a way to gesture at the individuals assembled, why they, in particular, are important, you will make their day.
  

• Who are you? Of course you do not want to make the ceremony about you, but as a very brief section, perhaps you can give some context as to why you are the one officiating.
  

That’s all there is to it. If you’re feeling anxious about how to construct the ceremony, just remember you can simply drag and drop. Choose which pieces you want to include, decide the order, and fill in the blanks.