Wedding Order of Service Wording: Complete Examples for Every Ceremony Type
Polina Perri · Wedding Planning · Ceremony Guide
The order of service is the one piece of stationery that works during the ceremony itself. It guides your guests through unfamiliar rituals, helps them follow readings they haven't heard before, and gives them something to hold at the moments when they're not quite sure what to do with their hands. Getting the wording right matters — not just for clarity, but because the booklet itself becomes a keepsake. Here are complete examples for four different ceremony types, including real wording from a Catholic Rite of Marriage we produced for one of our couples.
What to include in every order of service
Whatever your ceremony type, a well-structured order of service will typically include the following on the cover: the names of the couple, the date, the venue, and the words "Order of Service" or "Order of Ceremony." Inside, the contents depend on your ceremony, but the core elements are almost always the same:
A processional (the entrance music and who walks in, and in what order), a welcome from the officiant, any readings with the names of the readers, the vows, the ring exchange, any hymns or songs with lyrics if guests are expected to sing, and the recessional. For religious ceremonies, prayers and responses are also included so guests can participate.
The back cover is often left for a thank you note from the couple, an in memoriam acknowledgment for loved ones who have passed, or a short quote that means something to you both.
Catholic wedding ceremony — complete example
The Catholic Rite of Marriage is one of the most structured wedding ceremonies, and one of the most beautiful to print as an order of service. Because responses are said by the congregation, and because readings and psalms are followed along rather than simply listened to, a well-formatted booklet is close to essential. The following is the complete order of service from a wedding we produced stationery for, shared here with the couple's names and details anonymised.
Cover
Rite of Marriage
[Bride] & [Groom]
[Date]
[Venue name], [City]
Opening
Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son † and of the Holy Spirit.
Assembly: Amen.
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
A: And also with you.
Collect Prayer
Father, you have made the bond of marriage a holy mystery, a symbol of Christ's love for his Church. Hear our prayers for [Bride] and [Groom] — with faith in you and in each other they pledge their love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
A: Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
First Reading — A Reading from the Book of Ruth (1:16–17)
Read by [Name of reader]
Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people shall be my people and your God will be my God too. Wherever you die, I will die and there I will be buried beside you. We shall be together forever and our love will be the gift of God.
This is the word of the Lord.
A: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 148 — Response sung or said by all
R/ Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One.
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights;
Praise him, all you his angels, praise him, all you his hosts.
R/ Sing and shout for joy…
Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens.
R/ Sing and shout for joy…
Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars;
Beasts, both wild and tame, creeping things and birds on the wing.
R/ Sing and shout for joy…
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His splendour above earth and heaven.
He exalts the strength of his people.
R/ Sing and shout for joy…
Second Reading — 1 Corinthians 13
Read by [Name of reader]
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
This is the word of the Lord.
A: Thanks be to God.
Gospel — John 2:1–11 (The Wedding at Cana)
P: The Lord be with you.
A: And also with you.
P: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.
A: Glory be to you, Lord.
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." Jesus said, "Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
There were six stone jars standing there, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water," and they filled them to the brim. "Draw some out now," he told them, "and take it to the steward." The steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. The steward called the bridegroom and said: "People generally serve the best wine first, but you have kept the best wine till now."
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
A: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Rite of Marriage
Statement of Intentions
Priest: [Groom] and [Bride], have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?
Groom & Bride: Yes.
Will you love and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?
Groom & Bride: Yes.
Will you accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?
Groom & Bride: Yes.
Consent
Groom: I, [Groom], take you, [Bride], to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.
Bride: I, [Bride], take you, [Groom], to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.
Blessing of Rings
May the Lord bless these rings which you will give to each other as the sign of your love and fidelity.
A: Amen.
Groom: [Bride], the ring I have given to you is a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of God.
Bride: [Groom], the ring I have given to you is a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Song: Ave Maria
Signing of the register
Prayers of the Faithful
Read by [Name] and [Name]
R/ In your mercy Lord, hear our prayer.
For [Bride] and [Groom], that their lives will be filled with joy and peace, that their love will go from strength to strength, and that their deepest hopes on this day will come to fulfilment.
R/ In your mercy Lord, hear our prayer.
For their parents, that having given them life in the beginning, they will with joy now see them building a new life together.
R/ In your mercy Lord, hear our prayer.
For their families and friends; for those who give them care and support; for those who have encouraged them in their love for one another; for those they think of with gratitude today who are separated from them in life or by death.
R/ In your mercy Lord, hear our prayer.
Concluding Rite
P: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
A: Thanks be to God.
A note on Catholic ceremony booklets. Because so many responses are spoken by the congregation — Amen, Thanks be to God, In your mercy Lord hear our prayer — it is important that these are clearly set out in your booklet with the response in bold or italics. Guests who are unfamiliar with the Rite of Marriage will follow your formatting, so clarity matters as much as design. We recommend 8–12 pages for a full Catholic ceremony with readings and psalm.
Church of England ceremony — example structure
The Church of England wedding service most commonly used today is from Common Worship (2000), which offers contemporary language and the most flexibility for couples to personalise readings and prayers. The structure is slightly less prescribed than a Catholic ceremony, but the key elements are fixed by the Church.
Typical running order
Processional — entrance of the bridal party
Music suggestion: Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke) or Canon in D (Pachelbel)
Welcome
The minister welcomes the congregation and reads the introduction about Christian marriage.
Declarations
The minister asks if anyone knows of any lawful reason why the marriage may not take place. The couple each declare their intentions.
First Hymn
Suggested: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
First Reading
Read by [Name]
[Title and text of reading]
Address
A talk from the minister.
Second Reading (optional)
Read by [Name]
Second Hymn
Suggested: Be Thou My Vision / O Perfect Love
The Vows
I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow.
Blessing and Exchange of Rings
I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honour you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Prayers
Third Hymn (during signing of the register)
Suggested: Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer
Signing of the Register
Blessing
"They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of rings. I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife."
Recessional
Music suggestion: Wedding March (Mendelssohn)
Hymn lyrics in your order of service. If you are including hymns where you expect the congregation to sing, always include the full lyrics. Even guests who know a hymn well will appreciate having the words in front of them — it helps them commit rather than mumble. Many traditional hymns are out of copyright and can be reproduced freely.
Civil ceremony — example structure
A civil ceremony in the UK is conducted by a registrar and must be entirely secular — no religious content of any kind, including wording from the Book of Common Prayer (so "to have and to hold" cannot be used). What it lacks in prescribed structure it more than makes up for in flexibility: couples can choose their own readings, write their own vows (subject to registrar approval), and personalise almost every element.
The legal requirements are fixed. Each party must say the declaratory words (confirming no lawful impediment to the marriage) and the contracting words (the legal promise). Everything else is your own.
Typical running order
Processional
Music: [Your choice — no religious content]
Welcome
The registrar welcomes guests and introduces the couple.
Reading (optional)
Read by [Name]
[Title — e.g. Sonnet 116 by Shakespeare / The Art of a Good Marriage / a personal poem]
Declarations — said by each party in turn
"I declare that I know of no legal reason why I, [Name], may not be joined in marriage to [Name]."
Second Reading (optional)
Vows — your own wording, approved by the registrar
Example: I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my partner in life. I promise to be your companion in adventure and your comfort in difficulty, to make you laugh when you need it most, and to choose you every day for the rest of my life.
Contracting words — said by each party
"I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, [Name], do take thee [Name] to be my lawful wedded wife/husband."
Ring Exchange
The registrar may suggest wording, or you can write your own.
Example: I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and as a reminder that I am always by your side.
Signing of the Register
Music during signing: [Your choice]
Pronouncement
The registrar declares you married.
Recessional
Music: [Your choice]
What counts as religious content in a civil ceremony? The rule is stricter than many couples expect. No hymns, no prayers, no readings from religious texts — and this includes wording derived from them. "To have and to hold" comes from the Book of Common Prayer and cannot be used. If you are unsure about a reading or piece of music, check with your registrar before printing your order of service. It is much easier to change wording before the booklets are printed than after.
Humanist ceremony — example structure
A humanist ceremony in the UK is not currently legally recognised in England and Wales (though it is in Scotland), so most couples who choose a humanist ceremony have a brief legal register office appointment beforehand or afterwards. The ceremony itself is entirely unrestricted — there is no prescribed structure, no required wording, and no content restrictions. Everything is written by the celebrant in collaboration with the couple.
Because of this freedom, the order of service for a humanist ceremony is often the most personal and the most varied. It might include poems the couple wrote themselves, readings chosen for their relationship rather than their religious tradition, rituals like hand-fasting or a unity candle, and a celebrant's address built entirely around their story.
Typical running order
Processional
Music: [Your choice — completely unrestricted]
Welcome and Introduction
The celebrant welcomes guests and introduces themselves and the couple. Often includes a personal story or observation about the couple's relationship.
Reading
Read by [Name]
[Title — poetry, prose, lyrics, anything meaningful to the couple]
Celebrant's Address
A personal address about the couple — how they met, what makes their relationship unique, what this day means. Usually the longest and most personal element of the ceremony.
Second Reading (optional)
Vows — written by the couple
Completely personal. May be spoken or read. May be the same for both, or different.
Ring Exchange
Words of the couple's choosing.
Ritual (optional)
Hand-fasting, unity candle, sand ceremony, planting of a tree — whatever is meaningful to you.
Signing of a decorative certificate (not a legal document unless in Scotland)
Music during signing
Pronouncement
The celebrant declares the couple married.
Recessional
A note on humanist ceremonies in England and Wales. As of 2025, humanist marriages are legally recognised in Scotland and Northern Ireland but not in England and Wales. Couples in England and Wales who want a humanist ceremony typically arrange a civil register office ceremony (which takes around fifteen minutes) either before or after their humanist celebration. Your humanist celebrant will advise you on the best approach.
How to lay out your order of service booklet
The standard format is an A5 booklet — 148 × 210mm when folded — printed on card for the cover and lighter paper for the inside pages. Four sides suits a simple civil ceremony; eight sides is the most popular option for church weddings; twelve or sixteen sides works for full Catholic or Church of England ceremonies with multiple readings, a psalm, and hymns with lyrics.
The front cover should have your names, the date, and the venue. The inside front cover can be left clear or used for a welcome note from the couple. The main content runs across the central pages. The inside back cover works well for the wedding party list. The back cover is often the place for a closing quote, a thank you, or an in memoriam acknowledgment for loved ones who could not be there.
One thing worth getting right before anything else goes to print: have your officiant — priest, vicar, or registrar — review the wording. Errors in ceremony booklets have a way of becoming permanent, and a detail caught before printing is infinitely easier to fix than one caught after.
At Polina Perri, we design and print order of service booklets that match your invitation suite exactly — the same paper, the same foil, the same monogram. If you'd like to discuss your ceremony booklet, get in touch and we'll talk through what you need.
