Everything you need to know to structure your wedding ceremony

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Planning a wedding ceremony can be both exciting and overwhelming. Whether you’re dreaming of a grand celebration or an intimate micro wedding, understanding the structure and order of your ceremony is crucial. Here’s a guide to help you decide what elements of a wedding ceremony you’d like to include in your big day. It’s always a good idea to discuss these with your celebrant.

Structuring Your Ceremony

Use this as a guide to structuring your wedding ceremony, keeping in mind the mandatory and legal elements.

TIP: If you want to throw structure out the window and do something less traditional, check out my tips on how you can reimagine ceremony traditions in to fun customs or activities.

1. Welcome and Introduction

   • Your celebrant will welcome your guests and set the tone for the ceremony. This is where you can ask for an ‘unplugged ceremony’, pay respect to Traditional Owners with an Acknowledgement of Country, or provide other instructions or information.

2. The Processional

   • This is up to you on how you’d like to enter the ceremony. You may both like to enter together or separately (or not at all).

3. The couple’s story

   • Let’s remind your guests on how amazing you both are! We’ll tell your love story and get to the heart of why we’re here today.

4. Readings and Poems

   • You may choose to include readings that reflect your values and love story. This can be done by friends or family members.

5. Monitum (mandatory)

   • These are the legal words spoken by the celebrant to legally officiate your marriage: “Marriage, according to the law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life”

6. Declaration of Intent (the asking)

   • This can be the ‘I Do’ section of the wedding where you affirm your commitment to each other. This can be both a serious or humourous moment.

7. Legal Vows (mandatory)

   • Repeat after me. These words must be repeated after the celebrant with each person taking it in turns.

8. Personal Vows

   • You may choose to add some additional vows after the legal component. Personalise your vows to add a heartfelt touch. If you need some help, check out my guide on writing your own vows.

9. Exchange of Rings

   • Symbolise your commitment with the exchange of rings (or other items). This can be accompanied by a brief explanation of the tradition.

10. Pronouncement of Marriage

    • Your celebrant will declare you married, followed by the much-anticipated first kiss (or fist-bump, high-five).

11. Signing of the Register (Mandatory)

    • You, your two witnesses (who must be 18 years or older), and the celebrant will sign the marriage certificates.

12. Conclusion and Recessional

    • Your celebrant will offer closing remarks, and you’ll walk back down the aisle as a married couple.

Micro Weddings: A Simplified Approach

For couples opting for a micro wedding, only the mandatory or legal requirements remain. You may choose to include some other components.

Read more: The rising trend of micro weddings.

Rituals

Whether its for cultural reasons or something that reflects your relationship, you may choose to include some fun or meaningful rituals in your ceremony.

it’s up to you

Structuring your wedding ceremony is all about reflecting your love and values. Whether it’s a large celebration or a micro wedding, make sure each element resonates with you as a couple. Your celebrant will be there to guide you through the legal requirements and help create a ceremony that’s uniquely yours.

If you need help structuring your wedding or micro ceremony, feel free to get in touch.