Officiant

First put together an outline of the sections that you want included in your ceremony (introduction, unity ceremony, declaration of intent, ring exchange, etc). Then search through Pinterest or Google to find ideas for wording for each section, and then piece together the script from your favorites. You can also modify the wording to better reflect what you'd like, or you could even write your own sections.

It might be a better idea to have your best friend do a reading instead, and hire a professional. The ceremony is a very important part of the day to many people, and to me it's risky to ask an amateur to do it.

As long as your friends is legally able to perform the ceremony, there is really no "supposed to" though the I do's or the part where the couple agrees to be married and the pronouncement that they are in fact married are almost always included.

Most times I've seen friends or close family in the officiant role they talk about the couple, how they met, their character, the relationship and why they are a great match, as well as thoughts on love, marriage and commitment. They may include quotes or readings, ring exchange, and any traditions that are important to you.

Definitely make sure they’re able to legally do so. Some states I think have weird laws around it. Also make sure you realize that it may not come off as very professional. I’ve seen non professionals officiate weddings and it’s very obvious they don’t do this for a living. But if this is something important to you and you don’t mind any of that then I think it sounds like it could be a great memory


You can find plenty of stuff online. Lisa gave good advice. That’s the order of things. You can find examples online that you can play around with. My officiant gave me example scripts that gave me an idea of how I wanted things to be worded and I was able to write out everything that was said. But I’m sure you can find that kind of stuff if you look for it. Good luck!