A short wedding ceremony script keeps everything legal and everything meaningful — and cuts everything else. Below is a complete 5-10 minute ceremony script you can read as written, plus a 60-second minimal version for elopements and courthouse weddings.
Four elements, tightly worded: welcome, intent, vows, rings, pronouncement. This is the full ceremony — nothing missing, nothing padded.
Gather the room fast.
"Friends and family — welcome. [Name] and [Name] are here to be married, and you are here because your love made their love possible. Let's begin."
The legal ask, plain and direct.
"[Name], will you take [Name] to be your spouse — to love and to cherish, in good times and in hard ones?" ("I will.") (Repeat for the second partner.)
Short-form vows that still carry the spine: memory, promise, close.
"I, [Name], take you, [Name], as my partner — my favorite person, my first call, my home. I promise to choose you every day, in the ordinary and the extraordinary alike."
One ring line each, then the legal close — no waiting.
"A circle with no beginning and no end — I give you this ring as my promise. (Exchange.) By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss!"
The legal minimum, readable in under a minute — ideal when the venue limits time or the couple wants only the essentials.
Intent → vows → pronouncement, nothing between.
"[Name], do you take [Name] to be your spouse?" ("I do.") "And you, [Name]?" ("I do.") "Then by the authority vested in me, I pronounce you married — go be happy together."
Shortening a ceremony is editing, not amputating. Know the two lists.
Readings, unity ceremonies, the officiant's long remarks, processional choreography, community vows. Cut freely; no guest ever left a wedding saying "the ceremony was too short."
The declaration of intent, the vows, the pronouncement, and the license signature afterward. Remove any of these and the marriage may not be legal — check your state's requirements before the day.
Three spoken elements: the declaration of intent ("I do"), the vows (in most states), and the officiant's pronouncement — about 60 seconds total. The marriage license signed by the officiant and witnesses completes the legal act.
A courthouse ceremony commonly runs 5-10 minutes; a minimal elopement script runs about a minute. Guests consistently rate shorter ceremonies as stronger — cut the extras, keep the legal spine and one personal beat.
Readings, unity ceremonies, long officiant remarks and processional choreography are all optional. Never cut the declaration of intent, the vows, the pronouncement or the license signature — those are the legal core.