Taylor Swift has been crafting a love story with her fans since she first captured our hearts with "Love Story." Her songs have been companions to us through "new relationship energy," heartbreak, and falling in love again. In celebration of her album release today (!!), I've been listening to Midnights on loop and preparing this ceremony script inspired by the songwriter herself. No one does songwriting like Taylor, so why not write your wedding like Taylor, too?
Whether or not you're a Swiftie, you'll find something to love in this sweet and playful wedding ceremony script for brides Jenna and Elise. Elise and Jenna connected over Taylor Swift's music early in their relationship, and Taylor has provided the soundtrack to their love story ever since. They knew they wanted Taylor to be a big part of their wedding day, so their ceremony script is filled with "Taylor-made" Easter eggs.
With their story in mind, I designed a "Paper Rings" ritual to symbolize the support they felt from their community, and it involves having the guests write one-sentence love letters to the couple before the ceremony. To replicate the same thing at your wedding, you would need to prepare strips of paper ahead of time by cutting nice paper into strips measuring 3/4" x 11" (as many strips as there will be guests). Provide the strips of paper, nice pens, and tape at the entrance to the ceremony, and station some willing soul nearby to instruct guests to write a one-sentence love letter to the couple expressing blessing, support, or advice. Then the "love letters" are taped into rings and joined together to make one long chain of paper garland. As guests are finding their seats, attach the ends of the garland (hopefully 9' feet — you can prep much of it ahead of time) to make a giant ring. The final step is to get the giant ring to whoever is in charge of it up front (probably the officiant).
I founded Something New Ceremonies because I want to help couples write ceremony scripts and vows that reflect the magic of their unique love story. Comment below to let me know what you liked and what you would have done differently. Message me to find out how I can help you create the ceremony of your dreams!
Wedding Ceremony Script (Taylor's Version)
Gathering Music
"Daylight" with Bach's Prelude in C performed by Paul Hankinson
Processional
"Wildest Dreams" performed by Duomo
Welcome
Officiant: (To guests) Friends and family, Swifties and Swifties-to-be, welcome to the wedding of Jenna and Elise! Only in their wildest dreams could they have imagined all of you gathered here, looking radiant and ready to party. You should know that the brides have "Taylor-made" this ceremony to reflect their personalities and their love for one another, and they are so excited that you’ve come from all around to join the celebration and offer your support as they get married! Anyone who knows this couple knows that they’re romantics and goofballs—but most of all they’re Swifties. Elise and Jenna connected years ago over a shared love for Taylor Swift’s music. Throughout their relationship, Taylor Swift has been the soundtrack to their unfolding love story, and they knew that today just wouldn’t have felt right if Taylor didn’t also provide the soundtrack to the happiest day of their lives. We're going to have so much fun—and I hope you brought tissues!
I want to prepare you to be fully present for the ceremony—and I want you to have a chance of catching some of the Easter eggs that Jenna and Elise have had so much fun planning just for you!—so at this time I ask that you please turn off your cell phones and turn your attention to the couple. Without further ado…
Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand
And turn to our brides, who will offer their hands,
Vowing, “I take this magnetic force of a femme to be my forever.”
Brides' Processional
"Lover" with Pachelbel's Canon in D performed by Paul Hankinson
Officiant: (To guests) Dearly beloveds, we are gathered here today because we believe in love stories—in their power to move us and change us and bring us together. And we gathered here today—at twilight in this stunning garden!—because we believe in the love story these two are creating. It is a beautiful thing to be able to know and support Elise and Jenna in their golden love! It’s amazing to witness how much they genuinely enjoy one another’s company, and how well they care for and support one another, too.
(To couple) Elise and Jenna, thank you for showing all of us how love can even help us become our most authentic, fearless selves. We’re so excited for you two and everything you have ahead of you!
(To guests) There are lots of people who offer their love and support to Jenna and Elise on their wedding day, including ones who couldn’t be here but are joining us virtually or sending well wishes from afar. And there are those loved ones who are no longer with us, but who we can only imagine must have once dreamed of Elise and Jenna finding happiness like this. We wanted to take a moment to honor these loved ones who are no longer with us with a reading:
Reading
Excerpt from Taylor Swift's 2022 NYU Commencement Speech
“We are each a patchwork quilt of those who have loved us, those who have believed in our futures, those who showed us empathy and kindness or told us the truth even when it wasn’t easy to hear. Those who told us we could do it when there was absolutely no proof of that. Someone read stories to you and taught you to dream and offered up some moral code of right and wrong for you to try and live by…And maybe they didn’t do it perfectly. No one ever can.”
Officiant: (To couple) I think I speak for all of us when I say that we’re so glad that the two of you found each other. I know there must have been days when you doubted whether you would find love, whether it would be worth the hard work necessary to make a relationship work, or whether your love would be celebrated once you found it. On your way to finding each other, you each survived heartbreak and loneliness, and I know there were days you weren’t sure if you were foolish for holding out hope in love. But all along, it was as if there was an invisible string connecting you to one another, drawing you together. Love has an almost invisible way of reshaping the world around us, asking us to be brave and kind. If we’re lucky, we have the invisible strings of friendship and community that can hold us up when we need support or lead us home when we lose our way. If we’re lucky, love stories like the one between Jenna and Elise give us occasion to pause and remember there is so much joy for us to share along the way.
Jenna and Elise, we believe in your futures, and we look forward to being part of your patchwork quilt as you continue to weave your magnificent love story.
(To guests). Before the ceremony you had a chance to write Elise and Jenna a one-sentence love letter on a slip of paper, then add your paper ring to the chain. (You didn’t think these Taylor Swift superfans were about to get married with no mention of paper rings, did you?)
(The officiant continues to speak as members of the wedding party retrieve the paper chain from where it was stashed out of sight—perhaps in the front row or off to the side. Use as many members of the wedding party as necessary to drape the chain around the couple, forming a circle at their feet. The chain should be large enough to easily pass over the couple’s heads without getting caught on their clothes. If the chain is very long, it can be twisted in the center to form an infinity symbol around the couple instead.)
(To couple) Elise and Jenna, as your dearest friends encircle you with this garland, I invite you to turn and witness your friends and family gathered here today. These paper rings are covered in words of blessing, advice, and support from people who adore you and want you to be happy. Take a second to look at everyone and soak up this beautiful moment—today will go by quickly, but we hope you will feel surrounded by our love and support for many days and years to come. Let this serve as a reminder that your community rallies around you with the promise that you are loved and indispensable, even when you struggle to feel love toward yourself or one another. May you always remember that you are not in this journey alone, and that others have gone this path before you and have wisdom to share. We love you so much!
Knowing all this, it’s now time for Jenna and Elise to share their vows to love one another through whatever may come.
Exchange of Vows
Jenna: Elise, I want you for worse or for better, forever and ever. I promise to love you for who you are as well as who you are becoming. I vow to laugh with you, cry with you, grow with you, and create with you. I can’t wait to be your partner and your family in all of life’s adventures. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I have yet to discover, I give you my hand. I give you my love. I give you myself.
Elise: Jenna, you are the best thing that’s ever been mine. I promise to choose you every day, to love you in word and deed, to do the hard work of making now into always. You took the time to memorize me: my fears, my hopes, and my dreams. And I commit to keep learning and growing with you, no matter what life throws our way. I promise to cherish you and celebrate you all the days of our lives. I love you, and that’s all I really know.
Officiant: Elise, do you take Jenna to be your wife, to keep you and hold you, comfort and encourage you, protect you and support you, all the days of your life?
Elise: I do.
Officiant: Jenna, do you take Elise to be your wife, to keep you and hold you, comfort and encourage you, protect you and support you, all the days of your life?
Jenna: I do.
Exchange of Rings
Officiant: (To couple) Jenna and Elise, please take each other’s hands. Take a good look at your partner’s hands resting in yours, so that you may recognize the gift this person is to your life. These are the familiar hands of your best friend, holding yours on your wedding day! These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future. These are the hands that will offer you comfort in the midst of suffering. These are the hands that when wrinkled by age, they will still be reaching for yours.
(Rings are handed to the couple.)
Officiant: (To Jenna) Jenna, please place the ring on Elise's finger and repeat after me.
Officiant: With this ring, I thee wed.
Jenna: With this ring, I thee wed.
Officiant: And with all I am
Jenna: And with all I am
Officiant: And all I have
Jenna: And all I have
Officiant: I honor you.
Jenna: I honor you.
Officiant: (To Elise) Elise, please place the ring on Jenna's finger and repeat after me.
Officiant: With this ring, I thee wed.
Elise: With this ring, I thee wed.
Officiant: And with all I am
Elise And with all I am
Officiant: And all I have
Elise: And all I have
Officiant: I honor you.
Elise: I honor you.
Community Vows
Officiant: (To guests) Each of you by your presence here today is called upon to support this couple in their love and commitment to one another. Today [bride and bride] have demonstrated their belief in their love and their desire to join their lives together. If you believe in their love and want to add your blessing to their marriage, I’m going to ask you to enthusiastically add your support in response to these community vows:
Do you promise, today and always, to celebrate the love story unfolding between Elise and Jenna? Will you offer them the joys of your friendship, the wisdom of your counsel, and the assurance of your continued support, no matter what lies ahead?
If you affirm all this, I think you can guess what I’m going to ask you to say next. (It’s a love story, baby! Just say yes!)
Guests: Yes!
Pronouncement
(Officiant steps to the side.)
Officiant: (To couple) I invite you to seal your vows with a kiss!
(Couple kisses.)
Officiant: In the name of love (and Taylor Swift), it is my honor to introduce our new favorite married power couple: Jenna and Elise!
(Music begins, and the couple exits followed by the wedding party.)
Recessional
"ME!" by Taylor Swift feat. Brendon Urie
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