Guide · Updated October 11, 2026

Wedding pronouncement wording: examples for the officiant

The pronouncement is the line everyone waits for: you declare the couple married. Here's when to say it, examples of the pronouncement, the kiss and the introduction of the newlyweds, and what to check first.

On this page: When it comes The pronouncement The kiss Presenting the couple Questions

When it comes

The pronouncement comes after the vows and the rings, and after any unity ritual: it's the last thing you say before the kiss. At the end of most ceremonies, the order is:

1. The pronouncement: you declare them married.
2. The kiss.
3. The presentation: you introduce the couple to the guests.
4. The recessional: the music starts and the couple walks out.

The pronouncement and the declaration of intent are the two moments with legal weight. Keep the pronouncement clear, and ask the office that issues the license whether your state expects particular words.

The pronouncement

Customary

This is the wording in our complete wedding ceremony script and in every ceremony kit we write. "Married" works for every couple.

Traditional

• "I now pronounce you husband and wife." Or "wife and wife", "husband and husband": ask the couple.
• "Having witnessed your vows and the giving of rings, I now pronounce you married."

Traditional, religious

• "Forasmuch as [Partner 1] and [Partner 2] have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, I pronounce that they be [husband and wife] together." Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer (1662). Religious couples may want their own tradition's wording.
• "What God has joined together, let no one put asunder. I now pronounce you married."

Modern

• "You've made your promises in front of the people who love you most. It's my joy to pronounce you married."
• "With the promises you've made and the rings you now wear, I'm delighted to pronounce you married."
• "[Partner 1], [Partner 2]: you are married."

Lighthearted

• "By the promises you've made, and with the full support of everyone here who has been waiting years for this, I now pronounce you married."
• "After [number] years, [one detail from their story] and one very long engagement, I now pronounce you married!"

A lighthearted pronouncement still needs the words "pronounce you married", or something just as clear. Put the joke before them, not instead of them.

The kiss

• "You may kiss!"
• "You may now seal your promises with a kiss."
• "Go ahead. Kiss!"
• "You may kiss each other."

Step to one side before you say it, so you're not in the middle of the photo. Some couples skip the kiss, or prefer a hug: ask.

Presenting the couple

• "Everyone, it's my joy to present, for the first time as a married couple, [Partner 1] and [Partner 2]!"
• "Please stand and welcome the newlyweds, [Partner 1] and [Partner 2]!"
• "Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family: [Partner 1] and [Partner 2]!"
• "For the first time anywhere, [names as the couple wants to be introduced]!"

Ask how they want to be introduced. "Mr. and Mrs. [surname]" suits some couples and not others, especially if neither is changing their name.

Questions

Do I have to say "by the power vested in me"?

It's a customary phrase, not one every ceremony uses. If your state requires particular words, the office that issues the license can tell you. Our sample script leaves it out.

Should I say "husband and wife"?

Ask the couple. "Married" works for everyone, and "husband and wife", "wife and wife" or "husband and husband" are fine when that's what they want to hear.

What happens after the pronouncement?

The kiss, your presentation of the couple and the recessional. Then sign the marriage license with the couple, and with witnesses if it asks for them, and return it as the license office told you.

Written by the CeremonyMade team. How we write our guides