Step 8 - Recite the Ceremony to a Friend

You should feel pretty good about what you have so far. You earned it, you have put in a lot of work.

Here's where the rubber meets the road. Find a trusted friend or two and recite the ceremony to them. Their feedback whether positive, negative, or both is crucial in perfecting the ceremony.

It may be hard to hear criticism after you have put in so much hard work. That is why you should ask someone whose insight you trust and respect. Their goal is to help you make the ceremony the best that it can be. You don't have to take their advice but it doesn't hurt to hear what they think.

Remember, this ceremony is not about you. It is about the couple. Keep your ego in check and think about them. You are doing this to write the best ceremony that you can for the couple.

Optional Exercise: You may also want to show the ceremony to the couple. Chances are already keeping in regular touch with them. If not, it is good to show them what you have so that they can give their seal of approval. There is the small chance that you went off the reservation with your writing, but if you following step 3, that should not be an issue.

The reason why we make this step optional is for two reasons. (1) You should already be working with the couple on the ceremony script. (2) Sometimes one of the partners requests to include a surprise in the ceremony and it is necessary to be somewhat secretive about the specifics of the ceremony. You will know what is appropriate in your specific situation.