Officiant Marty Younkin Shares How to Lead a Memorable Wedding Ceremony

The Short Version: Everyone wants to have their dream wedding someday. A memorable wedding is something that couples and their loved ones can always cherish as a symbol of love and commitment. Marty Younkin is an experienced officiant and author who wants everyone to find their happy ending. He has written a bestselling book, “A Wedding Ceremony to Remember — Perfect Words for the Perfect Wedding” to explain how an officiant can navigate the key moments in the ceremony. Throughout the book, Marty shares the inside scoop on how anyone can create a memorable wedding with the right words. 

Weddings are meant to capture the true essence of a couple’s love. From the decor to the music, weddings symbolize the couple’s profound love for one another. Some couples like the idea of having a wedding planner, whereas others prefer to take on the task themselves. 

Those brave couples who want to plan a memorable wedding ceremony but don’t know where to start can take a page from long-time officiant Marty Younkin. His bestselling book: “A Wedding Ceremony to Remember — Perfect Words for the Perfect Wedding” gives readers the tools to create a wonderful exchange of vows.

Books are honestly one of the best ways to learn something new. Marty helps people create a memorable wedding ceremony by revealing the ins and outs of wedding planning in his book. Marty, who is the Executive Director of LoveNotes Weddings. Since 1992, Marty and his “Marrying Men” have officiated more than 16,000 couples. In the time, he has gained a lot of experience that makes him not only knowledgeable but trustworthy as well.

Readers can find comfort knowing that, “A Wedding Ceremony to Remember,” is a useful guide that has many helpful worksheets and diagrams. You can find ceremony worksheets to customize your vows or rehearsal worksheets to organize your rehearsal. Some readers expressed that, before reading the book, they had no clue where to start. But Marty’s helpful tips empowered them to accomplish their dream wedding. 

“We put together the most beautiful ceremony and people are still talking about it,” said a reader in a review. “The worksheets were so organized and helpful that even my wedding coordinator used them to conduct my rehearsal. I don’t know what I would have done without this book. It made the whole planning process a breeze and even fun for my DH and me!”

Marty told us that couples can also find the book to be useful in helping plan a nondenominational wedding. It’s no secret that weddings come in many different shapes, sizes, and settings, and the book does a fine job in guiding you to ensure that your wedding dream comes true – even if it’s not in a church or following any religious tradition.

In “A Wedding Ceremony to Remember,” Marty points out that couples shouldn’t have to settle for a cookie-cutter wedding ceremony. Instead, he shares how couples can design their ceremony to reflect their love and unique style from start to finish — even down to the very words said during the wedding. 

“This book is a word planner that helps you select the words you want to be spoken on this special day, words spoken both by you and by the wedding officiant,” shared Marty. 

Words are powerful and meaningful. That’s why couples often take time before the wedding to write out their vows. They try to find the best words that capture how they truly feel while still entertaining their guests. But sometimes that’s not so easy to do. 

“Hence the inspiration for writing the book was to provide wording that would help her “hired Officiant” tell the Bride’s love story. Every bride has a love story and my book helps her to write her story,” said Marty.

“A Wedding Ceremony to Remember” is not limited to couples. The book can help anyone find the right words to say during a wedding ceremony. Whether you’re a wedding planner, an officiant, or a curious reader that just loves learning about weddings, the book can be a resourceful tool when trying to come up with what to say and how to say it during a wedding.

Just like the bride and the groom, the officiant must have his fair share of words that will shape the wedding. From his experience, Marty told us that he describes a good officiant as one who takes the time to get to know the couple. As a result, they can customize their words to fit the wedding and make it more meaningful that way. Many officiants and student ministers use Marty’s teachings to create a better experience for their couples as well. 

“I have used Rev. Younkin’s book for years in my wedding officiant business,” said a reader in a review. “There’s something for almost everyone. I give a copy to each of my couples and they love it! It makes customizing their ceremony easy and fun for them and it makes it easy for me also… I use this book more than any other for my wedding business. It is often the key that seals the deal with the couples who interview me.”

Wedding planning can be a challenging and stressful process for couples who take a DIY approach. But doing things alone has its challenges as well. A regular person may not know where to start when it comes to organizing a ceremony. That’s where Marty’s book can come in handy.

Marty told us that couples can use his book for expert guidance without having to feel like their wedding is in someone else’s hands. “A Wedding Ceremony to Remember” helps couples decide on the style —  such as religious and family-oriented themes — they want to go with for their ceremony. The book also offers different samples of ceremonies with readings, vows, blessings, traditions, and more to select from that many find easy to understand.

This must-have book is the helping hand that many people never knew they needed. Marty told us that he encourages couples to get creative when planning for their big day – and to start early. Weddings shouldn’t be taken lightly, and the planning process only gets easier the sooner you plan it. Although receptions take up most of the wedding planning, Marty says that ceremonies are a big part of the day too.

“Do not neglect the ceremony,” said Marty. “The ceremony sets the stage for everything else that transpires that day. If your officiant nails it and knocks it out of the ballpark, your reception will be wonderful. But if he misses the ceremony, guess what your guests will be talking about the rest of the day?”

Since it was first published in 1999, “A Wedding Ceremony to Remember” has paved the way for many couples to take the lead in their wedding ceremonies. The 5th edition of the book published in 2019 has a 4.7 out of 5-star rating, and readers highly recommend the book to everyone open to learning about wedding planning. 

Marty has helped couples tie the knot for more than 47 years through LoveNotes Weddings. Marty has been successful in his career thanks to his passion for love and the care he shows for every couple he works with. Marty is a reliable and proactive resource for couples — and many can confirm that he adds something special. 

“We were so honored to have Marty Younkin as our minister. He was such a delight to speak to over the phone. I always looked forward to a response because no matter what, he always put a smile on my face,” said a very happy bride in a LoveNotes letter. “He made me feel like my wedding was a fairytale, saying all the right things, and always having a smile on his face whether it be in person or on the phone.”

“A Wedding Ceremony to Remember” is available to buy on Amazon for $19.95 and $9.99 on Kindle. This fifth edition best-seller offers even more choices than before, and readers can’t get enough of it. The insights in his book help readers become more knowledgeable about wedding ceremonies and Marty’s unique way of making the vows more personal and memorable. 

“I highly recommend this book to any couple planning a wedding. It was invaluable to us!” said a reader in a review. “The worksheets helped us organize not only our ceremony but our rehearsal also. It really was everything we needed to plan our wedding and to personalize our ceremony exactly the way we wanted it!”