Jumping The Broom Wedding Ceremony Scripts and PDF's
Jumping the broom is something the average American associates with an African American wedding ceremony with its roots in Slavery. To my surprise, the first couple that asked me to include jumping the broom in their ceremony was performing a handfasting and were following Celtic traditions of jumping the broom. The groom just loved the movie Braveheart and wanted to add the traditions of that time to his wedding ceremony.
Why do couples jump the broom during a wedding ceremony?
So, why do couples jump the broom during a wedding ceremony? Jumping the broom signifies sweeping away the past and starting a new life as a married couple. It also signifies the freedom of a couple to choose who they love and commit to. Slaves were not allowed to enter into legal marriage so they jumped the broom to publicly signify their commitment. The couple may jump the broom separately or together at the end of their ceremony or as they enter their reception.
Over the years, a variety of different couples have wanted to jump the broom for a variety of reasons. The most common reason, in my experience, other than to honor their enslaved ancestors, is brides wanting to sweep away any memory of their ex-husband!
Over the years, a variety of different couples have wanted to jump the broom for a variety of reasons. The most common reason, in my experience, other than to honor their enslaved ancestors, is brides wanting to sweep away any memory of their ex-husband!
Jumping the Broom Ceremony History
Jumping the broom is much more varied them some people think. I find written all over the place in wedding ceremony scripts that it dates back to the 1600’s with the slaves brought to the Americas, however, when you look at the history of Jumping the Broom in Europe you can see many similarities in the different cultures.
Jumping the broom in England
Jumping the broomstick in England has been used as a term to doubt the validity of a marriage. If a couple was unable to marry in England they might run away to France to get married and that was referred to as Jumping over a Broomstick. See the Wiki article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_broom
As a wedding officiant, I find the English history of jumping the broom to be significant. Civil marriage was introduced to England in 1836 and was referred to as “The Broomstick Marriage Act.” Before that, a marriage was only thought to be legitimate if it was performed in the Anglican church. Today, many couples still feel a wedding is more legitimate if it’s performed in a church even though the legal rights of marriage are associated with the act of obtaining and completing a marriage license.
As a wedding officiant, I find the English history of jumping the broom to be significant. Civil marriage was introduced to England in 1836 and was referred to as “The Broomstick Marriage Act.” Before that, a marriage was only thought to be legitimate if it was performed in the Anglican church. Today, many couples still feel a wedding is more legitimate if it’s performed in a church even though the legal rights of marriage are associated with the act of obtaining and completing a marriage license.
While jumping the broom is historically linked back to the Welsh and the Celtic traditions, there is also an African tradition involving brooms. The symbolism of a broom in Ghana was used to signify the brides the wife’s commitment or willingness to clean the courtyard of the new home she had joined. The couple did not jump the broom it was waved over their heads. Before you go all crazy thinking that’s the submission of a woman or some sort of dominance, I think we all want to live in a well-kept home. I’d definitely prefer to sweep and clean instead of hunt!
Brooms in African Wedding Ceremonies
Jumping of the Broom and Slave Weddings
Enslaved African Americans were not allowed to legally marry because a civil marriage contract can only the freedom of a couple between two people who are free. The law does not govern love! The slaves took it upon themselves to create a public jumping of the broom ceremony to declare a marriage. Personally, I find this to be an important piece of the puzzle. Some people ask, Why would you want to do something that reminds you of slavery on your wedding day? The answer is, because, in spite of the laws of the land at the time, the laws and those who wrote those laws, could not control the right of who you choose to love and commit yourselves to freely.
The English called a legally invalid wedding a Broomstick Wedding. A wedding between two slaves was also considered legally invalid. Perhaps the world has always been smaller than we actually think it is, even when we traveled overseas by boats.
The English called a legally invalid wedding a Broomstick Wedding. A wedding between two slaves was also considered legally invalid. Perhaps the world has always been smaller than we actually think it is, even when we traveled overseas by boats.
Celtic Jumping of the Broom – Jumping of the Besom
In the Celtic tradition, the broom is actually a Besom with is a type of broom that is made with twigs tied together with a strong pole. The couple might hold hands and jump over the broom in the church after the priest pronounces them married. The broom can also be laid at an angle at the entryway of their new home and they can take turns jumping over it. (Or, the groom could jump over it while carrying the bride over the threshold.)
In ancient time, many homes had dirt floors that were swept several times a day. The repetition of the sweeping created the boundaries of the home.
Jumping of the Broom for Gypsies
It is believed that the Gypsy culture of India through Eastern Europe could have introduced the Jumping of the Broom to the Celts. This gives the Jumping of the Broom a lot of leeway for interpretation in a wedding joining together all sorts cultures and forms of spirituality.
Jumping the Broom Presentation
When I meet with a couple and they say they want to perform some sort of unity ceremony I always ask them why they want to do it. Is there some sort of meaning in it for them that we should explain to their guests? In the case of jumping the broom, I would explain the reasoning as I present the broom to be jumped over. More often than not, an African American couple will say they want to do it because of their slave heritage. In this case, nothing really needs to be said, you lay the broom down, they jump, and everyone claps. Actually, trying to script anything out at the end of a wedding ceremony rarely goes off as planned, everyone is just too excited and wants to kiss and walk down the aisle. You can not blame them!
Each couple and each wedding is different so the meaning of any unity ceremony can be unique to the couple.
There are many ways that you can script the Jumping of the Broom in a wedding ceremony. If the wedding is multi-cultural I generally like to explain to the guests what the couple is doing in order to keep them engaged in the ceremony so they feel as though they are part of the ceremony or at least understand it with interest.
Jumping the Broom Wedding Ideas
You can buy a broom to jump over or you can create your own. The broom you jump over will be a symbol in your home for years to come so you can decorate it in any way that is meaningful for you. I can be rustic like a Besom or bejeweled. I believe you can customize your wedding in any way that you like. It could even be a Nimbus 2000 for a Harry Potter Wedding! (Do wizards have marriage licenses?)
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Jumping the Broom Ceremony Script 1
You can download this jpg file, the PDF below or
click here to cut and paste 
Jumping the Broom Ceremony Script 2
You can download this jpg file, the PDF below or
click here to cut and paste This is from Snippet and Ink It is a script suitable for a reception of a small wedding. 
Jumping the Broom Ceremony Script 3
You can download this jpg file, the PDF below or
click here to cut and paste 
Jumping the Broom Ceremony Script 4
You can download this jpg file, the PDF below or
click here to cut and paste 
Jumping the Broom Ceremony Script 5
You can download this jpg file, the PDF below or
click here to cut and paste 
Jumping the Broom Ceremony Readings
I’m always on the lookout for other pieces of literature that could be read or included in a wedding ceremony script. These are song lyrics I found.
This song was found in the sheet music of “At an Ole Virginia Wedding” and is dated Sept. 9, 1900 You can download this jpg file, the PDF below or click here to cut and paste 
Scriptures that have to do with sweeping
Luke 11:25 And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.
Matthew 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Isaiah 14:23 I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. Luke 15:8 Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? | ||||||||||||||