Ceremony Order

Have you talked to the minister performing the ceremony? That should be the first thing you do since they don't vary from one couple to the next.

The pronuncement is the very last thing 'now pronounce you man and wife" or whichever variation your minister uses before the kiss. Also defeats the purpose of introductions at the reception.
The wedding itself is a unity ceremony. Some ministers may allow candle lighting and others don't since it has no basis in religion.

I agree- talk to the minister.

It's been 30+ years, but we were married in a Lutheran ceremony. It's typically very structured. We lit a unity candle, but I don't remember the exact order of things (whether the candle was before or after the vows). Either way, the "pronouncement" was the very last thing, right before the recessional. There are different Lutheran synods or groups, and some are significantly more liberal than others. The more conservative/traditional tend not to be very flexible, so I agree with pps that you need to talk these questions through with the pastor who will be marrying you -- there may or may not be many options available to you. Congrats!

View Quoted Comment I've been trying to get in touch with him and the church and have gotten little response or guidance. They say just have these key elements but don't say in what order really.

View Quoted Comment If the pastor is nonresponsive then look elsewhere for an officiant and ceremony venue. Thumbtack.com is a good starting place

My husband and I were married in a Lutheran church 28 years ago. My pastor gave the address (which was quite lengthy) and we then had my grandpa (also a Lutheran pastor perform the ceremony), we had communion, the unity candle, and basically a concert in between each ritual. Please don't do that to your guests! The only thing worse was the 1.5 hour Catholic ceremony in two different languages that we attended.