diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 297c8ffb..2ea7d8dd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -186,6 +186,32 @@ stepFunctions:
 
 Configuring the cors property sets Access-Control-Allow-Origin, Access-Control-Allow-Headers, Access-Control-Allow-Methods,Access-Control-Allow-Credentials headers in the CORS preflight response.
 
+#### Customizing request body mapping templates
+
+The plugin generates default body mapping templates for `application/json` and `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` content types. If you'd like to add more content types or customize the default ones, you can do so by including them in `serverless.yml`:
+
+```yml
+stepFunctions:
+  stateMachines:
+    hello:
+      events:
+        - http:
+            path: posts/create
+            method: POST
+            request:
+              template:
+                application/json: |
+                  #set( $body = $util.escapeJavaScript($input.json('$')) )
+                  #set( $name = $util.escapeJavaScript($input.json('$.data.attributes.order_id')) )
+                  {
+                    "input": "$body",
+                    "name": "$name",
+                    "stateMachineArn":"arn:aws:states:#{AWS::Region}:#{AWS::AccountId}:stateMachine:processOrderFlow-${opt:stage}"
+                  }
+      name: processOrderFlow-${opt:stage}
+      definition:
+```
+
 #### Send request to an API
 You can input an value as json in request body, the value is passed as the input value of your statemachine
 
diff --git a/lib/deploy/events/apiGateway/methods.js b/lib/deploy/events/apiGateway/methods.js
index 330176e3..8c761b45 100644
--- a/lib/deploy/events/apiGateway/methods.js
+++ b/lib/deploy/events/apiGateway/methods.js
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ module.exports = {
   },
 
   getMethodIntegration(stateMachineName, customName, http) {
-    const stateMachineLogicalId = this.getStateMachineLogicalId(stateMachineName, customName);
     const apiToStepFunctionsIamRoleLogicalId = this.getApiToStepFunctionsIamRoleLogicalId();
     const integration = {
       IntegrationHttpMethod: 'POST',
@@ -67,32 +66,7 @@ module.exports = {
         ],
       },
       PassthroughBehavior: 'NEVER',
-      RequestTemplates: {
-        'application/json': {
-          'Fn::Join': [
-            '', [
-              "#set( $body = $util.escapeJavaScript($input.json('$')) ) \n\n",
-              '{"input": "$body","name": "$context.requestId","stateMachineArn":"',
-              {
-                Ref: `${stateMachineLogicalId}`,
-              },
-              '"}',
-            ],
-          ],
-        },
-        'application/x-www-form-urlencoded': {
-          'Fn::Join': [
-            '', [
-              "#set( $body = $util.escapeJavaScript($input.json('$')) ) \n\n",
-              '{"input": "$body","name": "$context.requestId","stateMachineArn":"',
-              {
-                Ref: `${stateMachineLogicalId}`,
-              },
-              '"}',
-            ],
-          ],
-        },
-      },
+      RequestTemplates: this.getIntegrationRequestTemplates(stateMachineName, customName, http),
     };
 
     const integrationResponse = {
@@ -134,6 +108,37 @@ module.exports = {
     };
   },
 
+  getIntegrationRequestTemplates(stateMachineName, customName, http) {
+    const defaultRequestTemplates = this.getDefaultRequestTemplates(stateMachineName, customName);
+    return Object.assign(
+      defaultRequestTemplates,
+      _.get(http, ['request', 'template'])
+    );
+  },
+
+  getDefaultRequestTemplates(stateMachineName, customName) {
+    const stateMachineLogicalId = this.getStateMachineLogicalId(stateMachineName, customName);
+    return {
+      'application/json': this.buildDefaultRequestTemplate(stateMachineLogicalId),
+      'application/x-www-form-urlencoded': this.buildDefaultRequestTemplate(stateMachineLogicalId),
+    };
+  },
+
+  buildDefaultRequestTemplate(stateMachineLogicalId) {
+    return {
+      'Fn::Join': [
+        '', [
+          "#set( $body = $util.escapeJavaScript($input.json('$')) ) \n\n",
+          '{"input": "$body","name": "$context.requestId","stateMachineArn":"',
+          {
+            Ref: `${stateMachineLogicalId}`,
+          },
+          '"}',
+        ],
+      ],
+    };
+  },
+
   getMethodResponses(http) {
     const methodResponse = {
       Properties: {
diff --git a/lib/deploy/events/apiGateway/methods.test.js b/lib/deploy/events/apiGateway/methods.test.js
index b8a5b805..8170afab 100644
--- a/lib/deploy/events/apiGateway/methods.test.js
+++ b/lib/deploy/events/apiGateway/methods.test.js
@@ -82,19 +82,6 @@ describe('#methods()', () => {
         .to.have.property('Integration');
     });
 
-    it('should set stateMachinelogical ID to RequestTemplates when customName is not set', () => {
-      expect(serverlessStepFunctions.getMethodIntegration('stateMachine').Properties
-        .Integration.RequestTemplates['application/json']['Fn::Join'][1][2].Ref)
-        .to.be.equal('StateMachineStepFunctionsStateMachine');
-    });
-
-    it('should set custom stateMachinelogical ID to RequestTemplates when customName is set',
-    () => {
-      expect(serverlessStepFunctions.getMethodIntegration('stateMachine', 'custom').Properties
-        .Integration.RequestTemplates['application/json']['Fn::Join'][1][2].Ref)
-        .to.be.equal('Custom');
-    });
-
     it('should set Access-Control-Allow-Origin header when cors is true',
     () => {
       expect(serverlessStepFunctions.getMethodIntegration('stateMachine', 'custom', {
@@ -115,6 +102,93 @@ describe('#methods()', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('#getIntegrationRequestTemplates()', () => {
+    it('should set stateMachinelogical ID in default templates when customName is not set', () => {
+      const requestTemplates = serverlessStepFunctions
+        .getIntegrationRequestTemplates('stateMachine');
+      expect(requestTemplates['application/json']['Fn::Join'][1][2].Ref)
+        .to.be.equal('StateMachineStepFunctionsStateMachine');
+    });
+
+    it('should set custom stateMachinelogical ID in default templates when customName is set',
+    () => {
+      const requestTemplates = serverlessStepFunctions
+        .getIntegrationRequestTemplates('stateMachine', 'custom');
+      expect(requestTemplates['application/json']['Fn::Join'][1][2].Ref)
+        .to.be.equal('Custom');
+    });
+
+    it('should return the default template for application/json when one is not given', () => {
+      const httpWithoutRequestTemplate = {
+        path: 'foo/bar1',
+        method: 'post',
+        request: {
+          template: {
+            'application/x-www-form-urlencoded': 'custom template',
+          },
+        },
+      };
+      const requestTemplates = serverlessStepFunctions
+        .getMethodIntegration('stateMachine', undefined, httpWithoutRequestTemplate)
+        .Properties.Integration.RequestTemplates;
+      expect(requestTemplates['application/json']['Fn::Join'][1][2].Ref)
+        .to.be.equal('StateMachineStepFunctionsStateMachine');
+    });
+
+    it('should return a custom template for application/json when one is given', () => {
+      const httpWithRequestTemplate = {
+        path: 'foo/bar1',
+        method: 'post',
+        request: {
+          template: {
+            'application/json': 'custom template',
+          },
+        },
+      };
+      const requestTemplates = serverlessStepFunctions
+        .getMethodIntegration('stateMachine', undefined, httpWithRequestTemplate)
+        .Properties.Integration.RequestTemplates;
+      expect(requestTemplates['application/json'])
+        .to.be.equal('custom template');
+    });
+
+    it('should return the default for application/x-www-form-urlencoded when one is not given',
+    () => {
+      const httpWithoutRequestTemplate = {
+        path: 'foo/bar1',
+        method: 'post',
+        request: {
+          template: {
+            'application/json': 'custom template',
+          },
+        },
+      };
+      const requestTemplates = serverlessStepFunctions
+        .getMethodIntegration('stateMachine', undefined, httpWithoutRequestTemplate)
+        .Properties.Integration.RequestTemplates;
+      expect(requestTemplates['application/x-www-form-urlencoded']['Fn::Join'][1][2].Ref)
+        .to.be.equal('StateMachineStepFunctionsStateMachine');
+    });
+
+    it('should return a custom template for application/x-www-form-urlencoded when one is given',
+    () => {
+      const httpWithRequestTemplate = {
+        path: 'foo/bar1',
+        method: 'post',
+        request: {
+          template: {
+            'application/x-www-form-urlencoded': 'custom template',
+          },
+        },
+      };
+      const requestTemplates = serverlessStepFunctions
+        .getMethodIntegration('stateMachine', undefined, httpWithRequestTemplate)
+        .Properties.Integration.RequestTemplates;
+      expect(requestTemplates['application/x-www-form-urlencoded'])
+        .to.be.equal('custom template');
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('#getMethodResponses()', () => {
     it('should return a corresponding methodResponses resource', () => {
       expect(serverlessStepFunctions.getMethodResponses().Properties)