Wedding Vows
Vow vou/ noun plural noun: vows
a solemn promise.
verb 3rd person present: vows
solemnly promise to do a specified thing.
dedicate to someone or something.
... Oath, pledge, promise, bond, covenant, commitment, affirmation, assurance, swear, give one’s word, guarantee...
Mat Divad Photography
The majority of a wedding ceremony is spoken by the person marrying the couple standing before them at the altar. They carry the couple and congregation through the ceremony and prompt the guests and/or the couple when it’s their time to chime in and take part.
Vows are one of those chime-in moments for the couple.
"I, ___, take you, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part…”
Sound familiar?
When it comes to these vows, there is one major decision: do you write your own, or go generic?
Writing personal vows, for some, can seem like a daunting task, stressful, and leave one wondering if they’re going to be able to say the “right thing”. If you’re reading this and think, "Yup, that’s me": Don’t panic. We’re not all born writers, and we don’t all have this effortless ability to drop feelings into words on paper like Ed Sheeran.
If choosing a scripted version better suits you and your partner, that’s perfect. Don’t think that your vows to one another mean less if you decide to go with scripted ones from your officiant or off the internet. If you believe the words you’re saying, that’s all that matters.
If we can offer any advice, it would be to take some time to think this one through. Your vows are a promise and pledge to one another. Express every word with certainty. Believe every word with conviction. Speak from the heart. Add humour if it works, and for Pete's sake be OK with shedding a few tears on the day-of. It’s totally cool to cry happy tears.
If you’re up for the challenge (or want to surprise your loved with some personal touches), check back next week on the blog for tips and tricks on vow writing!
XoXo P&P
Cover Image pulled from Ever New Studios
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