Sometimes the most difficult part of a wedding ceremony is choosing wedding vows. Go to Google and you will find hundreds of samples of wedding vows.
Some are traditional: “I take you to be my lawful wedding husband/wife/partner, to have and to hold, through sickness and in health, etc”. Some are romantic: “Because of you, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream. You have helped make me what I am, what I hope to be and yet to become. I cannot imagine life without you. I promise to be your loving husband/wife/partner and your best friend always.” Some couples are not too keen on much talking and just want some really simple vows with not many words involved. And some couples don’t want traditional or standard romantic wedding vows. They want to write their own vows but the task may seem overwhelming to them.
Wedding vows are a couples’ personal pledges to each other and so are very precious. In fact, once a couple have declared their vows they are technically married. Anyone who thinks they can run away before the celebrant pronounces the couple to be married are going to be very disappointed!
So what do you want to say in your vows on this very special day? Apart from the above examples, couples I have married have included the following in their vows:
💜 I promise to bring you coffee in bed each morning and tea in bed at night.
💜 I promise I will look for something for at least 30 seconds before I ask you where it is and I will put things back where I found them.
💜 I will fill your glass when it’s empty and take you for nice lunches with water views.
💜 I promise to make a decent meal once a month and stop talking long enough so you can read the news in the morning (it should be noted here that after this vow was declared, both the bride and groom burst into hysterical laughter!)
These have been intermingled with the serious aspect of wedding vows but each one has been unique to the couple. One of my absolute favourites was written by a groom whose wife-to-be was a Game of Thrones fan. This is an example of what he said:
I call upon those here present to witness that I James (not his real name), take you Laura (not her real name), of House Smith (not real either), the First of Her Name, Queen of the Kitchen, Lover of All Animals, Conqueror of Chocolate, Champion of Craft, Superstar of SingStar, and Mother of Cats, to be my wife.
The most important thing to remember when choosing vows is to say what’s in your heart. Whether the vows are funny, romantic, traditional or a combination of everything, they are your vows. There is no right or wrong and the opinion of others is irrelevant. Of course, your marriage celebrant is always there to guide you along.
So always look outside the square when considering vows but again, the final choice is yours and yours alone.
