Writing Your Personal Vows - Hints and Tips for Brides and Grooms

Wedding vows are special. The time they are spoken is the part of the wedding where you are joined together as husband and wife. It’s the start of a new journey together. Most of us will have heard the traditional vows many a time, attending weddings of members of the family or friends, and they are regularly used in movies.

But what if you want something that little bit different? What if you want to make the vows more personal, more of a reflection of the couple you are, the two individuals expressing their love for the other?

Besides, not many women really want to vow that they will obey their husband. That time is a bit past – women are no longer seen as they were a few decades ago.

The good news is that in many cases you will be able to incorporate your own vows into the ceremony. Further good news is that in many cases you are able to change the words “love, honour and obey” into “love, honour and respect”, which sounds a whole lot better to many brides. Respect, after all, is essential to any marriage.

In some countries, including England and Wales, you do have to say the statutory words in order for your marriage to be legal. Often, especially at Civil Ceremonies, you will then be able to add your own vows.

Not all churches will allow additional vows. If you want to be married at a church, it is best to discuss this with your minister beforehand, just so you know what your options are.

If you are able to use them, there are a few things to consider:

It is natural to feel nervous at your wedding. Many brides and grooms fear stumbling over their words or even hardly being able to speak when the time comes. There’s no need to worry about that. Try practicing your vows beforehand, to lock the words in your memory. You can always note them down on a piece of paper, just in case, and read them out to your partner. When the words are heart-felt, this does not matter. Everyone will understand when you are a bit nervous.

Let your vows be from the heart. This is your special moment, a moment you will remember for the rest of your life. Don’t be afraid to speak your feelings. You are there because you love the other.

Will you be saying your personal vows together or separately? If you will do so together, it will be helpful to practice. Also, check how much time your vows will take up, in either instance. Try to keep it brief. It’s fine to reminisce, and share with your guests how you got to this point in your life, but when vows get too lengthy it is easier to stumble and for those nerves to take over.

Don’t be afraid to insert a little humour. A bit of a laugh can break the tension. Of course, it is a good idea to keep the humour gentle and not at the expense of anyone.

There are plenty of places online where you can find examples of personal vows. This can help you shape your own ones. Of course, you will have all the inspiration you need already. Nonetheless, it can help to see what others wrote.

Last but not least, if you are speaking your vows separately it can be nice to not show them to your partner and surprise them on the day with your words of love.

Whatever your words will be, I am certain that they will add to the occasion and make the day feel all the more special.

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.Prye.Com/ which is a site for   Wedding Invitations.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kit_Marstershttp://EzineArticles.com/?Writing-Your-Personal-Vows—Hints-and-Tips-for-Brides-and-Grooms&id=746651

 

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 27th, 2007 at 6:09 am and is filed under Bride, Couple, Wedding Ceremony, Weddings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.