On the day at the altar, two people make promises to each other that seal their marriage. These promises have been made for centuries, dating back to the Roman Empire. In those days, the father of the bride would deliver her to the groom, and the two would vow to love each other and become life partners. Today, wedding vows are still a central part of the marriage ceremony. Whether you take your words from a prayer book, a repeat-after-me script, or choose to recite something more personal, your vows are the words that will seal your marriage for all time. So, as you prepare to say your vows, take a moment to reflect on the history and meaning of this ancient tradition. And remember, the words you say today will echo through the years, binding you and your spouse together in love for eternity.
Writing Wedding Vows
The pressure is on to create powerful and profound words to speak at the altar on your wedding day. But don't worry, you're not alone. Even professional writers need to sit down and write meaningful words that will gush with sentiment and create a forever memory.
Writing wedding vows is different from anything we've ever written before, but it's also similar. It's different in all the ways that your true love is unique, but it's similar in all the ways we strategize to write. As you might guess, you must begin with an outline. Creating that outline involves something a little fun.
The Rhythm of your Wedding Vows
The first step to writing wedding vows is to spend the day on a romantic date with the one you love. During this day, take note of three things about them that sparked your love and keep you loving them everyday. These three things should be things that you can profess publicly to the world without getting thrown out of church or embarrassing your partner.
For example, you might notice the way they always put others before themselves, the way they make you laugh until your sides hurt, or the way they always know how to make you feel better when you're down. These are the things that make your partner unique and special, and they're the things that you'll want to remember on your wedding day.
Once you've identified three things that you love about your partner, you can start to think about how you want to incorporate them into your vows. You can use these three things as a starting point for your writing, or you can use them to help you create a rhythm and cadence to your vows.
Take Them Back to When
To write credible wedding vows, take your partner to a few different places where you can observe their character and remember how you fell in love. What about them made you fall into a bottomless pit of limerence? Once you have identified three attributes that drew you to them, you can start writing your vows.
Credibility is the most important part of any wedding vow. It is the reason why your partner can trust your promises. So, when you are writing your vows, be sure to include specific examples of how you have already demonstrated your love and commitment to your partner.
To create credibility in your speech effectively, you must speak with a tone of sincerity and write those characteristics into the wedding vows. Your wedding vows might begin like this:
When I first saw you, I was captivated by your beauty. But it was your soul that truly drew me in. You have a way of seeing the beauty in everything, even in the darkest of times. You light up my life with your smile and your laughter. And you love me unconditionally, without expecting anything in return. I am so honored to be standing here with you today, to declare my love for you in front of our family and friends. I promise to love you, cherish you, honor you, respect you, provide for you, and protect you for the rest of our lives. I will love you with my whole heart, even when we disagree. I will cherish you, even when we grow old. I will honor you, even when we are challenged. I will respect you, even when we are angry. I will provide for you, even when we are poor. And I will protect you, even when we are afraid. I promise to be your best friend, your lover, and your soulmate. I promise to always be there for you, through good times and bad. I promise to love you forever and always.
The Magic of Three
Notice that this example of wedding vows holds the magic rhythm found in the number three. There were three things about them that expressed the reasons why in a meaningful way. Notice the cadence and tone in the phrases, such as ". . . you have a way of seeing the beauty in everything, even in the darkest of times, . . . you light up my life with your smile and laughter [and] love me unconditionally . . ." You will find three attributes about your true love that will create your magical three.
Opening the Floor for Your Wedding Vows
Now you need an attention grabber that announces your wedding vows in a sincere way, such as ". . . I was captivated by your beauty, . . . but it was your soul that truly drew me in, [and] you have a way of seeing the beauty in everything. . ." Notice how these phrases seamlessly flowed right into the credibility or the reasons why. They are so closely related they might seem like part of each other in a magical six formation. However you break up your phrases, they flow in three. The three things with emotional appeal that grab your audience and build them to a peak, and the three genuine reasons why you love this other person establishes emotional appeal and credibility in your wedding vows.
The Promises You Make
Next, you must use the credibility to bring it home with a promise. Notice that we have now divided the vows into three sections, opening, credibility, and promises. The promises of course should be to love, honor, and cherish this other person forevermore. In the example provided, you will notice that it also had its own opening: "I am so honored to be standing here with you today, to declare my love for you in front of our family and friends. I promise to love you, cherish you, honor you, respect you, provide for you, and protect you for the rest of our lives. I will love you with my whole heart, even when we disagree. I will cherish you, even when we grow old. I will honor you, even when we are challenged. I will respect you, even when we are angry. I will provide for you, even when we are poor. And I will protect you, even when we are afraid." This opening to the promise rambled a bit and overstepped the three; however, it is a little ramble in an awkward place that stages the promise perfectly. Get creative with your ramble. Then the exemplary promise follows, "I promise to be your best friend, your lover, and your soulmate. I promise to always be there for you, through good times and bad. I promise to love you forever and always."
Make it Unique
Your wedding vows will be unique to you and your partner. They will reflect your voice, your feelings, and your relationship. They will flow in a pattern, beginning with an opening line, containing all the reasons why you love your partner, and closing with a promise to love them forever and ever more.
If you find more than three reasons why you love your partner, that's great! You can expand on your reasons and be as creative as you want. The three-part structure is just a starting point, and it's a fail-proof way to express your feelings in your wedding vows.
Crystal Ballroom at Sunset Harbor
Need help bringing your wedding vision to life? Contact the designers at Crystal Ballroom at Sunset Harbor. This all-inclusive wedding venue offers a wide range of furnishings, designs, and services to help you create your dream wedding. From the venue itself to the flowers, food, and entertainment, the Crystal Ballroom team will work with you to bring your imagination to life.
With its stunning waterfront location and elegant ballroom, Crystal Ballroom is the perfect place to say "I do." The venue can accommodate up to 250 guests, and the team can help you customize the space to fit your needs. Whether you're looking for a traditional wedding or something more unique, the Crystal Ballroom can help you make your day special.
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