To write or not to write: wedding vows

Getting it right for you: should you write your own wedding vows or not?

Wedding vows are what you say to make your marriage official. The vows you say to your partner when tying the knot may be lines from a religious script, a traditional verse, or they might be words you wrote yourselves. The type of ceremony you choose to have (religious or not) will play a big part in the vows you say. Be sure to talk to your celebrant about the vows and your options for making them unique to you.

Many couples choose to make their wedding even more unique to them, by writing their own vows. If you do want to write your own vows, here is some food for thought to get you started:

• Decide together if it’s really what you want to do or not.
• Discuss it with your celebrant - they may have some resources to help you find the right words for you.
• Set a date to have them written by - you don’t need the stress of writing them the night before the wedding!
• Stick to a structure - whether you’re going to show each other your vows before the wedding or not, it’s best to keep them in a similar format.
• Do your research - look at traditional religious vows from different faiths, and read poems and books to find something that suits you.
• Remember that your vows don’t need to be complicated, they just need to show what you mean to each other.

For some more inspiration and sound advice on writing your own vows, read this article by Megan Rossman via A Practical Wedding.