The Perfect Set of Promises For Your Future Life Together
Have you decided to stand up and recite personalised wedding vows to each other? Here are some tips to help you find the words.
When planning your wedding, it’s easy to get carried away with details such as centrepieces and favours, and lose sight of the reason behind your celebrations – your union to your other half! One way to personalise your wedding ceremony and to truly make it about the two of you, is to recite your own individual vows to each other. If this sounds like something you’d like to do, follow these tips to ensure you’re on the right lines.
Before You Get Started
If writing your own wedding vows interests you, then check with your Essex wedding venue team first about how these can be worked into your ceremony. You will need to include some legal wording too, but often your vows can be included either following or leading up to the official section. Sometimes a registrar will need to approve your vows beforehand so be careful not to go too far off course with them.
Setting The Tone
It’s really important that both members of the happy couple are on board with reciting personalised wedding vows to each other. If the more romantic of you creates a long, sentimental list of promises and the other keeps it short and sweet, this can feel a little unbalanced and frankly awkward. Have a frank discussion with your other half about the length of your vows, and the tone. Whether you’re going for deep emotional content or want to include a bit of humour, it’s essential that you’re both on the same page.
Be Inspired
Even though weddings are all about individuality, it’s absolutely fine to take inspiration from those who have gone before you! There are many beautiful love poems or even ballads that you could borrow a line from, which will bring a tear to the eye of everyone present. But the most important thing is that you remember to speak from the heart. Don’t just recite someone else’s words unless you can explain what they mean to you personally and how they fit in with your feelings towards your betrothed and your future life together.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
This rule goes for writing wedding speeches too, but leaving your vows until the last minute is bound to be a disaster. Particularly if you’re aware that your other half has put a lot of effort in, it’s only fair not to write these in a mad panic on the morning of your wedding. Too much stress is known to cause writer’s block so do yourself a favour and complete these at least a couple of weeks beforehand. You can always make last minute edits if something appropriate comes to mind when the adrenaline starts to rush.
Have A Rehearsal
Once you’ve put together the perfect collection of words for your vows, it’s time for a little rehearsal. Remember that confidence is key and it’s important not to mumble either! You might choose to read these out to an incredibly trusted friend or family member, or else you could practice reading them in front of the mirror or even film yourself! You’ll find that things can sound very different when spoken out loud in comparison to how they’re received as written text, so if you’re not happy with your vows then it’s time to make some edits.
When it’s time to say them to your partner, try not to feel nervous! Focus on your other half and let your guests blend into the background as you make your life promises to each other.