Monday, December 31, 2012

How to write your own personal wedding vows

write your own personal wedding vows


It's interesting:
"Oh. Is there a wedding going on? .... You may never see a wedding like this one again … not now that they've banned multi-buys on supermarket booze. ..."

On your wedding day, you and your partner will exchange some of the most important words you'll ever speak. Writing your own vows allows you to include all the personal memories and emotions that make your romance so significant. When writing your vows, you have almost limitless chances for creativity and personalized details. Transforming your emotions into words isn't always easy, but with patience and creativity your vows will be worthy of your wedding day.

Instructions

    • 1

      Talk with your officiant before you start drafting your personal vows.

      Meet with your officiant. Before you write your vows, talk with your officiant and make sure that personalized vows are acceptable. Certain officiants may require traditional vows only, especially for religious ceremonies. However, many officiants will allow personalized vows or offer compromises. For instance, you may need to include sections of traditional vows in your personalized ones.

    • 2

      Discuss the vows with your partner. Your vows can be as humorous, poignant or serious as you want, but you and your partner should agree on the overall tone beforehand and work to come to a compromise. Generally, your vows should match in length and mood. Discuss whether you want to write the vows alone or together.

    • 3

      Read examples of other wedding vows. Even though your final vows should be personal, reading other couples' vows gives you inspiration and helps you figure out what you like and what you don't want. If you have family or friends who wrote their own vows, ask for a copy of the vows and read through them for pointers about general structure.

    • 4

      Write love letters to each other. Trying to narrow all your emotions into a single vow is tricky, so focus your thoughts by writing a love letter to your partner. Your love letter can be as long or short as you want, and can be free form or answer specific questions. For instance, write about the first time you met your partner, or about your vision for your future together. Ask your partner to write a love letter to you. Read them together and note moments or lines that work especially well.

    • 5

      Write a first draft. Vows don't have to follow a certain structure, but should generally reflect your intent to remain faithful and devoted to your partner and express your reasons for marrying him or her. Use authentic, heartfelt language, and write as if you're speaking directly to your partner rather than attempting overly formal language.

    • 6

      Ask for feedback. If you and your partner are reading each others' vows before the ceremony, ask each other to read your respective first drafts and mark any changes, questions or comments. Alternatively, or in addition, ask friends and family to read the vows as well and offer constructive feedback. Typically, the officiant should also look at the vows before the ceremony and suggest any changes.

Tips &- Warnings

  • Practice speaking your vows aloud. While words may look good on paper, you may find that they sound stilted or unnatural when spoken. Read each draft aloud and make changes until the vows flow smoothly and sound natural.

  • Vow should usually be short and sweet. Five sentences or so may be enough to sum up what is in your heart and express the important aspects of your marriage vows. Save more in-depth memories and sentiments for wedding speeches and toasts.


Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: your partner, your vows, with your, love letter, wedding vows, with your officiant