Creative ways to deliver your wedding vows
It doesn’t take much to notice that I am an absolute vow freak, in the sense that I can’t help but encourage (force!) my couples to personalise their vows as much as possible. From the bare minimum of taking an already existing vow and tailoring it to your own requirements to going all the way and writing your pledges from scratch, all forms of personalisation are better than none at all.
So now, not only am I preaching about the goodness of writing your own vows, I’m now also trying to encourage (force!) couples to think about the different ways of delivering their vows. Here’s how to hit the right note with your vows from the outset, from the writing stages to the delivery of them.
Vows in unison
I am such a big fan of this. If your personal vows are the same (many couples share the same vow) and not more than a few paragraphs long, then why not say them together? I think there is something so special about pledging your vows together at the same time, it just oozes with symbolism; two people in love speaking with one voice. Wow! I talk about this a little more in my post on Game of Thrones inspired vows.
Here is also an example of a vow that can be said in unison.
I take you to be my partner for lifeI promise above all else to live in truth with youAnd to communicate fully and fearlessly,I give you my hand and my heartAs a sanctuary of warmth and peaceAnd pledge my love, devotion, faith and honourAs I join my life to yours
So if you and your partner are planning on penning a joint vow, why not say it together rather than you each repeating it separately?
Vows in alternation
Saying your vows line by line is another fab way of sharing your vows and making your pledges together. Again, it is full symbolism – the two of you sharing your pledges and paving the way for a future of sharing all that life brings to you. You could also modify this technique a little, by saying a few lines or paragraphs alternately, especially if you have a lengthy pledge. One of my wonderful couples wrote and delivered this amazing vow together. The alternate delivery was such a brilliant way to pledge such personal pledges. And I so love their zombie reference too. They were big Walking Dead fans, just like me!
Charles: I promise to always love you and take care of you
Camilla: I promise that my heart is yours to keep
Charles: I promise to pretend I like all those bad TV shows that you love
Camilla: I promise to act as if I care about the offside rule
Charles: I promise to remind you of my love every day of my life
Camilla: I promise to never stop working to make us even stronger
Charles: I promise that from this day forward you’ll never walk alone
Camilla: I promise to shoot you in the head if you are ever bitten by a Zombie
Charles: I promise to honour the commitments we make today, whether I am far from home or wrapped in your arms.
Camilla: I promise to remember how lucky I am to have someone that makes saying goodbye so hard.
Charles: I promise to build a secret lab and fill it with minions for you.
Camilla: I promise to devise an evil plan to try and steal the moon for you.
Charles: I promise to give you my undivided attention, as long as there is no football on TV.
Camilla: I promise to never keep score, even when I am totally winning
Charles: I promise to believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourself
Camilla: I promise to see all of your magic and remind you of it when you have forgotten
Charles: I promise to be your biggest fan
Camilla: I promise to always be your partner in crime
Charles: I promise to protect you and when I cannot, I will stand with you
Camilla: I cannot promise that I will always deserve you, but I promise I will try my very best.
Charles: I promise to grow old along with you.
Camilla: I promise you, me.
Amazing or amazing?
Question vow exchange
I was so proud of one of my couples who came up with this idea of asking each other their question vow instead of me doing it. How wonderful is that! Personally, I like to have as little to do with the delivery of the vows as possible. Meaning that if a couple have a pledge to make I prefer them to say/read it directly to each other, rather than me prompting them, line by line, which some nervous couples often ask! The more directness there is between the couple and their vows, so that they are talking only to each other, the more heartfelt and symbolic it is. This is why I also love this idea of asking your question vow to each other. Check this out.
Kanye: I choose you Kim, to be my wife, as my friend and love. I choose you
to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, and trusting what
things I will discover. I will respect you as a person, a partner, and an equal.
I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and
in triumph. You have helped me become the person I am today, and with
your help, I will be a better person tomorrow than I was yesterday. I choose
you as the person with whom I will spend my life and cherish you through all
of life’s adventures. Do you take me to be your lawfully wedded husband?
Kim: I do
Kim: I choose you Kanye, to be my husband, as my friend and love. I choose you
to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, and trusting what
things I will discover. I will respect you as a person, a partner, and an equal.
I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and
in triumph. I promise to not take you for granted, especially when you are
hovering spiders for me & being my human hot water bottle. I choose you
as the person with whom I will spend my life and cherish you through all of
life’s adventures. Do you take me to be your lawfully wedded wife?
Kanye: I do
Amazing or amazing?
Also, you could consider something along these lines, a more direct question vow like these which I literally just made up!
Angelina: Brad, do you take me to be your wedded wife. Do you promise to be my soul mate, partner in crime and shoulder to cry on? Do you promise to make me laugh when I am sad, to guide me when I feel lost and to love me when I am unlovevable? Do you promise to uphold our love, protect our values and honour our bond?
Brad: I most certainly do!
Well, that’s it for now. I’ve actually got a wedding this afternoon, so I better be off!
I hope I have sprinkled some vow inspiration dust your way and helped you to get your thinking caps on.
I’d love to hear what you’ve got planned for your vows, too. So please do share.
