Every relationship is special and unique, and therefore every wedding should be, too. Making the commitment to your partner for the rest of your life is a huge milestone, celebrating the time you’ve spent together so far, and envisioning the life you’ll create together as a married couple. What better way to express your love for one another and what your relationship means, then writing your own vows. If you’ve decided to write your own vows, you might be overwhelmed as to where to start. How could you possibly sum up your love, dreams, and what your relationship means to you in just a few short minutes? Plus, not only are you sharing these words with your partner, but also in front of your closest family and friends. If you’re struggling to get started, we’ve created this guide to help you write your own personal vows.
What to Include
Share Personal Stories
First, you’ll want to talk about some of the amazing memories and the journey that brought you to this moment, standing on the altar, ready to seal the deal with your lifelong partner. How did the two of you meet? Where was your first date? Is there a funny story of one of you being uninterested at first? Share some of your favorite memories along the way, including special vacations, important milestones or accomplishments you’ve achieved together, or any other stories personal to your relationship.
Make Promises For the Future
Marriage is a new chapter in your life that you’ll conquer together, hand in hand, by each other’s side, as long as you both shall live. Once you’ve acknowledged how far you’ve come as a couple, you’ll want to express your excitement for the future and your plans together as a couple. What are you most excited about for the future? Are you excited to buy your first house together, or start a family? What do you promise to do for your partner? Letting them know that you’ll support them through their ups and downs, love them no matter what, and be their partner for life is perhaps the most important part of the vows.
Express Your Love For Your Partner
Don’t be afraid to get a little mushy and gushy, it is your wedding after all! Be sure to tell your partner just how much you love them, and why. Tell them the things that you’re grateful for about them and your relationship together. After this part, it’s likely that there won’t be a dry eye in the room.
Acknowledge The Support From Your Family & Friends
Lastly, you’ll also want to acknowledge the love and support from your closest friends family and friends that helped the two of you get to where you are today. If they’re at your wedding listening to these vows, there’s a good chance that they played some significant role in your life, whether it be helping shape you both individually or helping you through the hard times as a couple. These are the people rooting for your lifelong happiness and love in your marriage, so it’s a nice gesture to acknowledge them.
Helpful Tips for Writing
Now that you have some ideas for what to include, where do you start? Here are some helpful tips to write the perfect vows.
- Start early– If you wait until the last minute, the stress of the wedding and planning can get in the way and leave you feeling overwhelmed. You want to make sure you have a clear head when writing your vows to be able to fully express your feelings. Plus, you’ll want to look them over several times before writing the final copy.
- 3 drafts– Once you’ve put your initial thoughts on paper, take a few days, or even weeks if time allows to step away from the vows. Come back and reread them a few times, and make tweaks. Once you’ve gotten to the third draft, try to make this the final. You could always go back and add more, but the more you edit, the more overwhelming it’ll get.
- Keep it short and sweet- It’s easy to get carried away when writing your vows. Especially if you and your partner have been together for years, there are so many memories to talk about. Remember that you can’t include everything. Capture the most important stories and elements of your relationship to talk about, and keep it at that.
Now that you have some ideas, it’s time to put pen to paper! If you’re planning a small wedding and are looking for just the right intimate setting to do so, our small Chapel in Quincy MA offers the perfect romantic setting to exchange your personal vows! Get in touch with us today to learn more about our wedding packages and services.
