Tips and Quotes for Unique and Beautiful Wedding Vows

A wedding may only be a ceremony, if you look at it from a logical standpoint. However, a marriage vow is a pledge—a verbal promise—to uphold all that is considered sacrosanct in a marital relationship. The exchange of vows, though just a collection of words, has a greater significance when the bride and the groom say the words with full intent and in good faith.

Traditional vs. Personal Vows

Traditional vows are all-encompassing. Traditional vows, as per Catholic marriage customs, involve a pledge to take one's partner, "for my lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part." While it is unlikely that these traditional vows will go out of use, there is an increasing trend among people who prefer to make their own vows.

When you write your own vows, you have the creative liberty to include some of your personal details, a dash of humor, a touching anecdote, or a special promise that makes you own the vows. Writing your own vow is no cakewalk—many brides and grooms find it difficult to pen a few lines that would bind them for eternity.

Tips for Writing Vows

If you are writing your own vows, here are a few things to keep in mind to make your marriage vows beautiful:

1. Keep it Simple: Flowery words will have no meaning if you don't mean what you say. When you keep it simple, you allow your partner to assimilate the depth of your words.
2. Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say: It goes without saying that your marriage vows are a declaration of your love and commitment. If you are honest and sincere in your vows, you will find your married life easy to deal with.
3. Include Details: Make sure to include specific details that make it unique to your marriage. While it is not a good idea to make a long verbose speech (remember, it is not an award acceptance ceremony), let your marriage vows reflect your personal beliefs, your dreams, and those of your spouse.
4. Include Humor, Avoid Comedy: Humor should just be a mild seasoning to pepper your vow. Let it not override the intensity or seriousness of your solemn vow. The focus of your vow should be your love and your sincere commitment.
5. Avoid a Public Spectacle: Though you will be saying your vows in the presence of your near and dear ones, you don't have to write your vows to please the audience. It is your marriage, and only you should decide what goes into your vows. Don't attempt to make it entertaining or interesting for your audience. They are simply here to witness and bless your marriage. Keep your vows genuine, straightforward, and personal.  

Meaningful Quotes

If you find yourself struggling for the right words, you can use some of these quotes to help you create a great wedding vow. These quotes will add a touch of color to your vows.

I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. – William Butler Yeats, He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Grow old with me! The best is yet to be. – Robert Browning

I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. – Roy Croft

I am like a falling star who has finally found her place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever. – Amy Tan

I love thee, I love but thee
With a love that shall not die
Till the sun grows cold
And the stars grow old...
– Bayard Taylor

You call it madness, but I call it love. – Don Byas

If I know what love is, it is because of you. – Herman Hesse

We are the leaves of one branch, the drops of one sea, the flowers of one garden. – Jean Baptiste Henry Lacordaire

This is my beloved and this is my friend. – Song of Solomon

You're nothing short of my everything. – Ralph Block