Tips on Customizing Wedding Vows
A great place to start the process of customizing your wedding vows is by reflecting on why you want to say something different. Are you simply a person who prefers things that are unique, rather than standard things that everyone uses for their weddings? Or maybe you feel like the old fashioned vows do not speak to your contemporary views. It could be that you want to say the words that will truly express the depth of your love for your intended. Whatever your personal reason, identifying it will help you set an intention before you sit down to right; with a goal in mind, you will be much better focused.
With an intention in mind, you will be ready to start customizing your vows. The point of adding your own words to your wedding ceremony is to express something personal, so avoid cliched phrases that are no more unique than the standard vows. On the other hand, a wedding is a ceremonial event, and a bit of reserve is called for; in other words, make your vows personal, but not too personal. Never say anything that would embarrass your fiance or any of the guests, especially the grandparents. Risque jokes or naughty innuendos are always a bad idea in wedding vows.
Feel free to include quotes from your favorite authors, poets, and songwriters. Authors that honor your cultural heritage can also be a meaningful inclusion. For instance, if you have chosen Claddagh rings as your wedding jewelry, choose a lovely quote from an Irish poet. This can be a great base upon which to build, especially if you are not accustomed to writing. Use the quote as a starting point, and frame it with your own words to make it more personal.
If you are comfortable with it, include a brief (brief being the operative word) anecdote in your vows. It could be something sweet about how you first met or how much you admired your intended from afar before getting up the nerve to approach him or her. Consider the context of your memory. For instance, if you met the bride at church, that could be a nice thing to include, but if you first saw her at a wet t-shirt contest on spring break, well, you might just want to leave that bit out!
Filed under Wedding Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: personalized wedding vows, Wedding Jewelry, wedding vows | Comment (0)Including Humor in a Wedding
Weddings are important occasions and marriage is a serious commitment, this we all know. And yet, there is no reason to say that just because an occasion marks a rite of passage that it has to be overly serious or buttoned-up. To make your wedding as fun as it is joyous, find ways to include humor in your wedding.
There are countless ways in which to bring laughter into your wedding without diminishing the significance of the occasion. It could be an inside joke penned inside the gift card of each of the groomsmen gifts. Or maybe the gift itself could have a nod to humor, such as the groom who gave his friends groomsmen gifts with a poker theme, and a “get out of jail free” card from Monopoly that each attendant could use to “bail” out the groom for a weekly poker night with the guys. These ideas are lighthearted and in the spirit of good clean fun.
The wedding vows are a perfect place to add a touch of humor, as long as it is done in good taste. (Anything that would embarrass someone is out of place at a wedding; remember that it is not a roast!) At one wedding that I attended, the groom got some good chuckles from the guests when he mentioned that he nearly derailed the entire relationship before it got off the ground by calling the young lady in the middle of a Yankee’s playoff game. This got a great response from the crowd, all of whom knew how passionate the bride was about baseball. The groom went on to mention that he ensured that his bride accepted his proposal of marriage by posting it on the Jumbotron at Yankee Stadium (here, clearly, was a man who could learn from his mistakes!).
If you are looking for a great ice breaker at your wedding reception, humor is a great tool. Instead of a standard napkin ring, pin a badge with a funny message to each napkin. Your guests will have fun comparing the messages that they received, which is a terrific conversation starter. Clever save-the-date cards or favors are another terrific vehicle for wedding humor. A few well chosen bits of humor will amuse your guests and bring a lighthearted sparkle to your wedding.
Filed under Uncategorized, Wedding Planning | Tags: groomsmen gifts, humor, wedding personalization, Wedding Planning, wedding vows | Comment (0)Should You Write Your Own Vows?
The most important part of a wedding is one that is often given very little thought – your wedding vows. After all, without the exchange of vows, there would be no marriage, just a big party. Take the time to carefully consider whether you want to use the traditional vows or write your own unique ones.
Writing your own vows can be very difficult. You want them to be personal - but not so personal that you make the guests blush, romantic but not sappy, and contemporary yet timeless. That is a tall order!
Inspiration for your vows can come from anywhere, but they should be in keeping with the overall spirit of your wedding. For example, if you are standing barefoot at the beach wearing a simple dress and earthy handmade wedding jewelry, you could draw on nature or the ocean as a metaphor. Other good sources for ideas include your favorite poem or Biblical verse.
The most important thing about custom wedding vows is that they reflect who you are as a couple. The whole point of using your own words is that they will be meaningful to your spouse. And be honest with your fiance - if the thought of writing your own vows is terrifying, it is fine to use the traditional ones. After all, couples have been using them for a long time with good reason.
