Ajanta Roy

When you ask couples early on in their wedding plans if they are interested in writing their vows, most look up with a bit of surprise on their faces and then say, “Sure”. It’s a great idea that often gets pushed to the back burner. Securing the location, finding a caterer, working with a florist, and engaging a limousine service, not to mention organizing the wardrobe, all seem to take precedence. Though the task may seem daunting at first, you have the opportunity to select words from your own reservoir of experiences, values, and beliefs about the life that you intend to build with your partner, words that can define your commitment. Whether you add to the tried-and-true vows that already exist or replace them, your own words can hold much greater personal meaning to you and your spouse as you cross the threshold into married life.

Finding the words to describe how you feel about your partner can be tough. Even as your mind and heart fill with feelings, a completely different mental muscle must be engaged in order to capture the words that best describe your bond. Here is an assortment of contemporary, religious and individual oriented wedding vows to get you started.

• I come to you freely, clear of thought, willingly. Before, my strength was the strength of one; today, my strength is of much more than two.
  You have captured my mind and soul, and I here commit them to our union. From this hour, may we surrender to one another completely rejoicing in the power of our new partnership, secure in our own identities, and certain in our bond.
  We will search for the stars as we walk together on the earth. Drawing on the strength that comes with true love, I, (name) pledge to you, (partner’s name) from this day forward.
  
  
• Bride: We sip the wine of hope, toasting our lives together, recalling the many roads we have traveled, and relishing the sweet taste of anticipation in the days to come.
  Groom: To friends and family gathered before us, we say, join us in our celebration; drink deep of our happiness; support us with your love.
  The Vow: I, (name), receive you, (partner’s name), as my (husband/wife); may the days ahead supply us with the choicest vintages of the wine we drink today for the first time as man and wife.
  
  
• To the friends and family here today, I give my thanks for being there when I needed you, and for giving me strength and guidance. Today, I, (name) receive (partner’s name) as my wedded partner, whom God kept safe until the moment I was ready to join (him/her) in matrimony.
  Now the place that was once empty beside me is filled with love, may that love continue to grow, and may it touch all those we encounter in the days to come.
  
  
• All that we have learned, every experience we have encountered, every moment we have shared, led us to this wonderful moment.
  We are better people for having lived these lives; we are a stronger couple for having overcome and conquered the challenges that were placed before us.
  I, (name), pledge to face the future by your side as your partner. Not as two, but as one, we will live our lives together, honoring, respecting, and cherishing each other, as we strive always to learn more about our life, our strengths, our weaknesses, and ourselves.
  

Your wedding day is unique; no one else will experience it as you do. It is your life together; begin it with words ‘you’ want to live by!