A Bride's Guide for Writing Your Own Wedding Vows

It's one of the most magical days of your life - your wedding day! And you want to make it special and uniquely yours by writing your own wedding vows... but you're not used to writing anything at all other than a shopping list! Quick, follow these tips to create wedding vows that will make your special day even more special and an event for your guests to remember!

Many brides think that they will just make up their wedding vows on the day of the event, figuring that it will be most heartfelt. But this is a very bad plan - the stress of getting your hair done, getting dressed, getting to the church and all the other little things leave little time for the bride to sit down and settle her thoughts; much less write out wedding vows or even compose them in her mind! Be sure to set aside as much time as you would for choosing floral arrangements to sit and contemplate what your wedding vows will contain.

First, consider the length of your wedding vows. While it may be romantic to list each and every encounter with your future husband from your initial meeting to the engagement there is a time factor to be considered. Aside from the fact that your guests will be listening and waiting for them to be over you have to memorize these wedding vows or risk tripping over the words or worse - having to use cue cards. Ideally your wedding vows should be no more than a minute, two at the most. This may seem like a very short time, but when you practice your wedding vows before the ceremony (and you will practice, right?) you will find that time is relative.

Let's start off the wedding vows with a simple acknowledgement that this man is the true love of your life and that you are looking forward to a life with him and him alone. You don't need to start telling tales of how he held the door open for you at your first date or how he wooed your father by buying expensive cigars; the audience will hear plenty of stories at the reception. Express your emotions as plainly and as simply as you can - remember, wedding vows are best said from the heart and without having to be longer than your limousine!

Bible verses are always an excellent addition to wedding vows, the most popular one being 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 starting at Verse 4. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Now, while this is a magnificent set of verses, they really are a bit too long to include totally in your wedding vows. You should consider cutting it down or even paraphrasing it to meet your own situation and how it relates to you and your future husband. Other Bible verses may come to mind to personalize your wedding vows, but be sure to keep them short and sweet - it's one thing to make your wedding vows personal, another to turn them into a sermon!

Poetry is also another beautiful way to express your love in your wedding vows - personal poetry written specifically for your wedding can make the event even more special! But be sure to read through the poem a few times before you integrate it into your wedding vows. Poetry involves pacing and if you're already breathless and excited before you start you might find yourself mangling the words due to lack of breath and just plain old-fashioned performance anxiety!

Writing your own wedding vows is a wonderful way of making your wedding a unique and memorable experience. But with a little planning and foresight you can not only make writing your own wedding vows a bit less stressful but you can create a masterpiece!