Writing Your Wedding Vows

I love it when I get to attend a wedding where the bride and groom have crafted their own wedding vows . . . anything from just tweaking traditional vows a little to a completely, all-original set of tender words and promises that are oh-so personal.

I walk away from the latter feeling like I know the couple even better than I did before the wedding. Lots of brides and grooms desire to do something original with their vows, but aren't sure where to start.

Earlier this week I participated in a creative brainstorming session that entailed writing a story based on a group of pictures. We were given one picture at a time, and had about two minutes per picture to add something to our story incorporating that image. With every new image, the story developed and, wow, the plot really took twists and turns. It was a lot of fun and resulted in some pretty crazy results!

You can do this, too, to get the juices flowing for your personalized wedding vows . . . sort of like your own personal inspiration board. Your results won't be "crazy" . . . instead they'll be filled with tender emotion!

Here's what you do:

Find pictures of people you both know and places that you've been together. It's okay to supplement your own photo collection with shots and images from magazines, ads, or books.
Put your photo selections in chronological order of your relationship, with the oldest on top.
As you look at each photo, think about your future husband/wife and all the ways you discovered that he/she was "the one".
Write your own story, focusing on how your courtship has brought you to your wedding day.

Not all of what you write will necessarily end up in your vows, but you will end up with a wealth of beautiful and precious memories that will spark just the right words. And, you may want to review traditional vows to see what parts, if any, you want to preserve and include. In the end, that precious part of the ceremony, the part where you stand hand-in-hand with your groom and promise your hearts, will truly reflect who you are as individuals and who you have become as a couple.

Happy Friday!

--Cheryl