The in's and out's of putting your vows together

Your wedding day is one-of-a-kind and although it’s not for some, your vows can be too. You might go for short and sweet, or tell a story over a couple of minutes. You could even sing a song! Check with your celebrant first and as long as you have all the legal bits covered in your ceremony, you can do whatever you like!

Putting your love for your partner into just a few sentences isn’t easy – That’s for sure. It literally took me months to perfect my own vows and to be honest I really put the pressure on myself to make them just right! I did a tonne of research and watched what felt like a million wedding videos, all to come up with the perfect structure and say as much as I possibly could to cover the love I feel for Nick, and the commitments and promises I wanted to declare to him, in front of our nearest and dearest.

Today, I want to take a lot of the guess work out of the equation for you - Because let’s face it, we’re all a bit time poor, especially at this time of year! Below is a guide to get you started and totally on the right track towards writing your vows.

As you put pen to paper, start by writing down some notes about your relationship:

When you first saw each other and how your life changed when they entered it
Your favourite things about them, plus their downfalls and special quirks
Times you’ve been through together
Goals and values you share
What you want for your future together and what marriage means to you.

Draw inspiration from:

Song lyrics
Movies
Poems
Books
Quotes

Highlight what stands out the most from your note taking and then get to work shaping your vows using some of the starters below.

Promise and Will starters:

I promise to/will be…
I promise to/will give you…
I promise to/will treat you…
I promise to/will laugh at…
I promise that we’ll…

Vow starters:

The first time I saw you, I…
I’ll always…
Together, we’ll… We share…
Because of you, life is…
I’m proud of… I admire… You’ve taught me…
I look forward to… I value your…Our future will bring us…

As you feel you’re getting to the final copy, run your vows past your celebrant to check things over as they are finalising your ceremony. If you feel it matters, they can let you know if your vows are on par with your partners ie; both have a touch of humour, both romantic - Which is a great idea if you are wanting to keep your vows a secret from each other until your wedding day.

Your perfect little companion to help you along this journey is of course, Notes from the Heart. I said it earlier - It really does ring true that although you can get close, you can’t capture every thought, feeling and memory within your vows. Notes from the Heart is not only a vow ‘planner’, but is the most thoughtful wedding keepsake, and the perfect gift to present to your partner on your wedding stay - Staying with you both for generations to come.