It is your wedding, so make it you own. You are probably hunting for every book, articles, and tips you can find to make your wedding as personal and unique as possible. The best and more memorable way to do is to create your own vows.
Traditionally, the bride and groom has little say in what goes into the words spoken during the wedding ceremony. Today, officiants even encourage couples to say their own vows during the ceremony. It reduces the mechanics and strays away from the "ceremony formula" we have been too acquainted with. Heck, if you attended ten wedding already, you are likely to be able to recite the "standard vows" the bride and the groom say to each other.
So, if you want to make your vows unique and personal, you can incorporate your feelings and intimate messages into your vows. It creates an added effect in making your wedding more memorable. Here are five tips to help you create a vow that could make your wedding memorable for you and your guests.
1. Discuss with the Wedding Officiant
If you are planning to personalize your vows, you need to notify your Officiant first. You will need to find out the legalities, guidelines, and rules in drafting your vows. In fact, by discussing with your Wedding Officiant ahead of time, you can get additional pointers, advice, and examples to help you in writing your vows. The Officiant will also inform you of the important information that needs to be included in your vows.
2. Choosing Your Topic
As in any other writing or speeches you make, you need to establish a topic before you start drafting. Some may disagree with me, but by choosing topic early on will help you stay focused on your wedding vows. One thing you must never neglect to include in your vow is your promise to your spouse to be. Then you can add some special messages, hopes, and dreams that the two of you may have talked about before you decided you wanted to get married with each other.
One thing to keep in mind when writing your wedding vow is KISS - Keep It Short and Sweet. When pouring you heart out, you tend to get so emotional that it is difficult to cut it short. Try to put yourself in your guests shoes. When listening to a very long winded speech, you (as the attendee) will start to wander off. So, if possible, keep your vows, short, concise, and meaningful.
3. Make your Wedding Vows Official
After you finished the first draft of your vows, arrange a meeting with your Officiant again. Show your vows for review and additional advice. Your Officiant's experience will help you greatly in getting the best out of writing your own vows. Of course, the you will get the last word on what goes into your vows but it does not hurt to ask for opinion.
4. Practice makes Perfect
As you would when you prepare for the speech you wrote for a meeting, you practice, practice, and practice. You know it, practice makes your delivery perfect. Even if you plan to read your vows during the ceremony, I highly recommend you practice. You need to get comfortable saying your vows aloud so that you would not sound clumsy when you read it during your ceremony. Just remember the rule of thumb, KISS. Lengthy speeches are less likely to make an impact and therefore will be less remembered. So, time yourself as you practice. If reading your vows will take longer than five minutes, try to narrow it down and focus on the more important part of your wedding vow.
5. Delivering Your Wedding Vows
I know that this is hard to do, but it is important to keep calm when you are reciting your vows during the wedding. If you are tense, you are likely going to speak too fast that your vow will lose the wedding attendants' attention. Read your vow if you must, but it is best if the vow is delivered extemporaneously. Just like how your Speech or Communication professor used to tell you. But, do what you are comfortable the most. If you are comfortable with memorizing a speech, then memorize your vow.
I hope that this article helped you plan a memorable and unique wedding. Good luck with your wedding and may your vows remain your guide to a happy and fruitful relationship.
MJ Millares is a co-founder of EmJée Designs, Inc. For more unique personalized gifts [http://www.emjeeonline.com] or additional information on unique wedding favor [http://www.emjeeonline.com/cat_unique_personalized_favors.cfm] please visit EmJee Designs website at emjeeonline.com
