Writing your own wedding vows is a wonderfully engaging way to personalise, and enhance your wedding ceremony. The standard Cypriot ceremony is usually very short and the wording fairly direct.
When you write your own wedding vows, there is an intimate part of you in the ceremony, and it becomes really personal. Wording, from your hearts really seals the moment in time, allows you to connect with your guests, and of course with each other.
Writing your vows to each other
When you write your vows to each other, you are expressing your love, feelings, and emotions, in your own voice.
Your guests get a very tender insight into the two of you. This then frames the mood of the wedding and pulls everyone together.
What to include
- Express how much you love each other
- Note how you will need help from friends and family
- Mention your children
- Aim for one to two minutes each
- Explain this is forever, no matter what happens
- Make promises to each other
- Mention the first thing that made you know that love was real
- Make sure that you embrace laughter
- Include what makes you laugh, and what makes you (just a little) mad about each other
- Be sentimental too
- Do not put in anything too intimate or personal
- Avoid in-jokes, you need to engage with everyone
- Avoid cheese, poetry, and clichés
- Being embarrassing might be funny for the best man speech, but not for this moment
Practically doing it
- Tell the wedding planner and officiant what you are planning to do
- Start by jotting down a list of key points you want to include
- Write your vows months in advance
- Revisit them a few weeks afterward
- Re-edit them until they sound great read aloud. Usually, you will be taking things out.
- Print them out beautifully. Scrolls or nice paper will look fabulous, and you can frame them afterward
- Practice reading them
- Have someone else check the wording
- Print out a few spare copies – Our videographer and photographer can work with these
- Build-in pauses. This is an emotional moment for everyone
- Make sure your best man has a spare copy of both vows on him
- Do not ad-lib on the day
- It is ok to stop and kiss
- Arm the bridesmaids with tissues
- Make sure that both sets of vows are about the same length
- Do not share the vows with each other beforehand
