Writing your wedding vows is hard. If you’re having a little bit of trouble, don’t feel bad about it! I’m a person who writes for a living and it took me multiple drafts to get my vows right. I had so many questions on what was appropriate. Do you make them funny? Do you make them really sentimental? What if you start crying in the middle? What if you jumble up the words? All rational thoughts when it comes trying to figure out how to make this important moment as special as you imagine it to be. But there are ways to get through writing your vows – here are 5 tips for writing your wedding vows to help keep your process moving with an bonus piece of advice at the bottom (lucky you), PLUS some of our favourite ceremony shots from Calgary wedding photographers!
Inside jokes It is more than okay to throw a few (appropriate) inside jokes into your vows. After all – your wedding ceremony is the most precious moment the two of you will share up to this point, so if your vows include something that only the two of you understand, that is more than okay. Sharing a special smile will make the moment more relaxing and more memorable.
Don’t sweat your word count Don’t feel like you need to write a novella for your vows. If you feel like your heart can say it all in a paragraph or two, stick with that. And on the other hand, if writing your wedding vows has turned out three pages of love and there is no way you could cut away even a sentence, then leave it! This is your soul you’re bearing – but if you do feel as though your vows are too long, consider making that long version a letter you give to your babe right after the ceremony or to put in your wedding keepsake album.
Include Quotes – if you don’t feel feel confident about how you are expressing yourself when writing your wedding vows, don’t worry. That’s what professional writers are for! Quotes from poems, movies, love songs, were practically for wedding vows. To make it extra personal, try and find a song or poem that the two of you love and pick something from that. If all else fails, there’s a reason why Google is the most popular website in the world!
Falling back on tradition If you’re feeling a little lost in your writing, then go back to time honoured traditions – sometimes just re-reading “To have and to hold” can freshen up your outlook on writing your wedding vows. You don’t necessary have to employ any of these phrases or sayings into your vows, but they might inspire your writing and help you get back on track.
Take your time, take notes – no kidding, I worked on my vows for about 4 months. I wrote, then I started over, then I forgot about them for a while and then I went back again. Start early and buy a special pad of paper for you to make notes so you won’t forget when something inspires you – there is nothing more frustrating than having a “Hallelujah!” moment and totally forgetting what it was an hour later.
BONUS TIP (not that you asked for any more advice, but since we’re here…) Whether or not you have a “dry run” at your vows by reading them to someone else is up to you. Be forewarned, make it very clear what you are hoping to achieve from this. Is this just a chance for you to hear the words out loud? Is it a chance to practice your pronunciations? Or are you looking for direct feedback? Because if you are looking for feedback, as always when you ask for people’s opinions – you might not love what you hear.
