“I Will” – Say It Unusually, Differently
There have been wedding vows for as long as men and women have been promising to spend their lives with each other. The words spoken have been a promise of commitment to each other. Wedding vows range from a simple agreement to marry to romantic pledges to stay true to each other forever.
In ancient times, wedding vows were not a commitment between two people. It was usually between a man and a village. This is because, then, people came to live together and find safety in numbers. So the vows were more in the nature of a man promising to protect a village, and he received their protection too. Right up till the Middle Ages, marriages were looked on as alliances between families, and were not a symbol of romantic love.
It was only in medieval times that wedding vows changed slightly and began to include a church ceremony. Today wedding vows continue to evolve and change, depending on the ceremony and the people involved.
Within a traditional wedding ceremony, the couple can make the traditional vows. Sometimes the ceremony allows for vows to be written by the couple. Very often, people getting married in a civil ceremony or in a non-traditional ceremony write their own vows, which is unusual and different from the traditional vows. There are so many faiths and cultures all over the world. Each of them has vows which other communities might find unusual.
Native Americans from the Apache tribe have wedding vows that centre on the couple and on nature and her elements.
Buddhist weddings incorporate nature and meditation in the traditional vows. Quaker wedding vows mention “divine assistance”. Hindus, Zulus, Eskimos all offer a rich tapestry of unusual vows and ceremonies. Hippie wedding vows and Irish wedding vows seem unusual to outsiders.
Today, more and more people want to write their own vows and make the ceremony more personal. It is good to check with the church or civil official as to what is allowed, and then create your vows. Your vows must reflect your commitment to each other - beyond that you can let your words express all the feelings you want.
You can write your own vows, or quote poetry or lines from literature. Maybe you just want to change the traditional vows slightly to bring in a more modern feel.
Whatever you decide to do, whether you want to make it modern or traditional, usual or unusual, formal or creative - your vows will reflect your commitment and love to each other and that will last forever.
