The Beauty Of The Church Wedding Vows
Even when it’s someone else’s wedding, there comes a time during the ceremony that there’s a lump in your throat or a tear that you might try to surreptitiously wipe away. Why is it that the traditional wedding vows that culminate with the exchange of wedding rings have such a powerful effect on people? Is it because somewhere inside of us, most of us still like to secretly believe that marriages are really made in heaven and the wedding we are witnessing is just the earthly acknowledgement of this fact?
The very fact that the minister asks the groom if he is willing to love, comfort, honour and protect his wife, forsaking every other woman to be faithful to her and the groom promising with an ‘I will’ sets the tone for the solemn promises made by both as it has though the ages. The bride too promises the same. These are the promises made by both to God and all present.
Then come the promises or solemn vows to each other. That no matter what, they promise to stay together, loving each other till the day they die. This includes circumstances, financial status and health status. While the groom in the traditional order promises to cherish, the bride promises to obey.
Now, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding this as it was felt by many that it was a skewed, unequal relationship that was being propagated with more importance being given to the man. So there are wedding services today that are conducted with a slight change – and both promise to cherish each other.
Then after the promises and vows comes the beautiful moment when each slips the wedding ring onto the other’s finger even as the minister exhorts them to see these wedding rings as a symbol of their unending love and they promise to view the ring as a sign of their marriage, honouring the other with their body even as they give their all.
It really does not matter how many times one listens to the vows of this traditional wedding service – each time it has the power to touch each one’s heart. The end of the service when the minister asks no human being to divide what God has joined together is a fitting climax. There may be many who want a more casual, contemporary marriage ceremony for many, it probably wouldn’t feel like they were getting married unless they went through the traditional one.
