UKC

We're writing our own.

Any suggestions on what to put for the actual 'vows' bit? We're getting hitched in NZ, so can basically say what we like as long as it includes something along the lines of 'I take you to be my husband / wife' somewhere along the line.

Any inspiration marriage related phases? Banging my head against a brick wall at the moment!

In reply to moomin:

With respect, if you can't think of what to say, why are you writing your own? Why not use the existing ones?

In reply to moomin:

Neither of us are really religious, so the 'traditional' vows don't really mean that much to us.

We have the rest of the service pretty much written, so it's not that I can't think of anything to say.. it's just more how to say what I want to say without sounding sappy.

In reply to moomin:

With the exception of the "obey" bit traditional vows pretty much cover all the bases for a modern marriage don't they? If you have no religious convictions just take out all references to God and rewrite in modern language.

Alternatively:

http://www.instantvows.com/

or:

http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Weddings/Wedding_Vows/

DJ

In reply to moomin:

Here's one set:

I (name), take you (name) to be my (husband/wife), my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.

In reply to moomin:

And some more:

I, (name), take you, (name), to be my friend, my lover, the (mother/father) of my children and my (husband/wife). I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.

I, [name], choose you [name] to be my [husband/wife], to respect you in your successes and in your failures, to care for you in sickness and in health, to nurture you, and to grow with you throughout the seasons of life.

I, (name), take you, (name), to be my partner, loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the (man/woman) you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever life may bring us.

After both have said individual vows, they may wish to say something in unison such as:

Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.

In reply to moomin:

Shamelessly plagiarised from

http://weddings.about.com/cs/bridesandgrooms/a/vowwording.htm

In reply to Masood:

That's the kind of thing!

we are actually saying / doing part of the Hindu wedding ceremony before the vows. It's pretty much a mix and match affair!