Marriage Ceremony Words Say a Lot

Couple exchanging vows, courtesy of Will Fisher

When a couple of lovebirds decide to join their lives in holy matrimony, they will usually do so in a special wedding ritual that includes exchanging vows. Choosing the perfect marriage ceremony words to express commitment to each other is a huge deal. Couples are all different, so their words to each other should be carefully chosen to reflect this uniqueness. Perhaps they are individuals who love tradition, so may opt for the classic verbiage in their marriage script. If they want to show more personality in their promises, they could opt to rewrite the traditional speeches or pen a new set of vows altogether. Ceremonies can be religious or secular, humorous or serious, but whatever style is chosen, the content should include three parts: a declaration of intent, exchange of vows, and pronouncement.

Declarations of Intent

Declared intentions should be included in the marriage ceremony words. This piece can be as simple as answering the age-old question, “Do you take this woman/man to be your lawful wedded wife/husband?” The spouses-to-be might opt for more personalized wording, as well. For example, they might alter the question to, “Do you take this man/woman to be your travel buddy and best friend?’

Exchanging Vows

Vow exchanges could include the traditional “in sickness and in health” and “till death do us part” portions, or they might include some nontraditional rewrites. For example, the dearly beloveds might want to be humorous and say “as long as the (favorite sports team) is winning.” Or, the couple might be poetic literary types who want to write their own lines in verse or use passages from their favorite books.

Pronouncement

Whatever is said during the course of the wedding ceremony, whether it is religious or secular, funny or touching, the promises need to be finalized with a pronouncement by the person performing the ceremony. The officiant could say, “I now pronounce you husband and wife/best friends/joined for all eternity,” or something similar.

The marriage ceremony words that two people say to each other during their joining-of-lives ceremony are deeply meaningful. They define each partner’s commitment to each other, and will hopefully bind the couple together till death do they part.