How To Personalise Your Wedding Vows

If the type of wedding ceremony you're having allows you to personalise your wedding vows, then we think you should go for it! It makes your ceremony feel even more special and can often make you feel more relaxed because the words you're saying really do come from the heart. With a little help from our recommended wedding celebrants, we've pulled together some great advice to help your personalise your wedding vows in a way that's truly authentic to you...

How To Get Started

• You don’t have to begin with the words “I promise.” If you prefer you can start with a statement: what was life like before you met? How has life changed since you’ve been together? Or talk about what the journey you’ll take together means to you, and what you love most about your partner. The promises can then come later - what you vow you are always going to do to ensure you keep your love alive. Yvonne Beck Wedding Celebrant
• Say it with verse - if you're one of those clever people with a gift for rhyme go for it... how about a Haiku to say I Do! Kate & Kate Celebrants

Add some presonality

• Be yourself and show your personality - quirky, funny or sincere and serious - your partner will just want to hear your words. Yvonne Beck Wedding Celebrant
• We’ve had grooms promise to remove spiders from the room, and brides promise to share their last After Eight mint! Diana Grace The Day

• Plagiarise! If you've got a favourite song, why not just nick the lyrics from that - boom boom boom - job done! Or from the mouths of babes - ask the kids what they think and read out their thoughts for maximum cute appeal. And remember to dish the dirt - all relationships have their ups and downs and their on-going irritations, sometimes sharing the icky bits can raise a laugh and show how, despite both your faults, you're still meant to be. Kate & Kate Celebrants

• You don’t have to write a whole novel - maybe think of 3 - 5 sentences that express your feelings and your love. Yvonne Beck Wedding Celebrant
• There are no rules on length...some are brief, other couples can't express their promises in just a sentence or two, although if they decide to keep them secret from each other and we notice there is an imbalance in length, we may diplomatically prompt one or the other to make tweaks in order to have a harmonious balance :) Diana Grace The Day
• Don't worry about 'not being good' at writing or speaking... that's what we're for! If you've written something from the heart, even if you gulp your way through it in a full-on snot fest, your spouse and your guests will go all warm and wibbly. Kate & Kate Celebrants
• You don’t have to memorise your vows - writing them on a card and reading from that is fine. Rehearse a few times - to be aware of your words and what emotions they’ll bring out, and how you’ll feel as you say them to your partner. Yvonne Beck Wedding Celebrant
• Deciding to keep vows a secret until revealing them to each other on the day itself adds to the emotional impact, and there have been tears when people hear what their partner for life promises them. Be sure to look at your future husband/wife as you're saying your vows - eye contact is an absolute must and if they're the only one that hears you, that's fine...it's all about them. Diana Grace The Day