by Scott Johnson
Favorite Wedding Vows Part 1 of 5:
Of all the elements in the wedding—whether it’s the dress, the ring, the suit, or the venue—there’s nothing more personal and paramount than the vows. Those words come in many forms; poems, a promise, a simple “I love you,” or maybe even an epic saga detailing your courtship and the devotion for your future—but the most important part is they come directly from the heart. They are directed to the one you love, as they stand across from you looking into your eyes as you promise to be their partner through life, for better or for worse, until the day you die.
A writer from the New York Times recently got married and recounted his trials and errors of writing his own wedding vows to his wife who is also a writer. He panicked that he had a certain responsibility to make it eloquent even though he typically is more of a comedic writer, and as he explains—weddings aren’t really supposed to be funny.
In the end, he was able to come up with something simple, sweet, and personal—talk about the person you’re going to marry and don’t worry about anything else. Even if it’s the traditional “in sickness and in health, till death do us part,” you still mean it because you love the person standing across from you. Don’t let a lack of passionate writing skills keep you from speaking your heart.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/opinion/sunday/what-if-i-bombed-at-my-own-wedding.html
This article really got to us, especially since we do over 50 weddings per year. For the next week, we will be posting our 25 favorite wedding vows for you to cry to at your leisure. Maybe it’ll remind you of yours, or it might even inspire you to renew them! We do more than just weddings, you know!
Let’s get started!
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Faoro Wedding, 09/02/17, Ashe and Alder
To kick off the vows, we start with one of our most recent weddings at Ashe and Alder, a magical farm-like estate with towering trees, barns, and a view of the hills. The groom, though, couldn’t be phased by any of it. As he delivers a truly touching speech to his “best friend,” saying that he was “exploding with excitement” to wake up that morning, it’s hard to doubt his love for her.
He keeps going on with just the introduction by saying it is, “A day I have dreamt about forever. Today I get to stand here and look my best friend in the eyes, tell her I love her, and commit to her for the rest of my life.” I mean, come on, that’s some specialness right there, but he finishes off by promising her a list of things only those who truly love their partner can. This is where the tears start—especially in the audience, but especially when he promises to be her “Superman.”
Wagner Wedding, 08/12/17, Dairyland
Let me crush your hopes right now—Dairyland is not some farm-themed amusement park.
But it was the perfect venue for Kayla and Erika who tied the knot on this beautiful estate. When Erika steps up to the plate to speak her vows, she addresses Kayla with love and sincerity—but almost instantly she starts to lose it (maybe this should’ve been in our biggest cry babies?) Kayla assures her they can talk through it, as Erika devotes herself to the love of her life, “you will always be the most important person to me.” If you want to see what love looks like, this is it, especially when Erika says she loves Kayla “to the moon and back.”
On the other hand, Kayla is full of jokes, perhaps to keep herself composed, as she immediately announces “you have an amazing booty.” But she pushes the jokes aside and digs into the heart of her speech with a speed of both impatience—to be married— and nervousness that is entirely understandable.
Vera Wedding, 08/04/17, Russell’s Loft
A wedding you are certainly going to recognize from our Best Officiant and Most Emotional articles, the Vera wedding is definitely one of our favorites. As Alex addresses Mathew in his vows, it’s almost like someone flips a switch as the floodgates open and the tears fall out. Going into the first time they met, Alex details the account of the partnership and describes how happy and perfect their time has been. But most importantly, “we make up and apologize in some way or another. We are friends, companions and lovers, you are the Robin to my Batman (even though we argue about that.” Those are words of love, my friend.
Mathew’s is no less emotional, saying he “doubted this moment would never come.” But he continues to say that, “Now I could not be more blessed or proud to have this life with you. To be in this community with you, being gay has been one of the most incredible blessings in my life.”
Davis Elopement, 08/06/17, Quinault Rainforest
A tranquil elopement in the Quinault Rainforest saw two young, passionate lovers meet and become one all alone in the forest. No guests, no bridal party, just the two alone (with the officiant and us, obviously) within the vastness of the forest. Even more impactful than the venue and decision to elope are the vows themselves as Malik completely spills his heart and soul to Ashleigh. He even offers to build her an entire kingdom. Actually, maybe don’t watch this one ladies, this is some tough stuff to beat. Ashleigh responds with a recollection of their relationship, a story involving a sword, and the promise to be the rock in his life. These two are really meant for one another, no doubt about it.
Pablo Wedding, 08/05/17, Cedar Springs
Our final vows for today are from another wedding you may recognize from our other articles. As Tim starts his vows, he announces he’s already crying before going into a list of everything his bride is to him including friend and confidant. In his words, she is the “engine behind this very slow-moving Island-time of a guy.” He knows she has been there for him “through thick and thin,” and that he is “completely, 100% in love” with her. That sounds pretty great to us.
When bride Kaleena begins her vows, it becomes apparent how long the two have known each other as she mentions their time in high school before starting to sniffle as she recites her vows for her groom. Her love for him “is love I have never felt for anybody else.” These two really got it, they ground each other and make each other know they’re cared for.
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These were just the first five of twenty five vows to come! Check back in every day this week for more weddings, more vows, and more tears! We hope to see you soon.