While a civil wedding ceremony has a fairly standard format, there is plenty of scope within it to make it a personal statement of your love and commitment to each other.
The minimum vows for a legal civil wedding are included below, under legal declarations and contracting words. You can choose which version suits you best from each one: traditional, modern or simplified.
Examples of VowsÂ
Traditional:
I do solemnly declare, that I know not of any lawful impediment why I (your name) may not be joined in matrimony to (your partner's full name).
Modern:
I declare that I know of no legal reason why I (your name) may not be joined in marriage to (your partner's full name).
Simplified:
The Registrar asks: "Are you (your full name) free, lawfully, to marry (your partner's full name)?" You reply "I am."
Traditional:
I call upon these persons, here present, to witness that I (your full name) do take thee (your partner's full name) to be my lawful wedded wife/husband.
Modern:
I (your full name), take you (your partner's full name) to be my wedded wife/husband.
Simplified:
I (your full name) take thee (your partner's full name) to be my wedded wife/husband.
Tips for Writing Your Own Vows
Writing your wedding vows is a highly personal task and should not be done at the last minute. Leave enough time to write your wedding vows carefully so that you can say them with confidence and pride on the day .
The first thing to do is to to make sure you are both happy with writing your own personal vows. If either of you have doubts, it is best to avoid bespoke vows and go down the more traditional route. If you decide that personal vows are for you, find a quiet place with a pen and paper and start asking yourself what you want to say in your vows. Think about what your marriage means to you, what is important in your relationship and what exactly do you want to promise to your partner?Â
The next stage is to look at the professionals at work. Find love poems, love stories and famous love writing for inspiration for your bespoke vows. Highlight sections, phrases and words which evoke emotion or really relate to your relationship. Once you have done this, bring all your work together and bring everything down to the minimum and bare emotion. If you are still struggling, it is probably because you are trying to make it too complicated! Keep it simple, these are your vows and not a speech. Finally, practice makes perfect!