Guide to Writing Your Own Wedding Vows

Writing your own wedding vows is nerve wracking; so much so that many people go completely blank when they first begin. However, as overwhelming as it may be, it’s completely worth it on the big day. So, if you’re ready to bare your heart to your soon-to-be husband or wife, we’ve got the best tips to help you get started and keep the process simple, yet meaningful.

Photographer – Marc & Anna

Answer Some Basic Questions

Wedding vows seem so self-explanatory when you think about them; it’s just pouring your heart out, right? Well, once you actually sit down and start writing, you’ll probably realize you have a lot of questions. Here are some basic questions to discuss with your fiancé to help you both get started:

Are we reading our vows in an intimate setting by ourselves, or are we ready our vows in front of friends and family during the wedding ceremony?
Are you going to write your vows in a customized booklet, or just on a piece of paper?
How long should our vows be? A certain amount of words, pages, or time?

Once you’ve answered these questions with your significant other, there are also a few questions you might want to answer on your own as you begin writing.

Do I need to add some humor into my vows, or keep them intimate and sincere?
Do I want to recall a memory of something we went through together?
Do I want to include traditional or religious elements into my vows?

Photographer: Syd & Lex Photography

Organize Your Thoughts

Once you actually begin writing your vows, go over these basic tips to help you better organize your thoughts.

Create thought bubbles of different topics you’d like to talk about (good times, religion, family, reasons you love them, your promise, etc.).
Make an outline to include and organize everything you want to say, and how and when you’ll say it.
Type the draft of your vows electronically. This way, it’s easier to go back in and add, erase, or move things around later.
Vows or more personable when written, so you’ll likely have to write them down once your final draft is complete.
Save the electronic version of your vows in the cloud or on a memory device so you’ll always have it.

Photo by Nikki Saladino Weddings

Our Outline Example

If you’re not sure where to get started with structuring your outline, we’ve created an example for you. You don’t have to follow this outline exactly, but it’s definitely a good way to help get you started!

State where you are now, how grateful you are, and how much you love them.
List the little things you love about them.
Share a personal memory you have together that makes you both smile.
Acknowledge that you’ll be there for them no matter what.
Make promises and say “I love you.”

Photographer: Syd & Lex Photography

Wedding Vow Tips

There’s a lot that goes into writing your vows, and you only get one chance to deliver them. Follow these tips to make writing and delivering your wedding vows easier.

Don’t procrastinate. The longer you wait to write your vows, the more rushed you’ll feel to get them done. This can take away from the sincerity in your words and cause you to leave out things you really wanted to mention. A fun idea that helps in the long run is to begin writing down things you want to say months before the wedding, so when the time comes and your mind goes blank, you’ve already got a few ideas written down.
Draft, draft, draft. You may think your first draft is gold, but when you read it back, many times you’ll realize that you left something out, or something doesn’t make sense. Rework your draft a few times before giving it the final OK. The trick here is not to re-read it so many times you begin doubting yourself. Find a happy medium and be happy with what you’ve written. After all, it came from your heart.
Don’t promise perfection. Acknowledge that there will be good and bad times and that you’ll be there with them through it all. Nobody’s perfect and you don’t want your vows to come back and bite you later.
Embrace sentimentality. While you might not be an emotional person who likes talking about feelings, now is the time to drop that guard and go for it. This is the person you love and trust and they deserve to know what’s truly in your heart. This will make for a strong foundation to your marriage, and the whole day will feel much more special.
Practice reading. If you’re nervous when reading your vows for the first time, chances are you’re going to stumble. Practice reading your vows beforehand so you know if things don’t make sense, if things need to be reworded, and just so you know what’s coming up next. With practice, you’ll be better prepared to deliver your vows seamlessly.

Find Your Venue

If you’re still on the hunt for the perfect venue, check out The Butterfly Pavilion and schedule a tour today! Booking is limited for 2022 and booking is open for 2023 and 2024! We are proudly locally owned and operated in Acworth, GA and can’t wait to work with you!

Schedule a tour at https://thebutterflypavilion.com/contact-us/ and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!