Have you been to a wedding Ceremony where the couple has written their own vows? I have. In fact, they are the norm now, as every bride and groom decides that it's appropriate to express publicly every intimate thought and private notion in front of their family and friends. I would like to tell you what it sounds like to someone listening; it reads like a middle school love letter, at best. Couples usually write their own vows because they want to be "original", however they do exactly the opposite by including overly sentimental clichés and corny metaphors lifted from a movie or greeting card, or worse, the Google results page. It sounds overworked, phony and often borders on nauseating. The inside jokes and cute little "isms" that you share with your future spouse aren’t funny or endearing to the audience, usually it just makes everyone uncomfortable. Home written vows ramble on with no real focus and most don't even make a promise to their partner, which is the entire point of the "vow" to begin with.
The traditional vow is a time honored classic for a reason. It is a sworn oath, a sacred promise and it carries more dignity than home written vows inspired by “The Notebook”. I want to take the same vow that my great grandparents took on their wedding day. I want to speak the same words that marked the beginning of marriages and love stories for generations before me. But most of all, I don’t feel the need to turn the alter into my personal stage.
The wedding ceremony is exactly that, a ceremony. It’s an occasion of ritual, protocol and convention. You have the rest of your life to whisper sweet nothings in your spouse's ear, please spare us the sappy details.