My fiance and I are writing our own vows. I’m afraid that what I have is too long, but I’ve already cut it back and it’s coming from my heart. We are both Christians, so that is why there is a religious tone. Please let me know what you think… too long? should I cut back more? or just revise what I have…
Richie, 4 years ago in the summer of 2011, we
met up in person for the first time after a few months of online chatting, and didn’t know how to greet each other in that moment, so we awkwardly
shook hands. I laugh now when I think back to that day because I am now joining
hands in marriage with the same hand that I shook awkwardly that day.
In you, Richie, God has blessed
me with a constant companion, a kindred spirit, a spiritual partner, and my
very best friend. I can’t believe God has gifted me with such a compassionate,
kind, smart, caring, creative, and zany person to spend my life with. I am so
thankful for your compassionate heart and giving spirit, your out of the box
way of viewing the world, the way that you are so encouraging to others, and
your crazy, goofy sense of humor and way that you make me laugh harder than
anyone ever has. I love how you love and embrace my family as your family and
treat my sister as your own sister. Thank you so much for all the times that
you encourage me with a Christ like love and have confidence in me when I do
not believe in myself, and for the countless times you’ve pointed me to how the
Lord wants me to view myself when I cannot see anything good in myself. Thank
you for your gentle and affirming ways and for patiently just listening to me;
and for letting me cry on your shoulder sometimes and encouraging me to do so. You
are such a treasure to me, dear, and I cannot believe that I get to spend every
day of my life with you!
I have no idea where this journey of life will take us, but it is my
privilege and my promise to walk with you hand in hand through whatever God
places on our path. I promise to rejoice and laugh with you through life’s
joys. I promise to faithfully stay with you, serve you, and hold your hand
tight both when it feels easy and when it feels effortful, and support you
through whatever challenges we may face. I promise to personally look to God to
grow spiritually each day of my life so that I can keep growing into the wife
that He wants me to be to you. I promise to encourage you, to be patient with
you, and to support and nurture your dreams and creativity I promise to help
you and walk along side of you as you continue to become the man who God wants
you to be. I promise to serve the Lord with you for the rest of our lives
however He leads us to do so. I promise
to love your family as my family for the rest of our lives. I promise to be the
best mother that I can to any children that the Lord chooses to give us and to
raise them with you purposefully in the Truth. When life gets busy or stressful,
I promise to deliberately make nurturing our marriage and friendship my top
priority. I will be your best friend and your partner on all of life’s
adventures.
Before God and before our family and our friends it is my joy to
pledge and present my whole heart and self to you to love and cherish you for
the rest of our lives on earth in sickness and health, through sunshine and
storms. I do not take these vows that I have spoken at all lightly and I promise
to look to the Lord to give me the strength to do and be all of these things
and be these things to you and to commit our marriage to daily prayer.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and opinion/advice!!!
Lizzie (ps wedding May 23rd, so we have a few weeks!) 