Writing Wedding Vows
Over the years, the Tentickle International team has been involved in the organising and set-up of many weddings – from sweeping celebrations in locations, to small gatherings of friends and family in picture-perfect backyards. As such, we have been privy to many dewy-eyed moments when the happy couple exchange their vows in front of their loved ones, and by now we believe we have the recipe for a heartfelt set of personalised vows down to a T.
Here are a few tips to help you write unique wedding vows that are in keeping with your beliefs as a couple:
Make Sure Your Tones Match
Are you going for heart-warming and romantic, or quirky and comic? Who you are as a couple will determine your tone, but just be sure to touch base with your partner before you sit down to write your vows. You can go either way, but it’s always a little awkward when one person draws tears while the other one goes for belly laughs.
Write What You Know
Struggling to get started? Write down what you know about your partner and your relationship. Your love story should lie at the heart of your vows, and putting pen to paper about the person you love is sure to get your creative juices flowing. What do you wish for your relationship? Where are you headed? What are the beautiful things you want for your partner? Thinking along these lines will help you to put your feelings into words.
When In Doubt – Structure!
Feeling like your vows are a little all over the place? Whip it into shape by using the following structure:
- 1. Affirm your love for your partner
- 2. Praise your partner
- 3. Offer your promises
- 4. Close with a final over-arching vow
KISS
Keep it short and simple. Ideally, your vows should not take any longer than two minutes per person. This is the ideal length of time to get across your message without getting to the point where people start shifting in their seats.Practice The Vows Out Loud
What happens on a page and what occurs when spoken aloud are often two completely different things. When you practice your vows out loud, you may notice that you trip over certain phrases repeatedly, or that certain words just don’t ‘sit right’ in your mouth. Practicing your vows aloud give you the opportunity to iron out these wrinkles ahead of time.
Have A Clean Set of Notes
If you are like most bridal couples, you’ll be tweaking those vows up until minutes before the ceremony. If you do, remember to make a clean set of notes after you’re done. Standing in front of a crowd with a set of scribbled notes that have multiple cross-outs, arrows and margin notes is a recipe for a fumbled vow reading. Rather take the time to rewrite it on a new page before you head down the aisle.
Keeping these guidelines in mind when you sit down to write your wedding vows will make the process a lot easier. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to the Tentickle SA team if you would like to know more about our wedding stretch tent solutions and more – we’re happy to share our expertise in the lead-up to your big day.
