Expert Tips and Advice

Educating * Sharing  * Insipiration * Creativity



Certified Wedding Planner Expert/Owner Author of many wedding articles
Ask Carolyn,
Premier's  free service will gladly answer your wedding related questions within 24 hours.
Click here to type your question
I promise to Love and Cherish you ~

Wedding Vows
 
To write or not to write (your wedding vows)? That is the question. Whether you're looking for traditional wedding vows, non-traditional wedding vows, funny wedding vows or romantic wedding vows, there are many ways to say "I do."
 
 
The exchange of wedding vows is one of the most important parts of a wedding ceremony. It is a very special moment and often the perfect place to express your feelings toward your fiance. But you may find that writing your own vows is more difficult than you thought it would be. Don't despair...there are many Web sites that offer you guidance for writing your vows, or even list vows that you can use for free. Here are a few, from funny vows to romantic vows, to get your creative "I do's" flowing.
 
Traditional Wedding Vows
 
For those couples who value tradition and are hosting a traditional wedding, these traditional wedding vows are perfect.
 
I take you, (Name), to be my wife/husband and I promise before God and all who are present here to be your loving and faithful husband/wife, as long as our lives shall last. I will serve you with tenderness and respect, and encourage you to develop God’s gifts in you.
I, (Name), take you, (Name), to be my wife/husband; and I promise before God and these witnesses to be your loving and faithful husband/wife; in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health; as long as we both shall live.
Do you, (Name), take this woman/man, (Name), to be your wife/husband, according to God’s holy decree; do you promise to be to him/her a loving and loyal husband/wife, to cherish and keep her/him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to him/her as long as you both shall live?
Non-Traditional Wedding Vows
 
Having a non-traditional wedding? Want to express your love in a unique way? Try one of these non-traditional wedding vows.
 
Because of you, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream again.
I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my
life with you, caring for you, nurturing you, being there for you in all life
has for us, and I vow to be true and faithful for as long
as we both shall live.
(Name), I take you to be my wife/husband from this time onward,
to join with you and to share all that is to come, to be your faithful husband/wife,
to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond;
a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new.
I love you. You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you,
and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard
These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.
The sun smiles on us today, our wedding day, and how can it not, for
our love is stronger than forever and our hearts beat together as one.
I promise to be a true and faithful partner from this day forward, in
all life's circumstances, as we face them together. In the joys and
sorrows, the good times and bad, in sickness or in health, I will always
be there for you, to comfort you, love you, honor and cherish you, now
and forevermore.
 
Funny Wedding Vows
 
To add some entertainment to your ceremony and celebrate your unique relationship, you may want to choose funny wedding vows. (Hint: just try adding an extra promise or two that's unique to your relationship.)
 
"I promise to make your favorite fruit smoothies on Sundays."
As Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston promised each other, "I vow to split the difference on the thermostat."
Groom: I, (Name), choose you, (Name), to be my wife. In front of our friends and family gathered here I promise to love and cherish you throughout the good times and bad times. I promise to try to remember to put put my dirty clothes in the hamper and to replace the toilet paper roll when it's empty. I promise to remember this day with love and roses. I will love you always.
 
Bride: I, (Name), choose you, (Name), to by my husband. In front of our friends and family, I promise to love and cherish you through every obstacle that may come into our path. I promise to learn how to check the oil in my car and how to roll up a garden hose. I will comfort you when your team loses and drink beer with you when they win. I will love you always.
Romantic Wedding Vows
 
Of course, if you're a hopeless romantic, you may want elegant and romantic wedding vows.
 
I (Name) affirm my love to you, (Name) as I invite you to share my life. You are the most beautiful, smart, and generous person I have ever known, and I promise always to respect you and love you. With kindness, unselfishness and trust, I will work by your side to create a wonderful life together. I take you (Name) to be my lawful (wife/husband), to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.
(Name), from the moment I first saw you, I knew you were the one with whom I wanted to share my life. Your beauty, heart, and mind inspire me to be the best person I can be. I promise to love you for eternity, respecting you, honoring you, being faithful to you, and sharing my life with you. This is my solemn vow.
(Name), today I take you for my (wife/husband). I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve all of your goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind, and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
(Name), today I take you to be my (husband/wife). Together we will create a home, becoming a part of one another. I vow to help create a life that we can cherish, inspiring your love for me and mine for you. I vow to be honest, caring and truthful, to love you as you are and not as I want you to be, and to grow old by your side as your love and best friend.
No matter what kind of wedding vows you choose to write (or borrow), make sure they fit the nature of your wedding, and most importantly, the nature of the relationship between you and your fiance.
 
 
 
email me
Wedding Poetry:
Romantic Words for Your Wedding Day
 
Using wedding poetry in your wedding ceremony, program, invitations or even in a wedding speech adds a special romantic touch to your day and helps you express your feelings about love, marriage and your new life together.
 
Poets have written of love and relationships for thousands of years, and their poetry has become a source of inspiration for many couples on their wedding day - and for good reason. There are so many heartfelt wedding poems that you should have no trouble finding one that perfectly fits the nature of your relationship.
 
Wedding poetry may be used during the ceremony itself, on the wedding invitations, in your wedding program or as part of a wedding speech or toast. Even if poetry isn't your favorite thing (or your fiance's favorite thing), there's no denying that it creates a very special mood for your wedding.
 
When choosing wedding poetry, look for a poem that's not too complex or difficult for the average guest to understand - you'll want everyone to enjoy the poem and not be left wondering what it meant. If the poem will be used as a reading, make sure the reader practices reading slowly and clearly, so that your guests don't miss the heartfelt messages being conveyed.
 
Poets such as Robert Graves, Elizabeth Barret Browning, e.e. cummings and Lord Byron have written timeless poems of love that may be perfect for your wedding, but a simple online search will yield hundreds more for you to choose from. Below are just three of the hundreds of classic love poems you can find that will help uniquely express what's in your heart on your wedding day.
 
How Do I Love Thee?
By Elizabeth Barret Browning
 
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
 
To Be One With Each Other
by George Eliot
 
What greater thing is there for two human souls
than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen
each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow,
to share with each other in all gladness,
to be one with each other in the
silent unspoken memories?
 
To My Dear and Loving Husband
by Anne Bradstreet
 
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole Mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can in no way repay;
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then while we live, in love lets so persevere,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.
 
No matter what wedding poetry you choose, or how you choose to use it, wedding poetry helps express what's in your heart and creates a magical mood for your wedding.
 
African  Weddings
 
 
 
 
Asian Weddings
Indian Weddings
Greek Orthodox Weddings
 
 
You may have seen the film "Big Fat Greek Wedding" but what does the Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony really involve? It has remained unchanged for centuries and is full of symbolism--attending one is likely to be a very different experience for anyone from Western Europe or the US.
The wedding service in the Greek Orthodox faith is an ancient and beautiful ceremony, which has been celebrated in its current form for centuries. The wedding ceremony is full of symbolism and is a great experience if you have never attended one before, because it is likely to be quite different from other weddings you have attended in Western Europe.
The service is also rather unique because the bride and groom do not make vows to each other--their presence together in the church is taken to mean that they are serious about getting married. There are no wedding rehearsals and the ceremony usually has a very relaxed atmosphere--guests take photos whenever they want to and often chat quietly among themselves throughout the ceremony.
The Beginning of the Wedding
In most cases the wedding guests will wait with the groom outside the church until the bride arrives (a few sneaky wedding pros will go into the church early to secure a good seat).
In the Summer, when most weddings take place, it is not unusual for ceremonies to be arranged back to back, so the guests attending a marriage will often stand around with those who have just attended the previous wedding are ready to leave.
Wedding dress commentators among the crowd will get to consider and discuss at least two brides and maybe even a third as they leave the church. Meanwhile, the groom waits for the bride at the entrance to the church, often holding her floral bouquet. He hands it to her as they meet and they then go inside together followed by the guests.
There is no separation of the guests into guests of the bride and guests of the groom--everyone sits together and in the case of small churches, many people prefer to stand in a spot where they can get a good view of the proceedings.
Service of Betrothal
The wedding ceremony itself is in two parts: the Service of Betrothal and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage. The exchanging of rings is the focus of the Service of Betrothal. The priest blesses the rings by holding them in his right hand and making the sign of the cross over the heads of the bride and groom. The rings are then placed on the third fingers of their right hands. The Koumbaro, the couple's religious sponsor, then swaps the rings over between the bride and groom's fingers, three times.
A number of rituals in the ceremony are repeated three times and this symbolizes the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage
This Ceremony consists of several key parts. First, several prayers are said and then as they come to an end, the priest joins the right hands of the bride and groom. Their hands remain joined until the end of the wedding ceremony, which symbolizes the couple's union.
The Crowning
The bride and groom are crowned with thin crowns, or stefana, which are joined by a white ribbon and have been blessed by the priest. The crowns symbolize the glory and honor that is being bestowed on them by God, and the the ribbon symbolizes their unity. The koumbaro then exchanges the crowns between the heads of the couple, three times.
The Common Cup
The crowning is followed by a reading of the Gospel, which tells of the marriage of Cana at Galilee. It was at this wedding that Jesus performed his first miracle, changing water into wine, which was then given to the married couple. Wine is given to the couple and they each drink from it three times.
The Ceremonial Walk
The priest the leads the couple, who are still wearing their stefana, three times around the altar on their first steps as a married couple. The Koumbaro follows close behind the couple holding the stefana place. At this point the couple (and anyone standing nearby) is usually showered with rice, which was earlier handed out to the wedding guests. The priest will often make use of the bible he is holding to give himself some protection!
The Removal of the Crowns
When the Ceremonial Walk has ended, the priest blesses the couple, the crowns are removed and he then separates their previously joined hands with the bible, reminding them that only God can break the union which they have just entered into.
Wedding Traditions
Unfortunately, a lot of the information available on Greek Orthodox wedding traditions is a little outdated and contains generalizations that give the impression that certain traditions are followed by everyone who gets married. Some of these traditions are set out below.
•The baking of bread and cakes containing coins.
•Rolling a baby on the marital bed to encourage fertility.
•The throwing of money onto the marital bed.
•The pinning of money onto the bride (and sometimes also the groom) at the wedding reception.
Although these rituals are seen as traditional, fewer and fewer young people marrying today are following them, because they are seen as old-fashioned.
Many people do not wish to put their guests through the ordeal of other people being able to see how much money they pin on the bride, for example. Although money is still a very common, as well as practical, wedding present, it is often given to the couple before the wedding day or to a third person at the wedding reception, for safe-keeping.
Greeks living in the more remote parts of Greece and abroad, who will naturally feel more strongly about doing things the traditional way, are more likely to follow these traditions than those living in Athens, for example.
Like weddings in many places, Greek weddings are changing. At the time of writing, there is a growing fashion to go and get married on an island and I recently heard someone say that he was looking into getting married in a ski resort. He was wisely advised by a friend: "You had better first ask the priest if he wants to perform a marriage up a mountain"!
Premier can plan the perfect… religious wedding ceremony and reception with Complete religious decorating~
 
Planner Carolyn Fairley is a certified wedding and event planner she is educated in  religious weddings and can create the perfect wedding for you. Call her today for package information.
 
 
 
 

 

 


Church of England weddings
How to choose church wedding readings
Greek Orthodox weddings
Hindu weddings
Humanist weddings
Jewish weddings
Muslim weddings
Unitarian weddings
Plan the perfect… engagement
Sikh Weddings

 

 

African
Buddhist weddings
Catholic weddings