Wedding vows are an essential part of a wedding. Such a roller coaster of emotions! As a wedding photographer in Seville and Malaga, I have been able to witness unique moments while reading these.
I have asked Diana Lacroix to share some tips on how to write wedding vows. Diana is the author of the award-winning blog “Diario de Una Novia”, she is an expert in digital marketing and also an officiant of bilingual weddings in southern Spain.
I have attended weddings officiated by Diana (photo 1 below) and I can say that her involvement with her couples when writing together the texts of the ceremony makes them unique and pretty personal. These are her words …
Tips from the expert Diana Lacroix
The wedding vows are for me the most magical moment of a ceremony. For this reason, I always encourage my couples to opt for vows written by themselves. Of course, writing what one feels is not always easy and there are several aspects to take into account.
First of all, it is very important that the couple feel like talking to each other during the ceremony. There are people who do not feel comfortable and that is when I think it is better to opt for the traditional vows. Above all, the confort of the couple must prevail.
Writing wedding vows is describing how you feel for that person and telling him/her from the heart why you want to spend the rest of your life with him/her. Many times, the most difficult part is to start, once you write the words they usually flow by themselves.
The Five Points to Follow
These are my tips for preparing personal vows for a wedding day:
- Think about how your life is since you have met.
- What do you like so much about him/her.
- Tell him/her why you want to spend the rest of your life with him/her.
- Remember anecdotes and important moments that you have lived.
- Write down your promises.
Being Yourself
On the other hand, remember to be yourself. Your words must be the expression of your personality, so it is important to write in line with your way of expressing yourself. It is not necessary to be a poet or a writer, this moment will be yours, just dedicate a lot of love to it.
Being Carried Out by Emotions
Do not be afraid to get emotional since that is precisely the point: putting your heart in the hands of the other while sharing your deepest feelings.
Measuring Duration
One last very important thing that I want to emphasize is that you must agree the long or the short of the votes. It is not pretty or balanced when one person speaks for 20 seconds and the other 10 minutes. I am sure that with these tips you will be able to express personal, emotional and romantic wedding vows.
Regards,
Diana
From My Experience as a Photographer
In my years as a fine art wedding photographer, I’ve felt the most touching and emotional moments from the readings. I have to admit that even being totally immersed in my task of taking the best photos and memories, I have been moved more than once when I heard them. Luckily I have my camera to ‘hide’!
Here are some of my conclusions:
Speeches
Like wedding vows, guest speeches are also a rollercoaster of emotions. They are usually read during the ceremony or during the reception and will take you from the great laughter to the tears of emotion in a matter of seconds. When writing speeches, you can be guided by the same tips for writing wedding vows that Diana Lacroix pointed out.
Saying It by Singing
When it comes to expressing feelings, some people are more comfortable doing it by singing. Without a doubt, it is a moment that everyone wants to capture on their mobile phones and remember for a long time.
The Power of Words
Ultimately, reading wedding vows and speeches is one of the parts I like the most in weddings. Witnessing how the sincere words that come out of a text are transmitted among the guests is quite an experience. A contagion of emotions! Instantly, everyone empathizes with the feelings described in those lines. That is the power of words!
