Living Your Vows
Real talk: Think of traditional vows like the foundation of a home. On the outside, you see beauty represented by the landscape, architectural style, and color. This is represented by your ceremony, the rings, the reception. But underneath the look and beauty is where the important components exist. Foundational essentials include the beams, structure, and intentional design holding everything together. On our blog and social, we’ve been expanding our understanding of ceremony symbols, vows, and popular wedding traditions. In this blog, we’re gently pulling back the curtain on all the promises traditional wedding vows include.
For the most part, traditional vows include, more or less, the following promises. Some couples add their own vows, but many ceremonies include “I take thee, to be my wedded wife (husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
Allow me to go backwards for us to understand the part of our vows that shows respect and honor. It’s the verbiage in the vow that indicates the bride, or groom, is entering sacred covenant publicly, intentionally, emotionally, spiritually, and legally. In fact, some couples recite this part of their vows with the word “lawful” added (lawful wedded wife, lawful wedded husband). The word lawful matters. It means this relationship is no longer casual, private, temporary, or undefined.
The word wedded means joined. Not temporarily connected but joined to be inseparable. You are connected in such a way where your life, your decisions, everything about you is now connected to the recipient of your vow. Real talk, marriage is the merging of lives. This is why selfishness becomes dangerous in marriage. Because once lives are joined, selfish decisions result in shared pain.
We’ve already explored vows through for better, for worse. Our next post, we’ll begin with for richer, for poorer. I would love to hear your thoughts about everything we’ve reviewed so far, and even, thoughts about vows overall. How do you honor your vows as you live in covenant.
Blessings and Love
j&c
