When it comes to your vows, you have various options, however the most common are either traditional or personal vows.
Before I go over the difference, one thing to know for couples marrying in Australia, is that under law, there are words that must be said by each partner. The example of this is below:
"I call upon the people here present to witness that I, AB/CD, take you, CD/AB to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/spouse/partner in marriage"
Your celebrant will generally intertwine these legal vows to your chosen vows.
Now for the difference in vow options...
Personal vows are words you have written that summarises your love towards your partner, your marriage & your hopes for the future together. The benefit of doing personal vows, is that you can make it as fun, funny, sentimental and emotional as you'd like. If you have children, they may also like to say their own vows.
If however you & your partner are more traditional, prefer something set or find it daunting to write personal vows, you may feel more comfortable with something similar to the below:
"I, (name), take you, (name), to be my (husband/wife/partner). To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part"
There are couples who like the idea of personal vows but aren't confident in their ability to put something together. My suggestion is to do your research. The tips and advice online, particularly Pinterest & youtube are endless & a great starting point to spark inspiration.
When deciding which vow to opt for, remember that you & your partner should be on the same page with what you want. It may sound odd in your ceremony if one partner said a personal vow and the other traditional. Also, if you plan on doing personal vows, you'd ideally want each other's to be of similar length, as to not outshine one from the other. To check, you can give your vows to a family member, friend or celebrant before your ceremony.
If you can't decide, consider what you'd like your vows to feel and be remembered for, or speak to your celebrant for their opinion.
xoxo
Prisca
