Our Vows

When it comes to wedding vows, I love the traditional kind. It's neat to think about how many times those words have been said before us - so I was pretty sure that's what we would use. Once I started thinking seriously about it though, I did some research. Some about writing your own and also several really good posts on marriage and the gospel. 

When my pastor sent over the traditional vows he uses, I realized that it was missing a lot of things that were really important to Nathan and I as we made the commitment and vow of forever marriage. In the end, I did a mixture of the traditional and my own (inspired by everything I read on the subject), mostly taken from the truths found in Ephesians 5:22-33 - 

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

{Picture credit - the best photographer ever! Check out her website, A&M Photography}

Here they are, below; I was so happy with how they turned out - 

Groom: I, Nathan, take you, Jessica as my wedded wife.

Choosing this day to leave my Father and Mother and be joined to you as one.

By God’s grace - Whether in sickness, or in health, abundance or need,

for better or worse - I promise to choose to love you as myself,
cherish, protect and provide for you 
in accordance with my love and fear of God and His word.
I promise to be your head and sanctify you according to His word,
as Christ is the head of the church and sanctifies her -
These things I vow, till death do us part, according to God’s Holy ordinance -
And thereto I promise my trust.

Bride: I, Jessica, take you, Nathan as my wedded husband.

Choosing this day to leave my Father and Mother and be joined to you as one.

By God’s grace - Whether in sickness, or in health, abundance or need,

for better or worse - I promise to choose to love you as myself,

respect, and obey you in accordance with my love and fear of God and His word.

I promise to be your helpmeet for as long as we both shall live,

supporting you and your dreams, while continuously pointing you towards our Savior - These things I vow, till death do us part, according to God’s Holy ordinance -

And thereto I promise my trust. 

These words were so special on our wedding day; how wonderful they will be to serve as a reminder in the years to come, all that we committed to each other and God. 

If you're married, which did you choose to do? If you're not, what would you choose? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time...