Everything You Need to Know About Christian Wedding Vows
by Danielle Wilkins, Hitched:
Are you having a Christian wedding? Here is everything you need to know about a Christian ceremony, including the wedding vows.
Your wedding vows are, without doubt, the heart of your ceremony and the most meaningful part of your wedding day. After all, the moment you make those promises to each other and become lifelong partners is the reason for this huge celebration in the first place.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide on how to feel inspired by your Christian wedding vows, whether you choose to stick with a traditional order or create a more bespoke ceremony.
About Christian Wedding Vows
Did you know that the Christian wedding vows aren’t in the Bible, but are based on biblical principles? If you’ve been to church weddings before, you’ll likely have heard the traditional Church of England wedding vows many times. Christian vows have a traditional order and wording that is legally binding, and you’re unlikely to be able to make sweeping changes to these, but there are other aspects of the ceremony that can be personalised.
Hymns and readings, for example, will shape your ceremony and what you choose can make a service a great event, not to mention more meaningful to you as a couple.
“The vows in use in the Church of England today follow the same pattern and use some of the very same phrases from medieval precedents. Part of the beauty and significance of these marriage vows is their constancy over many hundreds of years,” reveals Rev Dr Tom Woolford, theology advisor to the Church of England.
“There is a traditional language (“thee” and “thou”) and modern language version to choose from, but the Church of England does not allow any further personalisation. In the eyes of the Church, every wedding over which it presides participates in the same essential gift and calling of God – whether or not the couple are old and young, already have children or don’t, whether they are Christians and churchgoers or neither.
“Use of the very same vows in each ceremony is one way the Church expresses that belief. However, there are lots of other aspects of the wedding ceremony that can be tailored to ensure your special day is personal, meaningful, spiritual, and beautiful,” he adds.
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