How to Write Vows for a Summer Solstice Wedding

Many couples are choosing to write their own vows for their wedding ceremony, and a summer solstice wedding should be no exception. Luckily, you don't have to be a poet to write beautiful and meaningful vows for your special day.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Ask your wedding officiant whether he or she has any specific rules or preferences when it comes to the bride and groom writing their own vows. Some traditional officiants may be adamant about reciting only the traditional vows, while some are open to allowing you to say whatever you feel like during your wedding ceremony.

2. Leave your inhibitions behind. Chances are your audience will have trouble hearing your vows anyway, especially if you are going to be holding your Summer Solstice wedding outside. This should give you the confidence to write down what you really want to say to your new spouse at the altar. Even if you may shy from having anyone hear your honest declarations of love for each other, remember that it's your day and you should have things exactly the way you want them.

3. Look for inspiration anywhere. Sometimes the best way to say something is the way someone else said it before you. Song lyrics and poems are great places to look for inspirational and loving words for your vows, especially if the song or poem has a meaning to you and your future spouse.

4. Celebrate the summer solstice properly by including references to the sun and the earth in your vows. Nature references in general are also very appropriate for vows made on the summer solstice.

5. Decide how you will be reciting your vows. You can speak them in turn, in unison or after the officiant recites them to you.

6. Keep the vows short, sweet and easy if you plan to memorize your vows. Regardless of how well you may recite them on any given day, you'll likely have difficulty remembering long, complicated vows once your big day has arrived.

7. Check to see if there are any laws that dictate whether certain terms must be recited for the marriage to be legal. Generally, in order for a marriage to be legal and binding, both the bride and the groom must state that they enter into the marriage willingly, and the officiant must make the official announcement that the two are now legally bound by the laws of matrimony.

Tips & Warnings

• Review the basic format of traditional vows to help you with the structure and tone of your vows.
• Make sure you at least review the length of each other's vows before the big day. It could be a little awkward and disappointing if one of you has written a novel while the other has written a simple sentence.