CHURCH OF ENGLAND VOWS

Whatever vows couples opt for, there are four things that they must remember to do:

• Make sure that the Minister is aware of which vows are to be used prior to the day.

• Find out from the Minister whether or not the vows will be spoken one line at a time with prompts from the officiant or whether they must be memorised and spoken straight off.

• When saying the vows, remember to speak them slow, loud and clear or have them written in the Order of Service so the guests can follow them – or better still, do both.

• If the vows are to be spoken without prompting from the Minister, ensure that they are practiced and put to memory well before the Big Day.

While there isn’t a great deal of scope to modify the words used when marrying in a Church of England or Church in Wales Wedding, the fact that the vows today are, on the whole, the same as those used way back in 1662, proves that they accurately capture the true essence of love and marriage. So whilst you aren’t able to speak a set of vows that you have personally penned, the chances are that you would struggle to come up with anything that beats the original and best.