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Having shot hundreds of couples’ weddings, I’ve had the pleasure of capturing the beautiful moments of vow exchanges. Wedding vows are the promises in which an engaged couple makes to one another during their marriage ceremony. Some couples choose to share these heartwarming declarations of love aloud before witnesses to describe their intentions and commitment.
If you live in the United States, the first thought of traditional wedding vows that come to mind may contain the promises “through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse.” Different cultures and faiths, however, have their own vow traditions. If you have an intercultural marriage ceremony or would like to honor the religion of your significant other, you may choose to explore different vows for the occasion.
This guide to wedding vows by Zola has several beloved vows from different cultures and religions. Below are a few great choices.
Native American Wedding Vows
Most traditional Native American weddings do not perform vow exchanges, but instead read aloud blessings to the couple. Here is an example of a wedding blessing from the Inuit tribe:
You are my husband/wife
My feet shall run because of you
My feet shall dance because of you
My heart shall beat because of you
My eyes see because of you
And I shall love because of you.
Jewish Wedding Vows
This prayer is commonly recited in Hebrew by a Jewish couple during the ring exchange:
Haray at mekudeshet lee beh-taba’at zo keh-dat Moshe veh-Yisrael.
(English translation: Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the laws of Moses and Israel.)
Muslim Wedding Vows
In Islam, a couple will listen to their officiant, usually an Imam, speak about the responsibilities of marriage and the significance of their commitment to one another and to Allah. Muslim couples who choose to recite their own vows may share something similar to the following passage:
I (the bride) offer you myself in marriage in accordance with the instructions of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him. I pledge, in honesty and with sincerity, to be for you an obedient and faithful wife.
I (the groom) pledge, in honesty and sincerity, to be for you a faithful and helpful husband.
Buddhist Wedding Vows
In Buddhism, a couple may write their own vows that reflect the pledge to their doctrine of Truth. Here is an example of what a wedding officiant might recite to the couple:
“Name” and “Name,” do you pledge to help each other to develop your hearts and minds, cultivating compassion, generosity, ethics, patience, enthusiasm, concentration and wisdom as you age and undergo the various ups and downs of life and to transform them into the path of love, compassion, joy and equanimity?
(We do.)
Whether you choose religious vows, those of a different culture, or writing your own, the joy of sharing heartfelt words of love to your significant partner is the best part.
By
Ashley Cottrell
Writer/Content Marketing Coordinator at Siege Media.