Writing Your Own Romantic Wedding Vows
If traditional wedding vows aren’t your thing, and you would rather write something that can express the love that you have for your future spouse, sometimes the task can be daunting. An eternal love, and one worth celebrating is worth the extra work if you want to put it in. Romantic wedding vows are quickly becoming more popular as couples choose different ways from the norm to pledge eternal love before family and friends. If you have a mental block, or just need some ideas to help get you started, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve put some work in and come out with my list of favorite romantic wedding vows.
I love you, ___. You are my best friend and today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life is easy and when it seems hard. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.
_______, I love you. You are my best friend and will be forever. Today I give myself to you in marriage to be your husband/wife. I promise to encourage you, to laugh with you and to comfort you in times of sorrow. I promise to love you in good times and bad. I promise to cherish and respect you. I vow to be faithful and true for as long as we both shall live. Because of you, I laugh, I smile, and I dare to dream again. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, caring, loving and being there for you in all life has for us. I will always be the person that you can trust, talk to and the person that will always understand. I will make my home in your heart. These promises I give you today and all of the days of our lives. Our love has given us wings and our journey begins today.
_____, today I become your (husband/wife) and you become my (wife/husband). I will strive to give you the best of myself, while accepting you the way you are. I promise to respect you as a whole person with your own interests and needs, and to realize that those are sometimes different, but no less important than my own. I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face change as we both change, keeping our relationship alive and exciting. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all that I am, in the only way I know how — completely and forever
____, All that I am and all that I have, I offer to you in love and in joy. From this day forward I will love and comfort you, hold you close, and prize you above all others. I will remain faithful and true to you all the days of our lives
There are so many ways to tell your lover what they mean to you, and finding words to say may be difficult. Think of your soon to be husband or wife and the things you love about them, and the words will come. Romantic wedding vows are something they are going to remember forever and carry in their hearts.
This wedding help site will get you off to the right start. Finding great ideas for bridal shower ideas are just one of many articles, tips and tricks to make your wedding perfect.
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Categories: Wedding Speech Tips Tags: wedding help, wedding vow, wedding vows
Raise a Toast: Wine For Your Wedding
When you are planning your wedding reception, one of the choices that you will need to make is which wines to serve. If you are a wine novice, this can feel like an intimidating project. These are some tips on how to choose the perfect wine for your wedding.
The first rule of thumb is that the wine you select should pair well with both your menu and the general style of your wedding. There are some old guidelines that most people follow, such as serve a white wine with chicken or fish and a red wine with beef or pasta. These tried-and-true ideas may not be novel, but they are always safe, and most couples will decide to stick with them for their receptions.
There are some options beyond serving wine by the glass that you may not know about. If you are having a wedding on a warm summer day, why not offer your guests refreshing wine smoothies? These tasty drinks are made by blending wine with fruit and ice, and make for a unique signature drink that your guests will love. They also have less alcohol in each drink than a signature cocktail made with hard liquor, which can be good if people are really knocking them back on a hot day.
Another fun thing that you can do with wine is make sangria. This is a classic drink that is popular in Spain and Portugal, but it is also great for any summer wedding. Sangria is usually made by combining red wine with fresh fruit like oranges, peaches, and berries, combined with orange juice and sometimes a carbonated soda. The great thing about sangria is that it is nearly impossible to mess up, so it is an easy punch to make yourself. It is a fun idea for everything from a casual backyard wedding with the bride in a simple bridal gown and jewelry to the most elegant afternoon affair at a yacht club. White wine sangria, made with sauvignon blanc is a light and refreshing alternative to the red wine version.
When it comes to choosing the wine to serve with dinner, you will have plenty of great options. The most elegant wines are often thought to come from France, but other delicious wines can also be found from Italy, Australia, and California. For a formal seated dinner, you might splurge a bit on a fabulous French wine like Sancerre (white) or a nice Burgundy (red). These are appropriate choices for an elegant reception in a ballroom, the type where the bride is wearing an elaborate silk gown with ornate bridal jewelry.
Of course, you do not have to spend a fortune to get excellent wine that is very drinkable. Shiraz from Australia is a red wine that can be affordable and also very approachable. For an affordable white wine, you cannot go wrong with Pinot Grigio from Italy. It is widely available for less than $10 a bottle, and is a light and easy crowd pleaser. Chardonnay from the Napa Valley is another good option for an affordable white wine. You can also consider regional fruit wines, such as apple or blueberry wine from New York State. This is especially nice if you can get your wine from a local vineyard.
Choosing wine does not have to be daunting. There are many wonderful and affordable varieties available to brides and grooms. A great way to educate yourself is with a wine tasting course. You and your fiance can relax and enjoy some tasty wines while also planning your wedding; a wine tasting would be a terrific idea for a pre-wedding date night.
Bridget Mora writes numerous articles for Silverland Jewelry about weddings, style, and relationships.See how we can design beautiful custom bridal jewelry especially for you.
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Categories: Wedding Speech Tips Tags: planning your wedding
Make Your Wedding Day Even More Special By Writing Your Own Vows
The trend these days is to have a wedding celebration that reflects the personalities of the two people involved. To this end, you may want to consider including vows that you have written yourself as part of the wedding ceremony. While the traditional vows may be beautifully written, that does not necessarily mean that they are the right ones for the two of you.
The first thing to think about is what you really want to say in your vows. While the deep affection you and your beloved have for each other is the reason you are entering into the honorable estate of holy matrimony, you might also want to include such concepts as friendship, hope, peace, respect, kindness, patience, loyalty, and a shared future.
You might also want to include a passage about welcoming your new spouse into your family and becoming a part of theirs. Your desire to have a family of your own might be a part of the thoughts you express to each other as well.
Look at some sample vows for inspiration. The librarian at your local public library should be able to suggest some books for this purpose. If you are working with a wedding planner, he or she may be able to suggest some good sources of information as well.
Reciting your vows is not like an exercise in public speaking in that it needs to last for a certain amount of minutes or have a specific word count. Use as many or as few words as you need to express the promises you are making to your spouse. This is your day and no one is going to think it amiss if your vows are wordy and flowing or brief and to the point.
To that end, some couples find it helpful to try to write their vows together, while others would feel more comfortable working individually. This is also a case where no one solution is inherently better than the other; people just need to determine what would work best for them.
If you like the wording contained in traditional pre-written vows but want to add your own personal touch, ask the officiate you have chosen whether you can have a combination of the two at your wedding ceremony. In this way, you are not breaking with tradition by including the standard vows, but you are making the celebration of your wedding a more individual one by adding whatever thoughts you want to share with your chosen one and guests.
If your goal is to have a wedding that is truly a reflection of your personalities, then writing your own vows is one way of ensuring that your wedding day will be as unique as the devotion the two of you feel for each other.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach Florida. Find more about this as well as wedding invitations at http://www.wedding-planning-plus.com
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Categories: Wedding Speech Tips Tags:
Let’s Look At Some Wedding Toast Activities
Giving a toast is a responsibility that puts fear in the speaking hearts of most members of a wedding party. While it’s not ordinarily something that is particularly long or involved. Its public speaking (which doesn’t sit well with many souls) and really puts souls on the spot.
If you are planning a wedding and know that most members of this wedding party are hams who won’t mind the whole "public speaking" thing, then through all means keep the toasts traditional with dad, the best man and others taking their expected turns at the microphone.
But if you’re looking for something different, either since you hope to save putting souls on the spot, or you simply want to do something different and fun, read on.
First, you can certainly take the whole toast thing off the agenda whenever you wish. There are no rules requiring a toast at any wedding. Weddings should be unparalleled events and reflect the personalities of the bride and groom.
But if you desire to do something a little different, there are options. You can go the video route, which asks souls to essentially make a toast on camera and then the video is given to the bride and groom later. This isn’t a particularly unparalleled idea, but it executes solve the issue of not wanting to put souls on the spot and still gives everyone a chance to say something special to the bride and groom.
When your guest list includes many outgoing individuals then consider "pass the microphone". This can work in various ways. You can either be silly with it, or deadly serious. Most souls like silly. Say dad takes the microphone first. His last name ends with T (so, let’s say dad’s last name is Smith). He must detect someone whose first name begins with a T (Tom? Tony? Tina? Theresa?) And pass the microphone to that person, who then gives a toast.
This method of giving toasts does put individuals on the spot (certainly before the fun begins you can warn them so if they are really uncomfortable, they can escape to the restroom or bar) but it can also be a lot of fun. Getting people whenever they least expect it and then asking them to remember something funny or meaningful about the bride and groom can result in interesting, funny and truthful results.
You might also decide that one person at each table be necessitated to give a toast. Number the tables and at several intervals, have the MC or DJ call a number, which will want guests at that table to decide amongst themselves who will give the toast at that table. Certainly, more than one person can when they like, but there will probably be at least one ham at each table that will enjoy standing up and toasting the newlyweds.
Say you have plenty of public speakers in the group, and finding willing toast participants will not be a problem. But you think the subject matter might be. There’s an easy solution to this problem. You can provide open-ended topics for the toast speakers. Say you are providing an "open mike" toast arrangement, where anyone can request the microphone and offer a toast. The DJ, MC or someone else in the wedding party (perhaps the maid of honour or best man) can offer the speaker a surprise topic, which might be pulled from a champagne flute or drawn out of the floral arrangement on the head table. There might be slips of paper to choose, or just one sheet of paper with several ideas.
The speaker might choose to finish this sentence, "I remember if (groom’s name here) was a little boy, he always …" or answer this question, "When was (insert bride’s name here) at her silliest? Tell us the story". You might have to give each speaker a minute or two to collect their thoughts, but you’re sure to have some interesting stories, some unique anecdotes and some different perspectives on the bride and groom.
Uchenna Ani-Okoye is an internet marketing advisor For further reading please check out: Chinese Wedding Games
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Categories: Wedding Speech Tips Tags: planning a wedding, wedding toast
The Wedding Toast From the Father of the Bride – Easy Tips on Being Funny While Still Being Classy
Both the best man and maid of honor speeches are certainly important, but in the end, no moment at the reception or words of advice are more revered than the comments made in the wedding toast from the father of the bride. It is the definitive moment where – as many people believe – the father truly gives away his daughter.
But to make a grandiose moment less pressure-filled for the speaker, it’s always good advice to offer a few jokes to lighten the collective mood. Although that sounds easy, it’s not terribly simple. It is here where one needs to have a firm grasp of what proper toast etiquette is.
When delivering a wedding toast from the father of the bride, it is vitally important not to offend or overly embarrass anyone. The best man’s speech is usually meant to be the most "rowdy" of the bunch, while the wedding toast from the father of the bride is more formal in nature.
With that said, what is appropriate for the father to joke about? According to toast etiquette, a wedding toast from the father of the bride can poke fun at the following:
* his family in general; such as lighthearted comments about how dysfunctional the family may be or "weird", funny things you’ve done together. Do not poke fun at the groom’s family.
* the bride; especially stories from her upbringing or how she acted after meeting her future husband (if it makes for a nice story). Do not, however, under any circumstances embarrass her. Never mention ex-boyfriends or "flings".
* the groom; these can make for the best jokes of all, but remember to keep the mood light. Stories of when you first met the groom often times make for an excellent chance to be comical in the wedding toast from the father of the bride!
But now that you know what not to say and do, where do you turn for ideas and concepts you can use in constructing your speech? What are other nuggets of information regarding toast etiquette that you need to know? Where can you find definitive lists of what you need to say, whom you need to thank, and helpful tips in how to deliver your speech?
The answers to these questions can be found by visiting the link in the author area today. At this fantastic site — which is fully devoted to the wedding toast – you will be able to read reviews and see what the internet’s best sites have to offer so you can make an informed decision on which one best suits your needs. Get on your way to having that jaw-dropping wedding toast from the father of the bride in no time!
Gus Miller is an expert on the art of public speaking and specifically, the wedding toast. Gus has had the pleasure of giving many toasts throughout his life in every setting imaginable. Find how you can deliver a fantastic wedding toast by clicking herenow.
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Categories: Wedding Speech Tips Tags: a wedding toast, best man's speech, father of the bride, maid of honor, maid of honor speech, maid of honor speeches, the wedding toast, wedding toast
How to Give a 50th Anniversary Speech – Golden Wedding Speeches
Giving a speech is never easy even after 50 years of marriage. Some might even say it isn’t easy especially after 50 years of marriage. With the strong emotions and the deeper connection it will always be harder to convey those feelings you have shared with your loved ones with words. Here is a guideline to help you give the speech your deer ones will always remember.
Getting Started
It is appropriate to first thank the guests for coming to the celebration of 50 years in marriage. If appropriate mention a few special guests such as children or especially parents if the couple is blessed enough to have them there. Make sure and mention the 50 years part. Guests are there to applaud such an accomplishment and they want to hear it said out loud.
Words to Say About your Loved One
If you are the husband or wife of the celebrated couple, start your speech by keeping it simple at first. Thank your spouse for hanging in there for the many years you’ve had together. “I thank my lovely wife (or husband) more than anything for being there for me every step of the way. I do not know what I would of done without her.” Don’t be afraid to tell your love story. Picture your spouse the first time you kissed, the butterflies you felt when you first realized you fell in love, your first date. Picture yourself growing together and the times that were hard that you made it through. Then you will touch the heart strings of your guests. You don’t have to give an entire background of your life, most the guests will already know it. Share a specific story or a specific moment in your marriage that was bliss. Mention those particulars of your marriage that will inspire those younger than you. Talk about love in tribulation, feelings of love, admiration, and respect. Your guests will want to feel what you felt at the greatest moments of your marriage. They are looking to you for encouragement. No matter what, end your speech with an expression of love towards your loved one. It always helps to give a special gift during your speech especially for your golden anniversary.
What to Say if You Are the One Speaking to The Celebrated Couple
Breaking into a speech is the hardest part so just introduce yourself and the words will start to come. Give a simple background like names of you, your spouse, and your relation to the couple and tell the other guests that you are happy to be there. Think about the couple, picture their life together from the first day they got married, to pregnancy and having children, to the hardships, and to the joys. Then give your speech. It will be from the heart and it will be felt by everyone. Share a quip, a short story, or a specific inspiring moment you have experience with the couple. Offer a congratulations and then, hand the floor over to somebody else.
If you give a speech from the heart you can’t go wrong. After all you are there either because you have made it 50 years in marriage or because you mean something to a couple that has been married 50 years.
Bill Cotter is an author about phoenix wedding photographers. You can find more information about wedding photography phoenix by visiting http://www.memoriesputtomusic.com.
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Categories: Wedding Speech Tips Tags: golden wedding speech, golden wedding speeches, wedding speeches
Wedding Speeches – Do You Know These Tips?
wedding speeches come in a variety of forms such as wedding speeches for the bridegroom, the best man, the bride’s father and others. Wedding speech is an important way to thank the guests, wish the couples, or they can add a touch of humor to the special occasion and make it much more memorable for everyone who is a part of the wedding.
There are no real hard and fast rules for delivering wedding speeches. One can write one’s own wedding speech or get them written from professionals for adding a classy touch to the wedding. Generally the wedding speech of the bride is one filled with words of wisdom, while the wedding speech of the best man can be light and humorous.
Tips for a Good Wedding Speech
Unlike formal speeches a wedding speech has to be a relaxed one without any pomposity to it. The speech should have light touches of humor so that the atmosphere becomes lighter. It is always a better idea to prepare the wedding speech two to three weeks before the wedding because an improvised speech cannot be as polished as the one prepared in advance.
If one is not very sure of one’s writing ability one can take the help of professional writers who can do the job best. All that one has to do is to provide the writer some of the personal information about the families so that they can add that much needed personal touch to the wedding speech.
If it is the wedding speech of the father of the bride or the groom they can include the memories of their children as well as the likes of their children. Parents can also add some lighthearted events that occurred while bringing up their children. The speech by the elderly always comes from experience and hence is full of words of wisdom and their hopes for the bright future of the couple.
The best man’s speech can be made humorous by adding some really humorous event that the best man and the groom shared during their friendship. It is also a good thing to mention your hopes for the future of the happy marital life of the couple.
The most important wedding speech is by the bride and the groom in which they can mention their first meeting and share their experiences with the guests. It is important in their speech to thank their parents and the guests who attend the wedding ceremony. The couple then can declare their love for one another. Generally the first wedding speech is delivered by the bride’s father.
Jerry Leung designs Modern Chinese Wedding Invitations. He runs a website on Wedding Vendor Directory. Be sure to check Asian Wedding Favors – Lucky Bamboo Wedding Favor.
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Categories: Wedding Speech Tips Tags: best man's speech, father of the bride, wedding speeches
Best Man Speeches – How to Master the Art of Wedding Speeches
So your best buddy just asked you to be his best man on his wedding day. No big deal. You get your tux ready, your shoes your slick hair and the perfect cologne to attract all the single ladies at the reception. Then you are good to go!
No wait, you just hit your forehead with the palm of your hand remembering that the best man just doesn’t party hard during the bachelor party, stand behind the groom during the ceremony and get wasted on the wedding reception but he has to make a speech. That’s right, “The Best Man’s Speech”, the kind of speech that not everyone is too eager to make.
Since not all guys have the guts or the ability to make good and memorable speeches in front of people, this usually translates to jittery knees, sweaty palms and for the really weak of heart, alcohol intoxication; enough for them to find guts to say something without remembering that dreadful night.
best man speeches don’t really have to be this way if you know the right trick. You can save yourself the anxiety or the embarrassment if you know the dos and dont’s of delivering a great speech.
No need to panic when this situation arises. Calm yourself and gather your thoughts. It is not really as difficult as eating a wedding cake that tastes like paper. Trust me; you don’t have to take endless trips to the open bar before you make your speech. It is about full preparation of what you need to say about the bride and groom.
You should already know the groom pretty well. But if the bride isn’t really close to you, take some time to know some things about her before the wedding. Think about how you want the audience to respond. It’s either you want to crack them up or just keep it serious without sounding cheesy or disrespectful. And you also need to think about what you want to wish the newlyweds for their future.
It is best to write your thoughts down so you will not forget the highlights of your speech. You need not read it directly from the paper while doing your speech to avoid looking like you are making a state of the nation address. You can write down some of your favorite memories with the groom and write down information you’ve learned about the bride too. Prepare a good message that can make the couple feel their closeness to you. This way, they will be very appreciative of it. End your speech in an upbeat manner making you ready to make a toast.
It is not necessary to write an essay. Keep it short but heart- felt. 5 to 15 minutes is fine enough not to put everyone to sleep or giving them an idea of throwing you the flower vase on their table. Review your speech or share it to someone who can give an honest opinion about it.
Just remember, you are making a speech for someone dear to you and that should not give you any reason to feel nervous. These steps will help you produce a successful speech. Give the newlyweds a speech that they can cherish and for the audience to smile or laugh at. So just relax and enjoy the moment!
Ted Davidsen has used his own experience giving best man speeches at friends’ weddings to produce his website dedicated to wedding speeches. If you follow the simple steps listed at http://www.simplyweddingspeeches.com you’ll be well on your way to giving the perfect wedding speech!
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Categories: Wedding Speech Tips Tags: best man speech, best man speeches, wedding speeches
Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Speeches
Wedding rehearsal dinners are very cherished and personal events and are usually held just prior to the wedding night. Out of the entire wedding celebrations and festivities, the wedding rehearsal dinner is the one special event which bride and groom are likely to enjoy and remember than any other wedding event. But wedding preparations tend to be so hectic that the composition of a well versed speech may prove to be a very stressful situation for many.
A wedding rehearsal dinner is considered to be a rewarding experience for the new couple and their families as it is conducted on a smaller base and is more intimate. Only the close relatives of both the bride and groom are in attendance whereas, a wedding reception hosts hundreds of guests whom the bride and groom barely know. The bride and groom have a golden chance in the rehearsal dinner to acknowledge all the people who have helped in the wedding arrangements. The dinner can be held in any place, whether a backyard, a rented room or can be in form of a barbecue.
Arrangement of a wedding rehearsal dinner comprises of getting the best man, maid of honor, father of the bride, and other family members to practice their speeches. The best man and maid of honor will practice giving a short speech before dinner and the father of the bride will also give a welcome speech for all the guests. The bride and the groom may also put some sincere thankful thoughts into words and give a short speech to honor all their guests.
It is advisable to write your speech well in advance say about two weeks before the wedding. Keeping the speech short and sweet is the key to catching your audience’s ears. The speech should be simple and usage of difficult words and literature style should be avoided as that tends to get boring. An easy, heartfelt speech is sure to gladden the new couple and the guests more than a one with heavy handed words. An ideal wedding speech would be about 4 to 5 minutes, composed of words dedicated to the bride or the groom’s positive qualities and memorable moments of life. It is also important to adopt a light, frank tone rather than droning on in a matter of fact way, preaching way as this may cast a dull tone over the festive atmosphere.
The most embarrassing situation would be to blow up your chance at delivering the speech. Practice well in front of a small audience to boost your confidence before the rehearsal dinner. A wedding speech is considered as a gift for the bride and groom if composed and delivered well, as a speech on their special occasion is something that will last forever in their memories.
All in all, a wedding rehearsal dinner will be gracefully ended by giving a toast to the happy couple. A round of drinks will be passed and final bows made. Champagne is considered most appropriate for such an occasion.
Need help FAST with wedding rehearsal dinner speeches? Learn how to write and deliver a speech that will leave them all speechless! Get help writing your wedding rehearsal dinner speeches here!
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Categories: Wedding Speech Tips Tags: father of the bride, maid of honor, rehearsal dinner speech, wedding rehearsal dinner speech, wedding rehearsal dinner speeches
Father of the Bride Wedding Speeches – In 3 Easy Steps
Since a father daughter relationship is based on profound and significant memories, a father of the bride speech is an event much looked forward to. The father shoulders wedding responsibilities of the daughter such as ensuring that his daughter makes it to the wedding on time, aisle walking with her and then handing her over to his future son in law. A perfect speech would include expressions and emotions with a sprinkle of humor in it to liven up the atmosphere. Three simple steps will guarantee that you have a killer father of speech composed for the grand occasion.
However you should remember a few points when writing and delivering your speech. Write in a flowing, elegant style and memorize your speech well. It should comprise of three parts: beginning, body and ending. Practice in front of a mirror if you are experiencing spells of nervousness. It is advisable to practice in front of people to boost your confidence. This will also allow you to have your mistakes exhibited beforehand. When delivering your speech make eye contact with the guests and especially your daughter and son in law. This makes them feel special and more attentive to your speech.
Beginning: An introduction of yourself and then an acknowledgement of all the guests will be the first step. Thank all your guests for coming to the ceremony, and then inject a little humor in the speech by dwelling on the countless hectic and wild moments which you experienced during the planning and accomplishment of the wedding. Stress on using heartfelt and simple words rather than quoting phrases from a book.
Body: To enhance your body of the speech, talk about your daughter and her accomplishments. Dwell on her childhood and funny incidents and her importance in the family. Talk about her contributions, and pay compliments to her beauty. Then keeping a lighthearted tone, applaud her choice of a husband. Speaking of your son in law will comfort and gladden your daughter that you have taken pains to know more about him. Admit to everyone freely how proud you are of your daughter and her husband. Since a wedding ceremony is the most poignant moment of your daughter’s life, make sure that she enjoys and appreciates your speech. You can also include in your speech as to how you see her in the role of a loving wife and mother in her days to come.
Closing: Your ending lines can reflect on a little advice to the newlyweds and to honor their vows well. Most fathers get stuck up as to how to end their speech in a most appropriate and elegant manner. The most simple and graceful way out is to present the newlyweds to the guests and raise a toast for their happiness and long life. Your toast will be backed up by applause and cheering from the audience and this will be a cue to make your bow and with style hand over the stage to the shining couple of the evening.
Need help FAST with father of the bride wedding speeches? Learn how to write and deliver a speech that will leave them all speechless! Get help writing your father of the bride wedding speeches here!
Article Source: ArticleSpan