Ceremony/Vows ... I'm confused!

It seems weird to skip the "I do" statements but whenever I try to add that in, it seems super repetitive and... kind of dumb? lol. I don't know how to explain it.

I hope I'm not sounding crazy.

Any help is super appreciated!

I'm kind of looking at using something like this as our vows:

I, Jamie, take you, Steve,

to be my husband,

knowing in my heart that you will be

my constant friend,

my faithful partner in life,

and my one true love.

On this special day,

I give to you, in the presence of God and these witnesses

my promise to stay by your side as your wife

in sickness and in health,

in joy and in sorrow, as well as

through the good times and the bad.

I promise to love you without reservation,

comfort you in times of distress, honor and respect you,

laugh with you, cry with you, grow with you,

always be open and honest with you.

I will love you with my whole heart for my whole life.

OMG that was beautiful! I would use Google and check into it a little further. Our officiant gave us a few choices for ceremonies and I kind of used hers and put together my own. I forgot the "I do" part at the beginning and she told me legally (at least where I live) we need to have that in there. Ours is just a basic statement and then each of us saying "I do" at the end. I don't think you'd have to go into too much detail. But, yes, I agree with you. I thought it was repetitive so I left it out the first time.

Those are beautiful vows; however I think adding the part about good times and bad times is a little redundant because you have the joy and sorrow part before that. Just a thought

Ah, okay. Thanks!

I felt like I was just going in circles so I thought maybe I'd ask here

I'll see if I can't switch things up a little so it's in there but less repetitive.

I just hope my grandpa doesn't scrap the whole thing in favor of his more traditional, by the Bible, roots. lol

@elizabeth - thank you! I didn't catch that one. lol. I've been staring at them too long!

I always thought the I Dos were said because the officiant said the vows starting with, "Do you ....just add coffee's real name vows vows vows vows...." Being that you're already stating your vows there really isn't a place for the actual "I do's."

Btw - your vows are making me cry

The "I do" part is called the "questions"....and I thought, by law, that they were required. Here is an insert from that part of our ceremony to show you how we are doing ours!

Future JJ, as you place this ring on Fiance’s finger, I now ask you: Do you take this man to be your blah blah blah? If so please answer “I do.” (then it is repeated for the other person)

(vows)

Please join hands, look into each other's eyes, and repeat after me:

From this day on

I choose you to be my beloved soul mate,

To live with you and laugh with you;

To blah blah blah.......

I hope that helps a little. Our officiant sent us a list of things that we could add, take away and modify. Some where optional, but the "questions" were not!

There is the Question of Intent (Do you...? I do.) and then the Exchange of Vows.

In Fla., the B&G must agree to be married, hence my Question to them.

Then the Vows are what you promise to each other (either the traditional vows or your own).

I also thought it was a bit redundant, so I made the Question briefer:

“_____, do you take this woman to be your wedded wife; do you promise to love her and honor her, and forsaking all others keep you only unto her, until death do you part?”

Very few of the weddings I perform have the ,"I do."

I explain what a blessing marriage is and explain the responsibilities. Then I ask something like this:

Groom, do you understand

And accept this responsibility

And do you promise

To do your best each day

To create a loving, healthy and happy marriage?

Groom: I do

(Repeat with bride)

I do this right before the vows.

We are doing both. We are reciting our vows (not repeated, I don't really like that method). And then during the ring exchange, the officiant will be asking the ring stuff, which then we will say "I do". I hope that makes sense!

I ask, at the very beginning, if they've come of their own free will, when we get to the vow part, I ask them it they take each other in marriage (I say more than that...), then they recite their own vows or repeat after me, then the rings, then I pronounce them.

Thank you everyone!! I will keep working on it tonight!

OMG I was just wondering about the same thing! You'd think having been to weddings & seeing them on TV all your life you'd know this stuff, but somehow when it comes time to write you forget.

Shannon - yeah, this was my problem. I've only actually been to a few weddings as an adult. All of my other wedding experiences are from when I was really young and they were always strictly southern baptist.

I'm going to work on rewording the vow part of ours so that I can put the I Do/question part in before that without it being super repetitive.

Thanks again!!