Vows of Commitment

The great thing about a Humanist ceremony is that you can write your own vows of commitment that reflect your personalities and your aspirations for the future. I will send you lots of examples of vows so you can choose wording that you like, or you can use these as inspiration to write your own.

There are different ways of saying your vows – it’s entirely up to you!

• I could read them and you say “I do” 
• You could repeat them after me, line by line
• You could read them yourselves, or if you’re feeling confident you could memorise them 

If you want to include a traditional handfasting in your ceremony you might like to say your vows at the same time. By doing this you are binding yourselves together through your vows and in token of that bond, the handfasting ‘Ties the Knot’.

You might also choose to read a poem to one another to express your hopes and dreams for your marriage. 

Here's an example:

I cannot promise you a lifetime of sunshine

I cannot promise riches, wealth or gold

I cannot promise you an easy pathway

That leads away from change or growing old

But I can promise all my heart's devotion

A smile to chase away your tears of sorrow

A love that's ever true and ever growing

A hand to hold in yours through each tomorrow.

(Mark Twain)