What do you think of when this part of the wedding vows is repeated? Do different scenarios of better and worse situations come to your mind or does your mind glaze over because you have heard this vow repeated time and time again your entire life? I, (name), take you (name), to be my lawfully wedded (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part. Take a minute to think about it. What are some life happenings that would be considered … [Read more...]

Let me first admit that when it came to this portion of the wedding vow, I was stumped. I tried doing research on this phrase and did not get anywhere. Later that day, Eric came into the computer room and I shared my frustration with him. I told him that I just didn't know how to break down this part of the vow. Then he grinned at me… He said, “You really don't know? What do you think it means to have someone?” That's when the light bulb popped on. To have someone is for that person to be yours – intimately. For someone to have you is for you to belong to them. This means that I am committing … [Read more...]

As the soft music plays, the flowers fall, and the bride walks down the aisle with hundreds of eyes on her, we tend to forget that the action taking place is not only one of spiritual significance, but also of legal significance. I, (name), take you (name), to be my lawfully wedded (husband/wife), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part. (The ball and chain pictured, often a euphemism for marriage, is placed there to show the binding legality … [Read more...]

It being Valentine’s Day tomorrow, Eric and I decided to do something special and we’re very excited to share this with you. We’re going to start a series here at PreEngaged on examining the traditional wedding vows. Over the next several posts, we'll cover these vows step-by-step. So, share these posts and invite your friends to discuss these words here at PreEngaged – they are some of the most important words humans ever speak. While there are several variations of wedding vows used in wedding ceremonies nowadays, the traditional wedding vows go something like this: I, (name), take you … [Read more...]