Will you watch Prince William and Kate's wedding?

[bee*]

"I wished they could have read their own special vows that they wrote to each other."


I, mercifully, have not been to a wedding where that happened. But, I have seen some very cringe-worthy vow exchanges on TV. Seriously, am I the only person who groans aloud at some of these??? Or, am I just the only one willing to tell the truth?

No offense meant to anyone here, but I put "our own special made-up vows" right up there with unity candles and sand ceremonies in importance and meaningfulness. As I said before, lots of rolling eyes amongst the wedding guests. A lot of sighs and people thinking, "Oh, geez. Really?"

No I'm with you on that Holly. It's not common in Ireland to do that and I'm really not a fan of it. Give me traditional vows any day.

 

[zoebartlett]

I think Americans are used to seeing and hearing certain things at weddings that aren't done in the UK. Also, this wasn't just a regular wedding. Royal weddings are done a certain (more formal) way that what we're used to.

I also think that some of the "coldness" was probably because Kate and William are so reserved anyway, that any real PDA wouldn't be their thing (not to mention the Church's or the queen's).

The ONLY thing I wasn't crazy about was Kate's bouquet. It seemed really tiny. It did look great in the photo of William, Kate (sitting), and their attendants though.

 

[bee*]

I think Americans are used to seeing and hearing certain things at weddings that aren't done in the UK.

That could be it. Irish weddings would be similar to UK weddings in some respects and PDA's at the alter and reading vows written by each other are just not the norm.

 

[mayerling]

No offense meant to anyone here, but I put "our own special made-up vows" right up there with unity candles and sand ceremonies in importance and meaningfulness. As I said before, lots of rolling eyes amongst the wedding guests. A lot of sighs and people thinking, "Oh, geez. Really?"

I hear you. I've always thought that unity candles and sand ceremonies are something people do to fill up time...There just doesn't seem to be any other point in it.

 

[AGBF]

No I'm with you on that Holly. It's not common in Ireland to do that and I'm really not a fan of it. Give me traditional vows any day.

I had no desire to write vows or any part of a wedding ceremony, but my minister (and this was in 1977) gave me a book of guidelines and told me to do so. My (then) fiancé was in France while I was in Connecticut, so I had to do it alone, too. I wish I had just had the sense to copy some other church's service...but that would have been hard, too, since my husband wanted no mention of God! At any rate, I hated making up vows!!!

PS-What's a sand ceremony? For that matter, what's a unity candle?

Deb/AGBF


Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

 

[rosetta]

I'm not even making up own vows for my civil ceremony....

Cringe. No thanks.

Sometimes they pour in different coloured sand in a vessel.

Or they light a candle together.

Don't ask me why!

 

[HollyS]

Oh, thank God! I'm not the only one!

I truly did not want to offend anyone, and I was hoping no one had taken it personally. It's just . . . I find some things that have become de rigueur in (American) weddings to be either silly, or fatuous, or trite.

 

[ksinger]

Honestly, I truly have no beef with (most) personal vows. (I've witnessed some lovely ones, I've also witnessed a few ghastly ones - in churches no less) Heck, WE had 'em (but no candles/sand, etc), but then I was married by a justice 'o the peace - neither one of us is religious, and in a hurry - I wanted to be married before my mom died, which she did a mere 3 weeks later. (Truly the most emotionally roller-coaster-y month of my life and a formal wedding would likely have put me in a rubber room.) It was the JP, me 'n him, his dad and my mom. Very small to say the least.

We did however, have weasels at our wedding. No kidding. There were weasels gamboling outside of our wedding location. We felt very blessed.

But even if I didn't partake of it, I'm a big fan of traditional weddings and don't find them cold at all. I find them stately and solemn and joyfully dignified. I think if you get married in a church, then you should respect the traditions of that church - no bare shoulders, no pda, no guy wires, whatever, or you should go somewhere else where you can express yourself more.

 

[princesss]

Oh, thank God! I'm not the only one!

I truly did not want to offend anyone, and I was hoping no one had taken it personally. It's just . . . I find some things that have become de rigueur in (American) weddings to be either silly, or fatuous, or trite.

Not the only one by a long shot! I don't particularly care for a lot of the ways people have tried to personalize weddings - I love the traditional service, the traditional vows, all of it. I just love church weddings and feeling like a couple is entering into something old and holy and connected to thousands of years of history. While I'd obviously happily go to a friend's wedding and sit through vows promising to not care if he does the dishes and to always call him "Pookie", personalized vows don't make much sense to me.

 

[HollyS]

"While I'd obviously happily go to a friend's wedding and sit through vows promising to not care if he does the dishes and to always call him "Pookie", personalized vows don't make much sense to me."


*Snort*

Yep, those are the ones I'm talkin' about.

 

[JewelFreak]

Here's another vote in that direction. Princesss, you put it very well -- I like the same things about a traditional wedding, the old language & ritual; even in a church that uses simple ceremonies, you're taken back into history. Elegant through long use. PDAs definitely put me off -- stow it, we know, already! A few weddings I've been to had lovely vows written by bride & groom, a very few. Others were squirmy. When we got married I was really disappointed the church forbade our minister to use the old liturgy -- it was in the 70s & the new language so modern & casual, some guy on a streetcorner could've written it.

I didn't think Kate's bouquet was too small, I liked the change from carrying half a flower shop down the aisle -- although that's very pretty too. Just nice to be a little different -- it went with the less ostentatious (royally speaking!) flavor of the day.

--- Laurie

 

[AGBF]

"While I'd obviously happily go to a friend's wedding and sit through vows promising to not care if he does the dishes and to always call him "Pookie", personalized vows don't make much sense to me."


*Snort*

Yep, those are the ones I'm talkin' about.

Well, I have to be thankful that I speak in such a way that I sought language that would , generally speaking, not make me cringe. I remember having each of us pledge to, "cleave only unto the other throughout our married life" (leaving the possibility of divorce there, instead of vowing to be faithful until death). The part I find cringe-worthy is I remember saying as we did the rings, "With this ring, I thee wed and pledge my faithful love". Why did I have to add the end bit?

Deb/AGBF


Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

 

[Laila619]

As I said before, lots of rolling eyes amongst the wedding guests. A lot of sighs and people thinking, "Oh, geez. Really?"

Wow. These guests sound a bit cynical and not very supportive. My DH told me he would always love, protect, and provide for me, and no one was rolling their eyes at that.

And it's possible to have the classic and traditional vows along with a few personal words.

 

[Laila619]

While I'd obviously happily go to a friend's wedding and sit through vows promising to not care if he does the dishes and to always call him "Pookie", personalized vows don't make much sense to me.

Ohhhh. Now I get it. Yes, that is quite cringeworthy.

I wasn't talking about personal words like that.

But again, one can still say something a bit more personal AND do the traditional vows as well. We did all the traditional, religious stuff, and then the pastor said, "At this time, the bride and groom have a few personal words they wish to share with one another." Nothing cringeworthy, gross, gagworthy, or "Pookie pie" related at all.

 

[VRBeauty]

I'm a fairly traditional person and I love the traditional vows. I've also heard some lovely "homemade" vows. Occasionally they provided a tad bit too much information, but... the wedding is not about me, the guest. Hopefully it's about the couple, the uniting of lives and families, etc. If for some reason the couple feels that they need to write their own vows for the ceremony to be meaningful to them, that's fine by me.

BTW, in my book the wedding isn't all about the bride, either!

 

[Guilty Pleasure]

I am not a fan of vows written by the couple, no matter how poetic or well written or beautiful. On that note, if you make me listen to the word "lover" in your vows, I will hold a tiny grudge. yuck!

 

[AmeliaG]

Personal vows always make me feel like I've intruded into a private conversation. Some of the things I've seen made me want to say to the couple, 'Can you please take your heads out of the love nest for a moment and remember the other 150 people here?' You did invite us and you didn't have to so there has got to be some reason you want us here.'

 

[Laila619]

if you make me listen to the word "lover" in your vows, I will hold a tiny grudge. yuck!

Ewww! Do people actually use 'lover' in their vows?! I'm rapidly beginning to understand why so many people have a bad impression of personal vows.

 

[jstarfireb]

My husband and I personalized our vows somewhat. Basically, we Googled "wedding vows" and pieced together ones that appealed to us in both meaning and wording. They weren't cringe-inducing or cheesy. No pet names or anything like that. In general I like seeing people infuse their personalities into a wedding, as long as it's not TMI. To me, a wedding without some little personal touches would be boring. On that note, our entire wedding was somewhat non-traditional, but not over the top. We were married by a friend ordained online, the ceremony was outdoors and lasted about 15 minutes, the bridesmaids wore all different dresses, the groom and groomsmen wore black suits instead of tuxes, the decor was minimalistic, and the whole wedding had an informal feel...I wouldn't have cared if guests wore jeans and sneakers. Nobody rolled their eyes or sighed, and a lot of people commented on how simple and beautiful the wedding was.

A royal wedding, on the other hand, has to be formal, traditional, and conservative because of who it involves and what it represents. I don't envy people in such a constrained position.

 

[february2003bride]

Coincidence?

 

[janinegirly]

Coincidence?

LOL!! did you find this somewhere or come up with it yourself? Funny stuff.

 

[iheartscience]

Ha, my friend just posted that on FB today! Hilarious!

 

[zoebartlett]

That's awesome! I hadn't seen that before.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Ha, my friend just posted that on FB today! Hilarious!

I was JUST going to post that, hehe. So fitting!

 

[kenny]

I heard they're going to auction off that goofy hat and give proceeds to charity.

 

[tyty333]

OMG...when I saw the two Fergie girls I thought to myself they look just like the ulgy step sisters! I guess I was right!

 

[Haven]

Cinderella isn't a brunette, she's a blonde!
And the prince has black hair and he wore a yellow suit.
I wish I was that skilled with Photoshop.

 

[ForteKitty]

if you make me listen to the word "lover" in your vows, I will hold a tiny grudge. yuck!

Ewww! Do people actually use 'lover' in their vows?! I'm rapidly beginning to understand why so many people have a bad impression of personal vows.

YES. you know what's worse than hearing the couple using "lover"? Hearing the Priest using that word. We sat thru a wedding where the Priest said, "At first you were friends, then you became lovers, and after a 5 year courtship, the lovers will finally join in holy matrimony"

it took all of our strength to not burst out laughing or gasping in shock. Then he repeated it a few more times... but by then, nobody was listening anymore.

 

[zoebartlett]

Good catch, Haven. I was fooled, apparently. I had forgotten that Cinderella's hair is blonde.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Cinderella isn't a brunette, she's a blonde!
And the prince has black hair and he wore a yellow suit.
I wish I was that skilled with Photoshop.

Heck, me too. But I think it would have been easy with a larger picture - just use paint bucket, haha!
It was just a deliberate and cutesy way to compare them to the Disney brides. I thought it was cute