Anyone written their own Catholic vows?

Hi, ladies,

My fiance and I are meeting with a Catholic priest on Sunday to discuss our ceremony. We really want to write our own vows and have some personal touch in the ceremony. The priest responded to my email with the following:

'You may prepare your own vows provided that they are consistant with the intent of the vows normally said at a Catholic wedding. You may NOT repeat vows after the usual Catholic vows .'

I'm at a loss as to what this means. It sounds like we can write our own vows, but I'm not sure what the 'intent' thing means.

Has anyone written their own vows (for a Catholic ceremony)? Anyone have any idea what this means?

Thank you!

Re: Anyone written their own Catholic vows?

I have not written my own, but this means that in a catholic wedding liturgy you have 'the right to prepare a completely new rite.' This means that you can write your own vows but that they should be in accordance with catholic beliefs. Meaning they have to have the basic gist of the standard vows.... You have to say something that means that you are accepting this person as your spouse. You cant just say 'I love you, Groom' and thats it. There has to be the intent. The traditional catholic vows are 'I [bride] take you [groom] to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.' So whatever vows you write need to somehow convey those things, in whatever words you choose. Also, the priest means that you cant say the traditional vows and then do your own vows, its one or the other. But in order for the priest to attest that your marriage has taken place, he has to hear the 'intent.' You know the part of the wedding that says 'Bride and Groom, I now ask you to declare your intent before the church'? It means that in your vows in some way you have to make it clear that you are accepting one another as husband and wife and everything good and bad that comes along with it, and that you are intending to do this for the rest of your lives....you cant just recite a poem to each other in place of the vows, for example.... I would write something that you want to say and then have your priest look at it and help you word it if need be....

Re: Anyone written their own Catholic vows?

Thank you! That's really very helpful.