I think it's easy to get wrapped up in the wedding party details (I don't care what Monica Gellar says – weddings are parties). There are so many things to think about. From dresses to cake (WE FOUND ONE!) to entrees to first dances to last dances to honeymoon suites to blah to the blah. PLUS, every vendor pushes the idea that their wedding contribution is the most important. It's their music, cake, dress, flowers, meal, favor etc. that really makes your wedding special. (I, of course, would argue it's the paper products.) However, I love when I remember that the real special part, the real celebration, the real point is the ceremony itself.
We are getting married in the Lutheran church that my parents currently attend. (It's the church in the above photo.) They have a fairly standard & by the book wedding ceremony that the bride and groom are able to modify by choosing from pre-selected options. I spent some time on Monday looking through the readings, prayers and vows that were given to us by the church wedding coordinator. I have looked at these choices before, but this time I read them. I read them out loud. I thought about their meanings. I thought about standing in front of God and nearly everyone we know to confess my love for Paul. To promise forever.
AND OH MAN. If you want to cry, (happy tears!) I highly recommend that little experiment.
Before Monday, I had every intention of writing our own vows. I had visions of Paul and I standing up and saying some unique to us and of course tastefully humorous words. But right there, xeroxed on light purple paper was WEDDING VOW OPTION C:
"_________, I take you to be my wife/husband from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond, and in all circumstances of our life together to be loyal, to you with my whole life and with my being."
It just felt perfect to me and Paul loves it too. I will save my original thoughts for the marriage. And I'll say that promise out loud in a white dress and then spend forever trying to keep it.
enJOY it 
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