Weddingbee Blog

My very long list of things to do includes a lot of items for our ceremony, including décor, programs, etc. However, nowhere on that list was actually writing the ceremony. Mr. Cloud and I were both born and raised Catholic, and preparing to have a full Catholic mass with our ceremony left me to assume we would just be told what to say and where to stand. I’ve been to and in quite a few other Catholic weddings, and I had never seen anyone get to choose or customize any part of the actual ceremony. Readings in the mass maybe, but the ceremony was pretty set.

Imagine my surprise (and stress) when at our final meeting with our priest last weekend, he started asking us about how we wanted the ceremony. Most of it is still set, but with options. For example, we have a few different sets of vows to choose from. And we were given a packet of readings and suggestions for the prayers of the faithful, but were told we could personalize or change them how we saw fit!

We have decided to go pretty traditional in most things, including changing very little from the ceremony’s wording. Not only is it one less thing to worry about (trust me, I would think this one to death if given the opportunity), but it is nice to think that we will be hearing the same words our parents and grandparents heard before us. The vows however, are a different matter. We have to choose. Originally, Mr. Cloud had his heart set on saying our own unique vows. Our church and priest may be flexible, but not that flexible. Instead, they gave us a few options to choose from. We can add on to these a bit, or just go word for word with what has been provided.

The first options would be repeated after the priest.

Option 1

Groom: “I, Mr. Cloud, take you Miss Cloud to be my wife. 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.”
Bride: “I, Miss Cloud take you Mr. Cloud 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.”

Option 2

Groom: “I, Mr. Cloud take you Miss Cloud, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”
Bride: “I, Miss Cloud take you Mr. Cloud, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”

Or, we can just respond to the priest (he would say these options to us individually).

Option 3

Priest: “Mr. Cloud, do you take Miss Cloud to be your wife? Do you promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and honor her all the days of your life?”
Groom: “I do.”
Priest: “Miss Cloud, do you take Mr. Cloud to be your husband? Do you promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love him and honor him all the days of your life?”
Bride: “I do.”

Option 4

Priest: “Mr. Cloud, do you take Miss Cloud for your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
Groom: “I do.”
Priest: “Miss Cloud do you take Mr. Cloud for your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
Bride: “I do.”

We just can’t decide! So hive I turn to you. They all seem so close, yet so different. Which of these would you choose? Or would you add something to the end of them?