inspiring vows..

"To marry is to form an equal partnership, tied together by the tenuous bonds of emotion and love. It is at once the most fragile of relationships and the strongest. Fragile because it requires exactly the right mix of freedom and inter-dependence, of caring and of sharing, of being together and of being alone. But it is strong because it involves the unseen forces of something we call love - mutual devotion, concern for the happiness of the other, and joy in each other's company. For there is no stronger force involving human relationships that this silent bond love.

Remember that this wedding day is only a symbol, a celebration, a public recognition of what already exists in the silent places of your hearts. It is your marriage and not something created by the state or the Church - it is yours to define, yours to make real, yours to live. Nothing I can say can make it anything more than what already exists in your hearts. Remember also that marriage is a shared relationship, not a matter of possession. It is a means of showing your commitment to one another, not a blind surrendering of personality. It is not an excuse to become limited in your outlook; it is an opportunity for mutual growth. "


I thought I would share this wedding vow i read.. it may be helpful for any brides looking for readings or to be inspired to write your own, which i always think makes a wedding way  more meaningful than the done to death vows imposed by the state. I do not have the writer's name, but wanted to share it anyway.

i especially like and believe in the last part about mutual growth.

on a similar but less optimistic note, i just came to realize (after multiple hints) that a close friend broke off her super-long term relationship. i can only imagine how painful it must be... c'est la vie..