Oxfordshire, the place to marry Oxfordshire 2017 | Page 17

After the ‘legal’ part of the ceremony has taken place, you can become more personal and creative, if you so wish, by saying promises to each other. The following are suggestions that some people have used in the past. 1 I  promise that I will respect you as an individual, support you through difficult times, rejoice with you through happy times, be loyal to you always and, above all, love you as my wife/husband and friend. 2 I  promise to care for you above all others, to give you my love and friendship, support and comfort, and to respect and cherish you throughout our lives together. 3 I   give you this ring as a token of my love and friendship. 4 I   give you this ring as a token of our love and marriage, as a symbol of all that we share and in recognition of our life together. 5 I   promise to love and respect you. Helping our love grow, always being there to listen, comfort and support you, whatever our future may bring. 6 I   give you this ring as a sign of our marriage and as a symbol of our love. I promise to care for you, to respect and cherish you, throughout our lives together. 7 I   give you this ring as a sign of our love, trust and marriage. I promise to care for you above all others, to give you my love, friendship and support, and to respect and cherish you throughout our life together. 8 I   give you this ring as a symbol of my love and affection, wear it with happiness and pride – now and always. www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/registration PERSONAL PROMISES Alternatively, if none of these take your fancy, you may be able to write your own promises; it is best to discuss this with your Registrar first to gauge their views on this. If you get the go- ahead, you can start putting pen to paper to come up with vows that really do come from the heart – and yours, not someone else’s. The following promises may give you some inspiration:  o get through whatever life throws at you, T both good and bad To love, cherish and respect one another To stay together for life To share happiness and laughter To  be kind, trusting, tolerant and understanding To be good friends forever. This way you can decide which aspects and elements of your relationship you wish to share with your family and friends. Remember not to include any religious content. 13 5