The Huron Expositor, 1998-02-18, Page 27Wednesday, February 18, 1998 - Page 15
�orvows
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"Do
you, Bob Sniith, take Julie
Doe to be your lawful, wedded
wife and forsake all others,
promise to cleave to her alone, to
love, protect and cherish her
above all?"
"Do you Julie Doe, take Bob
Smith to be your lawful wedded
husband, to love, honor and
sustain himthrough all
circumstances?"
Gone are the days of
"love, honor and
obey."
Instead, couples are looking
for wedding vows that are
meaningful.
"The promise to love is
most important," said Dr.
Chris Morgan of the Pastoral
Centre in Goderich.
"If you leve one another,
you don't ever divorce."
In his service, Morgan tells
the couple no one else matters
at that moment but the two of
them.
"The vows today are very
short compared to what they
used to be," he said.
While Morgan's weddings
are non -denominational, he
said most people are being
married in the eyes of God
and still want those values
reflected in the service and
vows.
But they like them specific.
"They don't like to go into the
dogmatic aspect of it," he
said.
If the couple wants to add
something to the vows,
Morgan said they are
welcome to but that most
couples don't.
Rev. David Clements of the
Knox Presbyterian Church
said the same.
He can only remember one
or two services where the
bride and groom recited vows
they had written themselves.
And "obey" has never been
a part of the vows in any
ceremony he has performed.
His ceremony and vows
also centre around love and
other traditional words such
as "cherish" and "honor" that
have meaning.
Meaning is what Clements
said couples want from their
vows.
He said to "love, honor and
obey" is meaningless for them
in today's society.
A promise to love and be
faithful is what, he said, gives,
the vows meaning.
He has the bride and groom
recite the same vows so they
remain equal in what they are
promising one another.
"I stick to very simple
vows," he said.
That's also what Morgan
said people want.
"They enjoy the simplicity,"
he said.
At the same time as they are
kept simple, they are still
important to the couple.
"That's one of the first
things they ask about," he
said, adding, "If they just
wanted to get married, they'd
go to a justice of the peace."
Instead, they go through the
ceremony with friends, family
and God seeing them recite
those vows.
And in Clement's
ceremonies, the father no
longer "gives" the bride away.
"A woman is not a chattel to
be given to another man," he
said.
It's a covenant of two
people beingfined together
in their love for one another.
And rather than the father.
"giving" the bride away, he
said the couple's parents are
asked to stand and give a
family affirmation.
"It's important that the new
couple know they have the
support of their birth
parents," he said.
It involves both families and
adds more meaning to the
service beyond what.is found
in the vows.
"That doesn't mean the
father can't walk down the
aisle with the bride,"
Clements said, adding some
brides choose to come in with
the groom or on their own
instead.
By Scott.Hilgendorff
Goderich Signal -Star
For the
Perfect
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Goderich
Columbus Centre
Has it all....
• Modern facilities
• 480 person seating
capacity
• Refreshment centre,
Fully licensed.
Phone for your booking
today...524-1832
GODERICH
•
COLUMBUS CENTRE
390 PARSONS COURT. GODERICH
Michelle places her hand atop'that het husband John Bauman
after their wedding at Brucefield United Church, Aug. 13, 1994.
'DANIEL HOLM PHOTOGRAPHY -
-chosenby-
'COLLEEN KELLAR & IAN SMYTH
82 RICHMOND ST S.
262-2426
HENSALL. ONTARIO
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"YOUQ ONE TOP
WEDDING SIIOP"
• Everything from beautiful floral accents
in either fresh or artifical suited to your
special day.
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"I WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU TO DISCUSS
YOUR FLORAL AND RENTAL NEEDS, TO CREATE
THAT SPECIAL DAY THAT MEMORIES ARE MADE FROM!"
Yours Truly, Bobbi Regier
21 Oos`iert cSL ..2.ti& 236-7772
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