Reflection on Wedding Vows

" I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part." (Traditional Wedding Vows).


Take you to be my Wife/Husband

A conscious choice.

To Have and to Hold

Martial Faithfulness - The wife belongs to the husband and the husband to the wife.

From this day forward

Marriage is for the long-haul. It is a marathon not a sprint.

For Better or For Worse

The Good, the Bad, and the… Pet Peeves. There is no cheap way out. If you enter marriage with the thought “If things don’t work out, I can always get a divorce”, don’t get married in the first place. Divorce should not be in your vocabulary. Divorce is not the ‘easy way out’.

For Richer or For Poorer

Money issues are a big breaker of marriages. When, you get married, don’t go into it for the money. Money cannot buy happiness. If you don’t have high expectations of what your life will be and can be content with just being with your spouse, unselfishly, then you will have a happy marriage.

In Sickness and in Health

There will be times, when you will need to pull the weight when your spouse is sick and not physically able.

To love and to cherish

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

From this day forward

Commitment, Dedication, Loyalty and Trust – these a vital elements for a marriage to be
strong and stable.

Until Death do us part

A Life-time warranty. If we treat our spouse with respect and love it will often last more than a life time.


Copyright 2006. Rebecca Laklem

NB: God forbid, if you find yourself and/or your children in physical danger from your spouse, then seek professional help and advice immediately.