Marriage vows

History and Evolution of Wedding Vows

• In the time of the Roman Empire, lower classes had free marriages.
• Wealthy Romans signed documents to legalize their unions.
• The oldest traditional wedding vows can be traced back to medieval church manuals.
• The Book of Common Prayer, published in 1549, influenced marriage services in England.
• Wedding vows in English-speaking countries originated from the Sarum rite of medieval England.
• The first English prayer book of 1549 had vows that closely resembled those of the Sarum rite.
• The York missal and the 1549 Prayer Book had variations of the wedding vows.
• The 1552 Prayer Book introduced slight changes to the wedding vows.
• The 1662 Prayer Book established the widely used form of wedding vows.

Western Christian Wedding Vows

• Roman Catholic wedding vows include a pledge to be true to each other in good times and bad.
• In the United States, Catholic wedding vows also include a commitment to be together in sickness and health.
• Lutheran wedding vows include a promise to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and health.
• Anglican weddings can be legally recognized if registered in the Church of England or other authorized religious bodies.
• Civil ceremonies often adapt traditional vows from the Book of Common Prayer.

Roman Catholic Wedding Vows

• Catholic wedding vows include a pledge to be true to each other in good times and bad.
• In the United States, Catholic wedding vows also include a commitment to be together in sickness and health.
• The priest confirms the couple's consent and pronounces them joined by God.
• In the Sarum Rite, the bride vows to obey and serve her husband.
• The Catholic Church's wedding vows have evolved over time.

Lutheran Wedding Vows

• Lutheran wedding vows include a promise to have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and health.
• The vows are based on God's holy will.
• The Lutheran Church emphasizes faithfulness in marriage.
• The vows express a commitment to love and cherish each other.
• The couple pledges to be together until death separates them.

Anglican Wedding Vows

• English law authorizes marriages registered in the Church of England or other religious bodies.
• Civil ceremonies allow couples to choose their own vows.
• Traditional Anglican vows include a commitment to love, cherish, and obey.
• The vows have been adapted over time, with changes in language and wording.
• The Episcopal Church removed the word 'obey' from the bride's vows in 1922.

Marriage vows Data Sources