VOWS- please help!!!

jamaica2009bride · March 1, 2009

I'm sure I have read every vow thread on BDW but haven't found the answer to this question...

We are writing our own vows. Do they have to include certain things to be "legal"? Or if you write your own does the officiant automatically read the "traditional" vows after you read your own anyway?

To those who wrote their own....How did it work?

Please help!!! We are leaving in six days and I am on the brink of turning into Bridezilla.

jamaica2009bride · March 1, 2009

Another question- did you recite them from memory? Read them off a card? Repeat after judge/minister??

Virg · March 1, 2009

omg! I have no idea!!

Most ceremonies that I have read/ seen have a portion that says "I (name) take you (name) to be my ...blablabla...

I think that might make it legal. Or perhaps it is the part with the officients...

~Stephanie~ · March 1, 2009

Bumping this thread, ladies can we help her out? I would love to know too!

Crisp Video · March 2, 2009

Relax. You don't have to say anything in particular. The words said in the ceremony don't make it legal, signing the papers with the officiant in front of witnesses makes it legal.

Just write your vows and repeat them after the minister/officiant. At my wedding we just said "I do" only and let the minister do the talking. No embarassing mistakes!

Congratulations

Joel

Crisp Video · March 3, 2009

What you say during your ceremony has zero to do with the legality. The legal part is only this: you signing the papers with the minister or justice of the peace after the ceremony, with witnesses.

I wrote to my friend Robin Clements who does more kind of New Age ceremonies in Cabo and he said this:

"To do the legal part down here you need to arrange a judge and have your blood tested, I recommend couples to go to the Civil Registry where they are from (in the States) before the ceremony down here, although doing all the paperwork here adds a nice latin theme to the day and it is legal in the states."

When I shot a wedding with Robin at the Pedregal, he did a beautiful New Age ceremony, but a Justice of the Peace signed the papers afterward with the Bride and Groom.

Best to you!

Joel

Cabo Wedding Video