Civil people- are you writing your own vows?

We found some online that we tweaked a little. For the vows bit we're having:

Before these witnesses I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live. I take you with all your faults and your strengths as I offer myself to you with my faults and strengths. I will help you to raise our children to become loving people, and support you in the fundamental role of parent. I will help you when you need help, and I will turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.

And for exchanging rings:

I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken on this, our wedding day

That bit originally said "heart and soul" but we were told that the word 'soul' has too much religious connotation and so we're not allowed it. *grumble*

Where did you find those or did you write them?

The kids bit isnt really apporiate for us as MrMini has his 2 monsters sorry children already

Am I a civil person?!? Can I answer?

Oh crumbs... can't remember exactly where. I spent an entire evening googling "civil wedding vow samples" and going through page after page until I found bits I liked then mushed them all together. H2b was very certain he didn't want anything too flowery and we both wanted to include some reference to our children in there.

Hey if I am replying then you deffo can!

Well Mini, we are not writing our own vows as a) You know who doesn't want to and b) I haven't got a romantic bone in my 21 and a half year old body....

well my 19 year old body knows loooooads of soppy stuffs

We are having these legal bits:

I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I, "Name" may not be joined in matrimony to "Name".
I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, "Name" do take thee "Name" to be my lawfully wedded wife / husband.

And then adding these, which we pinched from somewhere on the internet (sorry, can't remember where) and tweaked:

I promise in the presence of our families and friends to stay by your side as your faithful husband / wife through the good times and the bad; in prosperity and in hardship, in joy and in sorrow, whether healthy or sick. All that I have, I give to you; I promise to love you without reservation, to comfort you in times of need, to be open and honest with you always, and to honour and cherish you for as long as I shall live.

We wanted to have "for richer, for poorer" and "in sickness and in health" but the bastards wouldn't let us so we had to go with the decidedly crappier "in prosperity and in hardship" and "whether healthy or sick"!! We're hoping to repeat the words after the registrar rather than read them out ourselves, if they'll let us do that.

And then for our ring exchange part:

Do you, "Name", accept this ring as a symbol of our love and the promises made here today? (Reply: I do.)

We got told we wasnt alowed in joy and in sorrow in sickness and in health

we have done are own (well i have )

I call upon these persons here present to witness that i (name) do take you (name)

To be my lawful wedded (wife/husband).

On this day, I give to you my promise to stay by your side as your faithful (wife/husband

Secure in the knowledge that you will be my best friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love.

I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress,

Laugh with you and cry with you and be honest and open with you

As I’ve given you my hand to hold I give you my life to keep.

Then rings

I give you this ring as a symbol of our marriage and as a token of my trust and commitment. 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 lives together. You were my yesterday, you are my today and you will be my tomorrow. All that I am I give to you

Finalised this in the last few days and the paperwork is in the postal system being delivered today at the registry office, if the Special Delivery lives up to its claim.

For our 'additional vows' we are alternating bits of "I will be here" by Stephen Curtis Chapman, which was in the pack they sent us.

We're also adding in the "guest vows" which until monday we didn't realise we could even have.

We worte our won vows, I dont have hem to hand but our celebrant sent us a load of examples and we took bits from different ones she sent and added bits in. If you are looking for inspiration I can email you her examples across just PM me your eamil address

We haven't gotten that far yet, but I think we'll be takng inspiration from examples provided and tweak them to exactly what we would like.

I don't think I'd be able to manage a very long vow, voice would probably break and I'd start blubbering all over the place lol