One of the hardest aspects of writing your own wedding vows is not knowing where to begin. How are you supposed to find inspiration? What aspects about your relationship should you talk about?
If you’re struggling to write your wedding vows, turn to your maid of honor for help. Wedding vow writing might not fall under the typical maid of honor responsibilities but she’s your hidden weapon.
Your maid of honor is likely the one who has been there since the start of your relationship and has witnessed every milestone.
She’s listened to you describe the early stages of your relationship, she’s witnessed how he treats you, and she knows why you two are good for each other. Why not listen to your love story from the perspective of your best friend to spark some wedding vow inspiration?
Follow these tips to understand how you can effectively interview your maid of honor and use her unique viewpoint to gain wedding vow writing inspiration and material.
Prepare for the Vow Writing Session
Before you start reminiscing about how you and your fiancé met, you’ll need to set up.
First, set your phone’s voice recording feature on to record your conversation. When the conversation is over, you’ll want to transcribe the recording. This will serve as material for your wedding vows when you start the actual writing process.
Also, be sure to bring something to write with. You’ll want to take notes when an idea or memory comes to mind. You can reference these notes later when you start writing the first draft of your wedding vows.
Interview Your Maid of Honor
This part might sound odd—you’re going to interview your maid of honor about your relationship.
By asking her questions, you’ll receive feedback about your relationship through her one-of-a-kind perspective. She’ll tell stories that will spark your own ideas and she may raise points that you wouldn’t have previously considered including in your wedding vows.
Here’s a list of questions you can use that are sure to provide you with wonderful wedding vow material.
What was it like the first time you met my fiancé? What was your initial impression?
How have you witnessed me grow as an individual since I’ve been with my fiancé?
Why do you think my fiancé is good for me?
What makes you most happy when you see us together?
How do you envision our marriage?
Keep it Conversational
This may be an interview but that doesn’t mean you need to grill her with nonstop, back-to-back questions.
Allow the process to be conversational. You’ve had countless conversations with your maid of honor throughout your friendship. This is just like one of those many late night pillow talks—only now with a more focused objective.
Make it Collaborative
Have fun delving into each question together. The questions are not simply intended for your maid of honor. The questions are meant to be a starting point for you two to have a conversation.
She’ll provide her outlook and you can and should add to the conversation with your viewpoints and anecdotes for each of the questions too. This way you’ll receive material for your wedding vows both from her perspective and from your own.
Pick the Right Location
You want to have your conversation in a place that feels comfortable and conducive to storytelling. Where have you had countless chats with your best friend? Where have you two talked for hours and shared deep thoughts?
Perhaps you cozy up in oversized chairs at your favorite coffee shop or maybe you get into your yoga pants to lounge on your couch together.
Pick a place that feels good to you and you’ll be in the right mindset to have a conversation that will help your wedding vow writing process.
The Point is Inspiration
Remember, you’re not having your wedding vows written from the perspective of your maid of honor. You’re simply using her viewpoint as a way to spark unique inspiration.
Take with you the ideas, sentiments, or emotions that resonate with you from your conversation. Don’t feel obligated to make every story she told work. She’s your best friend and may provide new ideas for you to consider using within your wedding vows but you don’t need to commit to everything.
Feel Free to Call in More Help
Your maid of honor may be a great starting point for you to become inspired with what to write for your wedding vows. However, if you still feel stuck, consider hiring professional help.
As a wedding vow writer and creator of Wedding Words, I collaborate with brides who are stressed, anxious, and filled with writer’s block. Get in contact to learn more about how we can work together to write you beautifully custom wedding vows.