10 "Modern" Wedding Vows for Men
By Sushmita Sen (7th February 2002)

Have you ever noticed how strange Hindu Wedding vows seem? Take for example "take thou this fifth step so that we many obtain many sons" or "let me be the mind and let you be the speech".* Of course I take these to be a literal translation of the mantras - the thinking behind the original text focus on aspects of food, health, wealth, joy, progeny and harmony.....all good stuff. Until the divorce that is! Perhaps, it is time for a few "modern" wedding vows for men? Here are my suggestions.

I take thee to be my wife, to have and to hold:

1. As often as possible (….please!).
2. Even though you'll look like your mother in 10 years.
3. Even though you'll complain about my mother's mission in life which is to make you miserable.
4. Even though you'll nag, nag, nag, nag, nag….nag!
5. Even though you seem to have done everything very strangely in your family.
6. Even though you'll rearrange my entire wardrobe, throw out all my decent clothes and buy me garish Ties forever more.
7. Even though your poor organisation skills mean that you can barely cope with a job, cooking, cleaning, looking after our 2.4 children and ensuring that my dinner is served hot at the table daily.
8. Even though you complain about the seventeen of us living in a two-bedroom maisonette.
9. Even though you don't seem to understand that putting up a few shelves was not part of my engineering degree syllabus.
10. Even though you don't understand that I think Valentine's Day, Birthdays and Anniversaries are all "retail marketing ploys for the weak-minded".

Click here to read 10 "Modern" Wedding vows for women.

Agree or Disagree with these suggestions? Why not share your viewpoint with others, click here.

* Quotes from
- The Vedic Wedding Ceremony (Sri Vaishnava)
- JeevanSathi the Indian Matrimonial Portal.