The Vows

Seaside, Religious, Spiritual and Civil Ceremonies

We invite all of our couples to freely express their beliefs and their unique outlooks on life through personalized vows. However, most couples prefer not to write their own ceremonies and that’s why we offer you a choice of several beautiful ceremonial vows, all of which are performed by caring, concerned, non-denominational ministers and officiants who are certified by the state of South Carolina.

The Seaside Ceremony is our most requested ceremony by far. It encompasses the importance of the commitment which the couple is making to each other; a focus on maintaining one’s own identity while forming a strong unified relationship; and appreciation for the beauty found in nature, particularly at the seashore.

The Traditional Protestant Ceremony – includes sections from the vows written by Thomas Cramner in 1549 for the Book of Common Prayer. It is the ceremony which begins “Dearly beloved” and includes “May God bless this union.”

The Spiritual Ceremony – with excerpts from Marianne’ Williamson’s ceremonial vows, this longer ceremony is more spiritual and humanist in nature; and works beautifully for both weddings and commitment ceremonies.

The Civil Ceremony – a brief ceremony that is typically performed by judges and justices of the peace.

Personalized Vows

At A Charleston Beach Wedding, we believe that every couple deserves the opportunity to make the ceremony uniquely theirs. That’s why we perform ceremonies that have elements that are primarily Roman Catholic, Jewish, or a ‘Multi-Faith’ ceremony but that combine many elements of the Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths. In addition, we can incorporate your own personal values and beliefs into more contemporary and alternative ceremonies that are not focused on religion, but more on the spiritual as well as the human side of marriage. And of course there are Native-American, Gullah, African-American and Buddhist ceremonies and many others. At a Charleston Beach Wedding, we respect the individual beliefs of each couple and will work with you to make sure that the words in the ceremony are meaningful to you.