The wedding ceremony is built around the cornerstone of the vows. A promise to be faithful to the one you choose above all the rest. The one to whom you give your word.
The Meaning of Marriage: Wendell Berry
The meaning of marriage begins with the giving of words. We cannot join ourselves to one another without giving our word. And this must be an unconditional giving, for joining ourselves to one another, we join ourselves to the unknown…you do not know the road; you have committed your life to a way.