When is a Promise not a Promise?

What difference is there, if any, between a vow and a promise? When is it a pledge, or an oath? How binding is it? It’s hard to remain definite about anything in life. However certain we are of our intentions at the time we declare them, situations and feelings change - at what point is a promise considered broken, and what should happen as a consequence? The vows taken during a wedding ceremony must be made with integrity and in good faith. In traditional legal or religious marriages the ceremony brings with it commitments of fidelity, financial support, ongoing care and parental responsibility for shared children. But when marriages break down, only some of those commitments have to be legally untangled, because they refer to economic issues, not emotional ones. You can promise to love and care for someone for ever, but there is nothing to compensate them if you stop. So when you are considering the vows you want to make at your wedding - think of your intent, declare what you hope will happen and be sure that what you say reflects the way you feel at that moment. If you still feel the same way as your marriage progresses, you can renew those vows in the knowledge that you have upheld them. Vow renewal ceremonies are a powerful way of acknowledging a deep and lasting partnership. But if your feelings change for any reason, don’t let anyone undermine the truth of the pledges you made at the time.