Marriage helps to keep you together
There is something about making vows in public that makes it more likely a couple will stay together.
As well as declaring to each other that you will keep your vows “till death us do part”, there is a vow made by the other people in church too. In the marriage service, the Vicar turns to the family and friends in church and says: “Will you, the family and friends of (bride’s name) and (groom’s name) support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?” The family and friends reply: “We will”. In other words, this is a marriage that involves all who are present.
In support of this, Anthony Priddis, who is the Bishop of Hereford, says: “Couples need the support of family and friends, and this is what the public ceremony of a marriage offers. It is not a guarantee of living happily ever after, but by making the public commitment to one another, couples acknowledge that their relationship also needs other people, and God.”
So, there is the commitment you make to each other, the commitment your family and friends make to support you and God’s unending love and commitment to always be there for you. With these three strands of commitment, the Bible reference Ecclesiastes 4:12 rings true: ‘Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.’