Expert Advice from wedding guru, Sharon Naylor

Answer:

This is fabulous!! Here's how many couples arrange their vows when they want to include their children, too.

First, they do their own vows, either following traditional wording or writing their own personal vows.

BEFORE you move onto the ring exchange, you'll then speak new vows to your son. You can either write up a lovely vow passage from the two of you, such as, "(Name), we promise to love you and cherish you for all time. You're the light of our lives, and we are so proud to be your parents..." and so on...with each of you taking turns reading or reciting the passages you wrote.

OR

This can be a fabulous opportunity for your husband to read his vows directly to your son, since this wedding means a big transition into 'official father,' even though your son already sees it that way. It's just a lovely moment to capture for eternity. Your fiance might wish to write vows directly to your son, such as, "(Name), I am so proud and honored to join your family, and to love you and support you. Your smile makes my day, and when you make your *mother* smile, that makes my life. I have received such a great blessing to be able to call both you and your Mom my own family, and I will always be there for you..." A lot of Dads like to add in some humor, especially with little kids, just so that it's not too serious and lost on such a young child. If they share a mutual love of baseball, he can promise to take him to ballgames. If they watch cartoons on Saturday morning, he can say he's looking forward to a lifetime of Spongebob mornings, or whatever is their bond. I like to advise people to write these child vows out in a card as well, to be added to your wedding keepsakes. When your son is older, it will be quite a nice keepsake to have.

So pick your option, and don't be afraid to make it light and funny. And keep it brief. Consider your son's comfort with attention on him; some kids might get scared about being spoken to publicly in a serious manner...It's okay to practice with him, too. Let him know that his Dad is going to say some special things to him, too, so that he's not surprised.