Positioning statement: A step-by-step
resource for creating wedding vows that are uniquely
yours.
Intended market: The nearly five-million
couples planning to marry during the next year,
including first-timers and previously-marrieds,
as well as couples who are planning recommitment
ceremonies.
Media angles:
•
As an average of 2.4 million
couples marry each year in the U.S., there
is a yearning among a growing segment of
this group to write vows that are uniquely
their own. Rather than the usual cut-and-paste
formulas of other books in this niche,
I Do! I Do! The Marriage
Vow Workbook takes
couples through a simple but powerful process
in which they create distinctive, meaningful,
inspiring and eloquent marriage vows regardless
of how they perceive their writing ability.
•
Couples who read I
Do! I Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook, complete
the exercises, share their work with one
another, and write their wedding vows not
only create their own unique vows, they
gain insights and resources essential for
a fulfilling and enduring marriage, including
learning to really listen to one another,
articulating what they appreciate about
one another, sharing what they want for
their relationship, determining how their
values and goals align, creating a joint
vision for their marriage, and discerning
how to really live their vows.
•
Some of the approximately
1 million divorces each year in the U.S.
could likely be avoided if couples spent
less time choosing invitations and ordering
the cake and more time consciously considering
the commitments they will make to themselves
and one another on their wedding day. I
Do! I Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook provides
the opportunity to do just that.
•
I Do!
I Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook encourages couples to consider
how they will be with one another throughout
their lifetime together. One entire chapter
deals with the implementation of a regular
reconnection ritual in which couples recite
their marriage vows to one another, discern
if they are honoring them fully, and if
need be, pledge to return to integrity
in their commitments.
•
I Do!
I Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook has been reviewed and endorsed
by a number of psychologists and clergy.
In fact, two psychologists reviewed the
initial draft word-for-word and provided
essential feedback for the authors. In
addition, engaged couples field-tested
the workbook and the feedback received
was gracious in its praise.
•
The authors are articulate,
well-informed, intelligent, and photogenic.
They wrote I Do! I
Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook out their own experience of writing
marriage vows for their May 30, 1999, wedding
and creating a system to uphold their commitments.
They can attest to the power of this process
as they continue to grow and deepen their
relationship, meeting the challenges of
marriage as well as their three-decade
age difference.
•
The average amount spent
on a typical American wedding is $27,852
(a total of $72 billion annually). The
$24.95 price of I
Do! I Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook is less than one-tenth of
one percent of that total, a miniscule
price to pay for such a valuable resource.
Endorsements: Harville Hendrix,
Ph.D., author of New York Times bestseller
Getting the Love You Want,
Lance Secretan, Ph.D., award-winning author of ONE: The
Art & Practice of Conscious Leadership,
John Hoover, Ph.D. and numerous clergy.
A brief description:I
Do! I Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook is
an inspirational resource for creating compelling
wedding vows for a couple’s marriage,
civil union, commitment or recommitment. As
an average of 2.4 million couples marry each
year in the U.S., there is a yearning among
a growing segment of this group to write marriage
vows that are uniquely their own. Rather than
the usual cut-and-paste formulas of other books
in this niche, I Do! I Do! The Marriage
Vow Workbook takes couples through a simple
but powerful process in which they create distinctive,
meaningful, inspiring and eloquent marriage
vows—vows that deepen their own connection
with one another, delight and captivate their
wedding guests, and provide the foundation
for an enduring relationship in the years to
come.
Table of Contents:
1.
How to use this workbook
2.
The benefits of writing
your own marriage vows
3.
Articulating your appreciation
for one another
4.
Sharing what you want for
yourself and the relationship
5.
Confirming your convictions
6.
Creating a joint vision
7.
Writing your vows
8.
Living your vows
9.
Some final thoughts
Authors’ biography: Shonnie
Lavender and Bruce Mulkey are the authors of I
Do! I Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook, a
step-by-step resource for writing unique, eloquent
and inspiring wedding vows. They offer additional
resources for creating ideal relationships
at their blog, www.MarriageVowWorkbook.com/blog,
including tips for a successful wedding and
marriage and personal samples of wedding vows.
Mulkey
is a writer whose essays and commentaries have
appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times, where
he served as an editorial columnist from 2000
through 2004, and numerous print and online
publications. Lavender is a certified coach
and speaker. A graduate of The University of
Texas at Austin and Coach U, she is a member
of the International Coach Federation and serves
on the faculty of the Secretan Center, a global
consulting practice specializing in cultural
and leadership transformation.
Interesting fact: Bruce Mulkey
and Shonnie Lavender met while training for a
marathon in Austin, Texas, in 1995. After participating
in a running group together for almost a year,
the two decided that they could transcend their
three-decade age difference, but not the triple-digit
Texas temperatures. Thus they moved with their
blended family of cats to the Southern Appalachian
Mountains in 1997 to a home near downtown Asheville,
North Carolina.
