Marriage is a covenant between the man and woman, between the couple and society, and between the couple and God. It is based, not on a promise of what the couple will do for each other, but on the couple will do together for God in the community. It's shaped by what God will do in them for each other and for mankind. For too long, we have emphasized the couple part without publicly dealing with the other relationships. In fact, most of the time, the ceremony falls victim to form and tradition.
Marriage is a covenant.
It recognizes that there will be difficult times, dangers, pitfalls, and disappointments. It also assumes there will be good times filled with joy and celebration. This vow is a promise to be kept for a lifetime, in spite of the difficulties, whether we feel like it, or not. The wedding ceremony binds the couple together for a lifetime adventure of faith. It is an expression of a willful decision to trust each other, even when one or the other doesn't feel like it.