creative ways to write vows

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• Wedding Ideas & Advice
• Wedding Ceremony Ideas
• How to Write Your Own Vows Who Traditionally Goes First? Quotes About Love to Get You Started Traditional Vows to Inspire Your Own Modern Vows That Are Unique Unique Vow Ideas From TV Shows and Movies Should You Exchange Vows Before the Ceremony? The Best Vow Books to Keep Your Love Alive

How to Write Your Own Wedding Vows, Including 17 Vow Examples

Craft swoon-worthy vows with this wedding vow advice.

Jaimie Mackey was the real weddings editor at Brides from 2013 to 2015. She also worked as a luxury wedding planner and produced over 100 high-end weddings and events in Colorado

PHOTO BY KURT BOOMER PHOTOGRAPHY / Design by Zackary Angeline

In This Article

Thinking about writing your own wedding vows? It's a tremendous undertaking, summing up your love, dreams, and promises to your partner in a few short minutes. Overwhelming as it can be, it's well worth it: It's a chance to tell your story, give guests a peek into what makes your relationship tick, and share meaningful words with the person you love.

It's also intimate. After all, you're really baring your heart to the love of your life, and you're doing so in front of your family and closest friends. If you're up for the challenge, we're here to help along with several experts—author and wedding officiant Monique Honaman ; Alexis Dent, founder of vow- and toast-writing company XO Juliet ; and celebrity officiant JP Reynolds , M.Div.—who offer their own professional insight.

From examples and advice to sources of inspiration , here is everything you need to know to write your own wedding vows.

Meet the Expert

• Monique Honaman is an author and wedding officiant.
• Alexis Dent is the founder of vow- and toast-writing company XO Juliet .
• JP Reynolds , M.Div. is a celebrity officiant.

Wedding Vow Template

While traditional wedding vows are usually very structured, you don’t have to be quite as strict while writing your own. This outline is a great place to help you get started.

Say "I love you."

This seems like a no-brainer, but Honaman says she is shocked at how many couples leave those three little words out of their vows.

Tell your partner you'll be there through thick and thin.

Most wedding vows touch on sticking around through good times and bad. "The reality is all marriages have cycles of peaks and valleys," Honaman says. "It's nice to communicate your intent to get through those valleys together."

Share personal stories.

It's so much more interesting for friends or family to hear about your odd quirks and raw personal moments. “Guests (and your S.O.) want to hear vows that are real," says Dent. "If you've been through bumpy spots, you should express that.”

Actually make promises.

Vows aren't just cute anecdotes—they are a promise and serious commitment that you’re making in front of a whole lot of witnesses. That doesn’t mean they have to be heavy though. “You can vow to not only stick by their side forever but to also be the one to kill spiders whenever they creep their way into your home,” says Dent.

Acknowledge the support you'll need from others.

You've gathered your friends and family to celebrate your wedding, but you'll need them just as much during your marriage. Honaman recommends you acknowledge "the role of family and friends who will help support you when times get tough."

Wedding Vow Tips

Here are our experts' top tips for writing—and delivering—your own wedding vows .

Don't wait until the last minute.

Plan to have your vows written three weeks before your wedding. Trust us: You'll be thankful for the rehearsal when those wedding-day jitters kick in.

Make a list of all your thoughts.

Jot down all the things that come to mind about your spouse or marriage. Revisit these notes later and highlight your favorite items to be the starting points for your vows.

Write up to three drafts.

Take a few days—even a week—to give yourself and your vows some space. Go back and reread them up to three times, but try to stop there. Continuously rewriting has its own challenges.

Don't try to include everything.

It's understandable to want to fit everything you're feeling into your vows—but in reality, you just can't include it all.

Avoid words like "always" and "never."

This kind of absolute language is all but impossible to live up to. It's not always going to be easy, so don't promise perfection.

Embrace sentimentality.

This isn't the time to worry about being corny or cheesy. "If the words are heartfelt, then they're not cheesy," says Reynolds, M.Div . "I've never heard vows that made me roll my eyes."

Go after laughter.

The ability to make your significant other smile and even laugh out loud during your ceremony will serve you well in your marriage.

Get inspired by books, songs, movies, and poems.

If you have a favorite line from a movie or song that expresses your feelings, use it as a starting point. And don't discount children's books or media as they often have a way of communicating deep, complex emotions in simple sentences.

Practice reading out loud.

The only way to make sure everything sounds perfect is to hear it out. “Reading your vows out loud will help you catch spots where the grammar might be iffy or where you’re missing a word as well as figure out if the structure is cohesive,” Dent explains.

Indicate pauses and intonation.

"You’ll want to allow time to laugh or tear up without interrupting your flow," says Dent. "For the best comprehension and emotional reactions, take it slow and focus on breaks, pauses, and intonation.”

Ask a trusted friend to listen.

A close friend who is a great sounding board (and a pro at keeping secrets) is an important ally to have. “They can give you constructive criticism and help you improve your vows to make sure you really get that meaning across,” says Dent.

Make a fresh copy of your vows for the ceremony.

It's important to think about how the vows will look when they come into public view. Rewrite or reprint a fresh copy, or consider reading them from vow books . “Yes, the focus will be on the words themselves, but the aesthetics matter, too,” says Dent.

Keep the vows a secret from your partner until the ceremony.

"Your vows are a gift to one another, so don't share them ahead of time," Reynolds explains. It will make the ceremony all the more impactful and emotional if you're hearing them for the first time.

Answer These Questions to Get Started

A vow exchange should be an even one. Instead of thinking about it as a writing competition, get on the same page about your expectations and come to an agreement about the following.

• How long should the vows be?
• Will you share inside jokes or would you rather keep things more generic?
• Will they lean more humorous or sentimental? Or be a mixture of both?
• Do you want to incorporate elements of traditional or religious vows into your own?

Wedding Vow Examples to Inspire Your Own

Ahead, we provide expert-approved vow examples to get you started on writing your very own.

Traditional

• "Gabriel, you came into my life at exactly the right time: When I wasn't ready, and yet, when I needed your love the most. In the past two years, we've experienced great triumphs and literal disasters together. These trials have pushed the boundaries of what we thought we could endure, and in the end, I feel more strongly connected with you in a resolve to get up and try again. I love you dearly for all that you are. I am amazed by your inquisitive mind and tickled by your sense of humor. I may not want to admit it, but I even love your awful puns.

You have stuck by me through the best and worst and loved all that I am. You help me to be the finest version of me that I can.

As your wife, I promise to love you with the same determination and confidence you've given me. I vow to support you through more ups and downs. I pledge to commit myself to our family and the good I know will grow from it. I promise this all to you until I am no more." —Marissa

• "Never could I've imagined that the best gift of my entire life would come from my 21st birthday party. Not a materialistic item given from one person to another, but a life, a soul, and a connection given to two at the same time. 

There you were, sitting on the floor, just waiting to shake up my life and to light up my whole world.

That's the night we met by nothing but chance of a friend of a friend of a friend inviting you. The night that forever entangled our energies and our atoms. Our paths would have never crossed and I would never have met my soulmate if it weren't for that silly celebration of age."  —Andrew (via  YouTube )

• "Andrew, you are the partner I've always longed for and this day is nothing short of my wildest dreams. 

I remember seeing you for the first time and feeling in my gut you were someone I needed to know. 

I went home after that night and saved every measly penny I made at my retail job for weeks until I could afford to take you out to dinner. Every day feels like I'm remembering who you are instead of getting to know you. Your light is blinding, your laughter is contagious, and your love is otherworldly."  —Caterina (via  YouTube ) 

• "Marissa, I love you with all my heart. I have been thankful for these past two years that you were not the best driver on that fateful day. Stopping in the middle of a busy 90/04 to see if everyone was okay, there I met the woman who is standing before me today. When we started dating, I gained a family, a woman who loves me, and an adorable whippet—both of whom I adore with all my heart. We have survived trials and tribulations, from Hurricane Irma to differing political views, we have pulled through.

We are survivors and with our perseverance and dedication, there is nothing we can't accomplish or overcome.

I promise to take care of you even when you get food poisoning on New Year's Eve. I promise I will unclog the shower even though only one of us has long hair. Marissa, I love you unconditionally and always will." —Gabriel

• "Devin Lee, it is impossible for me to put into words the passionate and infinite embrace you have on my heart. You make me a full person. Committing the rest of my life to you is actually pretty easy because without you I am nothing. As we begin our life together in front of those whom we are closest to, I make the following vows: I vow to wake up every morning and thank God that he gave me you, my perfect woman, and I vow to be your steady rock in turbulent times. I vow to put your needs before my own.

I vow to sell my tacky furniture. I vow to watch reruns of Gilmore Girls and Friends .

I vow to be the man that you inspire me to be and the man that you deserve. Finally, I vow to spend every day I have left on this Earth showering you with a zealous love and a faithful commitment. A love that many waters cannot quench, a love that floods cannot drown." —Jeremy

• "Kristen, as the cliché says, you showed up when I was least expecting you. I intend to love you, hold you, and grow very, very old with you. These are my promises: I promise to always be there when you have troubles, and to know that sometimes simply letting you talk about your problems is enough. I promise to be the most dependable person in your life. I promise you that laughter will always be commonplace in our house. I promise to do my best to age gracefully in body and soul and not to become a cranky old man.

I promise, from this day forward, to live my life as a member of a band and not a solo artist.

I promise to lead and follow accordingly and to keep our relationship in good balance. To quote a favorite writer, 'You fill up all those empty spaces.' For that I am grateful, and every day you will see that appreciation."  —Dennis

• "Dennis, I am truly blessed to be a part of your life, which as of today becomes our life together. I promise to encourage your dreams because that is what makes you so unique. I promise to celebrate the joy of every day with you. I promise to stand by your side through life's most joyous moments and challenging ones. I promise to be kind, patient, and forgiving. I promise to always honor your passion for hockey.

I promise to always remember that laughter is life's sweetest creation, and I will never stop laughing with you.

But most of all, I promise to be your true companion always, for one lifetime with you could never be enough." —Kristen

• "Jeremy, I can't say we fell in love at first sight or that I wasn't hesitant to go on a date with a co-worker, but I can say with 100 percent certainty that today, I am marrying my soul mate. A few years back I heard a sermon about love. I learned that, even though I felt ready for the responsibilities of a lasting love, I had to wait. I had to wait for the person God created for me to be ready as well. During our first few months, I learned about your adventures and how you came back home because you were ready—from that moment on I knew my wait was over.

Over the last two years you've shown me what a great love looks like and every morning I wake up and fall more in love with you.

I vow to put us first and make sure we are constantly working to grow together. I vow to love you and honor our commitment when we are near and far from each other. I vow to remember soup is a side—not a meal. I vow to stand by you in life's wonderful moments and when life is difficult. Also, for making me wait so long—I vow to make you wait on me getting ready for the rest of your life. Jeremy, you're the person I waited for and you were worth the wait. Today I become your wife, your other half, and I can't wait for all the blessings we will wait for together." —Devin Lee

• "Katrina, this day has been a long time coming, at least for me. The first time I saw you, I was struck by how beautiful you were. I thought for sure you were out of my league. 

The closer we got and the more I got to know your beautiful soul, the more my feelings grew for you.

I started praying to God every day for His help and for a sign to show me that you were the one. And as it says in Song of Solomon Chapter 3, Verse 4, I have found the one my soul loves." —Gabriel (via YouTube )

• "Gabriel, about ten years ago he walked into a choir practice room that I was in. Plucking very poorly at the piano. You asked me if there was anything you could pray about, I said no but if I would have known you would take the next six years to get the courage to ask me on a date I might have asked you to pray on that. Little did I know that on your own you were praying to God to make me your wife.

When we finally started dating, our relationship was tested in a million ways but we soon found out that with Christ on our side, our hearts desires would come to be.

Gabe, you are the best, good gift God could have sent my way. You are determined and hardworking. You are as patient as you are kind. I love your heart and I love your mind. I love how you love others. You make me feel loved and accepted."  —Karina (via  YouTube ) 

• "Heather, four years ago when I first met you, I never thought that God would lead us to where we are today. You've taught me so much about life. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, next to my salvation. You're smart, beautiful, forgiving, selfless, and determined. 

I will love the person that you become just as much as I love the person that you are today. 

I promise to respect and support you, to be patient and loving towards you, to work by your side to achieve the same things that we value and dream of, and to savor our time together."  —Cody (via  YouTube )

• "Cody, you're the answer to my prayers. You have exceeded every expectation and dream I've ever had. Today, surrounded by people that love us, I vow to walk alongside you for the rest of my days. I promise to support you in all that you do and encourage you every step of the way. 

I will honor you as a spiritual leader of our relationship, and I will follow you as you follow Christ. 

I promise to cover you in prayer, speak words of kindness, and do my very best to be patient. I will choose you and only you from the day forward and I will be faithful to you until God calls us home. This is my promise to you and to God for eternity."  —Heather (via  YouTube ) 

Non-Religious

• "Alicia, it was 2013 but it feels like only yesterday when a beautiful, tall young lady took my breath away. Who would have guessed back then that we would be standing where we are today. 

You swept me off my feet, encouraged me, supported me, and shaped me into the better man who stands before you. 

In a matter of seven years, we have seen the world. Made memories, friendships, and a trusting bond that will last a lifetime. And I can only imagine what we can achieve in the years to come. It's the small things about you that make you shine so brightly. I would say your smile is something I would wake up to a million times. But we both know it's the fuzzy hair, grummy Alicia that truly shines when I'm pulling you out of bed in the morning. I promise to always be there for you. I'll trust you, care for you, but most of all, I will always love you."  —Cam (via  YouTube )

• "Statistics say there is a one in four hundred trillion chance of being born. That means the chance of meeting the perfect woman, wife, and mother is even more slim than that, but somehow I managed to do it. Every time I sat down to write my vows, my hands would cramp. Just to show me how painful love could be. My pencil kept breaking just to show me that love always takes a little more work than you planned. 

I'm far from a love poet but if I was to wake up tomorrow and write about love, I would write about you. 

I do believe in fate and destiny, but also believe the choices we make play a huge role in that. If I had to choose I would choose you in a hundred lifetimes and in 100 worlds I would find you and I would choose you." —Andrew (via  YouTube )

• "Andrew, my best friend, my compass, my husband from this day forward. You were the greatest, most magnificent man I've ever know. I never believed much in destiny or faith until it led me to you. I'd always thought that it would be difficult to find someone who will love me when I'm always scattered in a thousand pieces. Kind of like trying to finish a puzzle when you aren't even sure if you have all the right pieces in front of you. But then you showed me that every piece doesn't have to be perfectly in place to create something beautiful. 

You showed me that love can exist even in the most imperfect people. You've embraced and accepted me and everything that came along with me since day one.

You welcomed Macy and Stella with open arms and loved them just as your own. So today in front of our family and friends I promise you these things. I promise to love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I promise to always try to give you the best of myself and even though I can't promise that our love will be perfect, I can promise you that it will be beautiful whether we're a thousand pieces or just one."  —Kaitlin (via  YouTube )

• "Joshua, as we both know, in the area of marriage, I used to come from doubt. Now I come from hope. I used to come from fear, and now I come from love. 

When perfect love casts out fear, is the day that I said I would stand before you, and today is that day. 

Thank you for the reminder of the Lord's faithfulness to me."  —Bailey (via  YouTube ) 

• "Bailey, when the Lord brought you into my life, He told me I needed to learn three things: the art of patience, how to fight for us, and how to love you when it's hard. All of this time, He's been preparing me to become the husband that you deserve. May the vows we take today echo into eternity, the faithfulness of our Savior, and the strength of His love." —Joshua (via  YouTube )

Making It Your Own

At the end of the day, remember that your vows are your personal promises to your partner. Feel free to get creative and think about the values that you and your partner share. And remember that the words you choose will mean so much to them.

The ideal length for wedding vows is between one and two minutes. Practice reading the vows aloud (we read at a different pace in our heads) to ensure you're within that timeframe.

Depending on the type of nuptial ceremony, you may need to publicly announce a set of vows before the ring exchange . If you wish to save your personal vows for a more intimate setting, you can choose to recite the traditional vows during the ceremony and share your personal vows in private. Some couples also choose to whisper their vows to each other during the ceremony, instead of announcing them to their guests.

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Powerful Tips on How to Write Wedding Vows + 65 Vow Examples

Table of contents – click to skip to:.

• Part 1 – Basic Tips on How to Write Wedding Vows
• Part 2 – Step-By-Step Tips to Writing Your Unique Wedding Vows (includes an example for each step)
• 17 Short Sample Wedding Vows
• 28 Unique Sample Wedding Vows
• 12 Funny Sample Wedding Vows
• 3 Sample Wedding Vows for Him

Weddings are a joyous occasion, but one of the most stressful parts is how to write wedding vows and make them truly yours. You want them to be funny, sweet, heartfelt, and unique, but you don’t know where to start. We’ve got some great tips for you!

Part 1: Writing Your Own Wedding Vows that Don’t Suck

Let’s get you started on writing wedding vows, unique wedding vows, or original wedding vows. These tips below will give you ideas and inspiration about the vows themself as well as tips on how to write.

Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute.

Your wedding vows are going to be spoken In front of your officiant, pastor, priest or rabbi, your entire family, and your circle of friends. The last thing you want to do is throw them together at the last minute.

We recommend getting started right away. That will give you time to write, revise, and even procrastinate a tiny bit.

Use keepsakes, letters, cards, and gifts for inspiration.

When writing anything you need inspiration. Writing wedding vows is the same, which is why you should surround yourself with keepsakes, cards, gifts, and anything else that you’ve gotten from your spouse-to-be.

These objects will remind you of special dates , events, and occurrences that can inspire your words of love and devotion.

Agree on a format beforehand.

If you’re like most couples you’ll probably want to keep your vows a little bit of a secret until the big day. However, agreeing on a specific format, length, and other ground rules, if you will, is a good idea. Things like humor, for example, might be OK with one of you but not the other.

The length of your vows should also be agreed on so that you both stick to the same amount of words, more or less. Of course, nothing says that you can’t write your vows together either, which some folks find extremely romantic.

Ask a trusted friend or family member to read your vows.

If writing comes naturally to you this might be a tip you can skip. If not, asking a trusted family member or friend to read your vows before you speak them on your special day is a great idea. Better yet, have them read the vows out loud to you so that you’ll hear the words, cadence, inflections.

Non-traditional wedding vows can break the mold but you don’t want to say anything that some might feel go overboard, especially your spouse-to-be.

Write. Stop. Write Again. Repeat.

This is a great tip for people who don’t write all the time; don’t try to write everything in one sitting. Some of the best writers on the planet take breaks from their writing. That way, they can come back to it with a fresh mind, clearer outlook, or new inspiration. You should do the same.

Take a couple of hours one day to write and then stop. Come back a day or two later, write some more and then stop again.

Do this until you perfect your wedding vows and feel like they’re as good as they’re going to get. You’ll be surprised how well this works, trust us.

Make a list of the things you love.

If you’re having trouble getting started putting words to paper (or to the computer screen) you might consider writing a list instead. List all of the things that you love about your special guy or special gal. Make another list of the things that you enjoy doing together or a list of the hopes and dreams you both have.

Write everything down that you can think of without worrying about how it sounds. When you’re done, you can then use your lists to inspire what you write and make your wedding vows unique.

Don’t get too personal or TMI.

Yes, your wedding vows are supposed to be romantic and talk about the deep personal feelings you have for each other. That being said, don’t go too far because, remember, all of your friends and family will be listening.

You probably want to skip any inside jokes that no one else would understand or anything about your sex life (obviously).

Then again, these are your vows and you can pretty much say whatever you want. As long as you both agree on it, go for it.  (BIG TIP- Do NOT throw in a surprise personal reference that might embarrass your sweetheart. That could start your wedding day on a slightly sour note.)

Answer your own questions.

This is another tip for those of you who are having trouble writing. Make a list of questions and then answer them. This is a great way to inspire yourself based on facts that you already know. Here are a few good ones:

• Where did you meet?
• When was the first time he or she said: “I love you”?
• What do you have in common?
• What was your first impression when you met?
• What interesting things have you done together? (vacations, etc.)
• What do you love most about them?
• How have they inspired you?
• What activities do you enjoy together?

Get the idea? You can ask a million questions like these and then use the answers to write your vows! They can be about anything you wish when you’re writing original wedding vows. They can also be a great source when writing secular wedding vows.

Part 2- Step-By-Step Tips to Writing Your Unique Wedding Vows

In this section, we’ll give you step-by-step instructions that you can follow (like paint-by-numbers!) and write your non-traditional wedding vows. You can use them as-is or customize them to your particular style.

State who this wonderful person standing before you is.

Whether they’re your best friend, the love of your life, the yin to your yang, start with a statement that says just that.

Here’s an example:

“Jesse, you are the love of my life, my best friend, and partner-in-crime.”

Write down the things you love about your spouse-to-be.

This next part is focused on the traits you adore about your partner. Maybe the thing that first attracted you to them or the trait that you find the most endearing. It could be the thing you miss when they’re not around or the reason that you love them.

“Since the day I first saw you, I knew you were my soulmate. I love you for the way you make me feel when we’re together and miss you so much when we’re apart. We’ve grown so much together and you enrich my life and inspire me to be better.”

Tell a Story About How You Met or Fell In Love

Many couples like to add in an anecdote about how they met, where they first kissed, etc. This can make your vows more memorable and give your family and friends some insight into why you’ve decided to marry (and how deeply you care for each other).

“Since the day I watched you get yanked around on a rope on your skis by a horse named Peanut – (turn to guests) Jesse does skijoring for those attending who don’t know – I knew that I couldn’t picture my life without you ever again. On the ski lift at Sundance, you told me I was the partner you’d only dreamed about. That moment felt perfect because I felt the exact same way about you.”

Tell the promises you want to make to your partner.

This is the ‘vow’ part of unique wedding vows. It’s here where you promise, as they say in many traditional wedding vows, “to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer’ etc.

These also vow to support your partner and demonstrate how you will do so. Adding your style and flair here is why you wanted to write these vows in the first place, so go for it!

• “I promise to love you and always be by your side, through all of the ups and downs.”
• “I vow to always be faithful, and always be your best friend, no matter what the future might bring.”
• “I promise to always root for you, cheer you on, and be your biggest fan.”
• “I promise to love and support you.”
• “I promise to spend the rest of my days loving you madly.”
• “I promise to cherish you for the rest of your life.”
• “Before our family and friends, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, I promise to love you and spend the rest of my days with you.”

Add some humor or romance. Why not both?

When writing secular wedding vows you’re allowed to add in anything you like, including humorous and romantic vows. These can add a lot of uniqueness and spice and make them even more memorable.

• “I promise to love you until my dying breath and never leave your side.”
• “I promise to share my dreams, my secrets, and my innermost feelings with you always and forever.”
• “I promise to never leave the toilet seat up and always give you fair warning if my mother is coming for a visit.” (Be careful with that one!)
• “I vow to root for the Niners even if they’re playing the Raiders.”

Mention things you will do together.

On your wedding day, you and your partner will be merging into a couple, a team, or a lifelong partnership (choose whichever term you like best). For that reason, you should mention a few of the things that you will do when you’re growing together down the road.

• “Together we’ll face the future without fear because we’ll always have each other to lean on.”
• “We’ll grow together, learn together, and change the world together.”

Remember to add the tough stuff.

We’re talking about rough times, of course, which all couples inevitably face. It won’t all be tea and crumpets in the future and you should be sure to attest to that in your vows.

• “I promise to be faithful during the best of times, the worst of times, and everything in between.”
• “I promise to take care of you and prioritize your needs when you really need me.”
• “I promise to not get caught up in petty arguments, (even if you gave me the wrong directions!) Because our relationship is so much more meaningful than that.”

Wrap it up in a beautiful bow.

The last sentence in your original wedding vows should be one last promise to always be the one. It’s the big finish, so make sure you make this last sentence count.

• You are the love of my life and I promise to adore you, cherish you and respect you for all the days of my life.”
• Today and forever, I give you my heart, my soul, and my trust, no matter what our future might bring.”

Part 3: Full Non-Traditional Unique Wedding Vow Examples

This blog post is about how to craft wedding vows that are original. There are many different styles of wedding vows, so there should be something for everyone! Wedding planning can be stressful – one way we try to help ease the process is by providing examples like these for your wedding ceremony!

Writing vows should come naturally because they are such an important part of the wedding ceremony, right? Wrong! For many of us, we stumble to find the right words to express our infinity of love for our partner.

Want to know how do you write a short wedding vow? View our examples below!

If you’re writing a short wedding vow, speak from your heart, and don’t be afraid to get emotional. It’s okay to ask for help as long as the person is someone who knows you well enough not to feel offended by it. We have some original examples below if you find them more helpful.

These are not your average “In sickness and in health.” Here are sample wedding vows with a bit of sentiment, empathy, humor, silliness, and heartfelt love. (Who cut the onions?).

We wrote these ourselves, don’t judge. So feel free to steal them, get inspiration, and make them yours – we won’t claim credit ;)

Short Sample Wedding Vows

• “I promise to be kind, patient, and forgiving. I promise to hold from this day in my heart, mind, and soul, and to take care of you for the rest of my life.”
• “In all my thoughts about how best to love you, it occurs to me that the best way is to keep showing up.”
• “I will always strive to do my best for you and to be the person that you need me to be.”
• “I vow never to take away any of myself but instead give more than ever before as I guide you through every part of my heart until eternity.”
• “I promise you my heart and with it, I’m forever yours. My wedding vows stand true; you have me completely. My love is never-ending.”
• “We will be best friends, partners, and lovers. We’ll share everything from our deepest secrets to the most intimate moments of passion.”
• “I promise you my heart and with it, I’m yours completely. My wedding vows stand true; you have me forever. My love for you is endless.”
• “I pledge you my love and devotion now, tomorrow, into eternity.”
• “Wherever life’s journey leads us, please know that my heart belongs with yours.”
• “It’s been a long time coming, but I want nothing more than to be your husband/wife.”
• “I promise to share everything from my deepest secrets to the most intimate moments of passion with you.”
• “I will never give up on us.” “No matter how many ups and downs we face, I will always love you.”
• “I promise to love you, to be your faithful partner in life, and live with gratitude for you daily.”
• “You are the most important person in the world to me. Together we will build a home of our own making where there is respect for each other’s feelings and ideas. I promise to love you for the rest of the days of my life.”
• “I vow to love you unconditionally for all of eternity.”
• “I give myself completely to you. I offer my love for your own happiness. I surrender all that is within me so we may grow old together.”
• “You are my best friend in the universe, my other half. You are the love of my life.”

Unique Sample Wedding Vows

• “Today and every day for the rest of my life, I promise to be your navigator and sidekick in all of life’s adventures. I’ll always keep you by my side so that we can experience this wonderful journey of life together. I promise to be your best friend, partner-in-crime; someone who will remind you how much they love you when life gets hard.”
• “Today and every day for the rest of my life, I promise to be there for you. Whether we’re exploring a new country or Netflix and chillin’, I am excited about our journey. Through good times or bad ones including those trying moments – and I am so grateful they happen because I love you so much more when we overcome adversity – at all points along our life path, just know that you have all of me through thick and thin.”
• “Today and every day for the rest of my life, I promise to be your (husband/wife), partner, and sidekick in all of life’s adventures. Together, we will have an adventure that is greater than any other! I promise you myself completely.”
• “I promise that I will love you for all the years of my life and remain open to your wishes, thoughts, feelings, and needs. I will always listen with empathy as we share our hopes for the future. Together we can work out any difficulties or challenges so long as we are willing to communicate in a meaningful way about them. No matter what may come our way, this commitment shall never falter from us.”
• “This relationship has given me opportunities to grow into myself and learn more about what I want out of life. Now that we have found each other again, there will be no holding back from exploring our future life together!”
• “I promise to stay by your side through sickness and in health as your husband/wife; even when difficult times come along. Your happiness shall forever be most important to me.”
• “I vow never, ever to hurt you or make you feel less than perfect in any way; both now and forevermore. I promise not only to love but also to respect and cherish our union from this day forward until death parts us apart again.”
• “The most important thing is that we grow together as a couple through shared experiences – good times or bad- so we can share with each other what life means on a deeper level. I want all of your dreams to come true, even if they aren’t mine too because it makes them no longer just yours alone… ours!”
• “I promise to love you endlessly for the rest of our days as your husband/wife. I will keep you safe and warm as I shelter us from the tribulations that may come our way. In lean times, we can rely on each other for comfort. Together, let’s make today a day of firsts by making memories to last a lifetime!”
• “Today and every day for the rest of my life, I promise as your (husband/wife) to always be by your side. We are one soul with two halves – our hearts beat in unison. From sunrise until sunset, dusk to dawn, through world pandemics and quarantines, from here on out it’s just me and you baby!”
• “When I am with you, the world fades away. All that matters is being there for every moment of your life and making sure to cherish it as best we can together. You are my greatest gift in this lifetime and I’m so lucky our paths crossed because if they didn’t then none of these wonderful moments would ever have happened, and it means so much more that we got to experience these together!”
• “I love you so much it almost hurts! You are my life. The joy I feel when we’re together is indescribable in words. All that matters to me now and always will be is our family together. I am for this gift called marriage and to call you my husband/wife.”
• “I cherish every second with you. You are my life and the heartbeat that keeps me going day after day. But from this day forward on as we stand before these witnesses here today, I vow to make each of our days count more than any other in existence because they’re all ours together-forever, to share and enjoy.”
• “It’s not about the rings that we wear. It’s all about us! And I vow to be your best friend, lover, and soul mate from this day forward for better or worse until death do us part.”
• “We are more than just two souls coming together; we’re a family united by love. We pledge to focus on our shared values which will guide both of our lives as one through happiness and sorrow, in sickness and in health till death parts us.”
• “I pledge myself to you today. I am yours now and forevermore.” “With this ring, I seal our promises together for all time. And with these hands, I offer my heart forevermore.”
• “You are my best friend in the world. We’ve had our share of hard times but they have only made me realize what a precious gift your companionship is to me. We are now committed together forever… as it should be.”
• “We are going into this life together. We will face the difficulties of today as well as tomorrow with courage born anew each day by our faithfulness to one another’s needs—physical, spiritual, emotional.”
• As your husband/wife, I promise to be your rock. I promise to uplift and encourage you. I promise to never give up on you. I will work hard every day to make sure that we both know how much I love and cherish you.”
• “I pledge myself, my life, my heart, and all that is within me, to be your one faithful husband/wife from this day forth for better or worse, in sickness and in health. All the days of our lives together are like a beautiful tapestry with threads coming together which create a perfect whole. With these wedding vows completed here today through making promises before our friends and family, it has been woven by two people who have decided they want their life together forevermore as one solid and cherished thread.”
• “For better or less than whatever may come our way…we stand fearless knowing nothing can stop our love or keep us from each other. You have been the most important person in my life. From this moment forward, I will be your husband/wife and you shall be my husband/wife.”
• “I take thee as my wedded spouse, to have and to hold from this day onward; for better or worse; forsaking all others that come before me. Do so with peace of mind knowing our lives intertwine together…and create a perfect whole called love.”
• “I promise to always be there for you, in good times and bad. I know that we can make it through anything together. Every day I fall more deeply in love with you and am so happy to have found someone who is willing to face all of life’s challenges with me.”
• Be my partner in life, we’re so much better together. I want to laugh with you when you are happy; to support you when you’re down, and to encourage you always. We’ll always be there for each other so we can see overcome whatever comes our way long after today has gone.
• Together, let’s build a lifetime of happiness on this foundation of love. We shall not give up hope or surrender to adversity but instead renew our faith in ourselves and one another again and again.”
• “As we walk down life’s path together hand in hand, you have my entire heart and soul.”
• “Oneness has been our destiny since first we met. This moment two became one on earth and now our souls have mated. My love for you grows ever stronger with each passing hour like the mountain’s roots that hold it.”
• You are my destiny. I promise always to remember how much you mean to me. That’s a vow I’ll make till the day we’re old and grey.”

Funny Wedding Vows

Want to see how many emotions you can bring up during your vows? Going from sweet to goofy is a great way to make your guests tear up then laugh! Here are some examples of funny wedding vows:

• “Give me your bad hair days, your long commutes, and burnt coffee. I’ll give you my love to make it all better!”
• “I’ll always be on your side as your (husband/wife), even when you’re wrong. I promise to never let the dirty dishes accumulate in the sink too long–even if it’s just for me! I promise to never keep score, even when I’m clearly winning.”
• “You’re the peanut butter to my jelly, the salt to my pepper shaker, and nacho cheese to my fries– we’re just better together.”
• “I promise to not watch a Netflix episode behind your back.”
• “I promise to always wear matching socks, and I’ll never ask you to wear any of my clothes.”
• “I solemnly swear that when we have kids together I will play with them every day and not just throw a ball at their head or tell them the same bedtime story over and over again.”
• “Thank you for loving me even though my hairline has receded since high school and it may never grow back in.”
• I promise to take better photos of you and always get your good side.
• “I promise to always remember your birthday and anniversary if you’ll forgive me for forgetting back in 2018!”
• “I promise to never leave your side, kind of like when we were stuck together during a pandemic.”
• “You are the mustard to my mayo, the salt to my pepper shaker and a one-of-a-kind spice I need in life.”
• “Every day we’ll make new mistakes together and learn from them faster than ever before. I promise to bring you Pedialyte and Advil when you’re hungover.”

Wedding Vow for a Passed Down Wedding Ring

• “This wedding ring has been passed down from generation after generation and has stood the test of time. It is a symbol of our love and commitment to each other.”
• “It represents the unbreakable bond you have given me today. As long as we wear it on our hands, it’s like a promise that no matter what life brings us – good or bad- nothing can break us apart because we are one soul joined together.”
• “Together with this ring, I will always be your partner in life; for all that we share together, both now and forevermore!”

Sample Wedding Vows for Him

When you’re writing wedding vows for your husband, you want to make him feel like a million bucks. Whether he’s a “macho man” or not, you need to make sure that your wedding vows are going to bring him tears of happiness and sentiment.

• “Nothing brings me more happiness than to call you my husband.”
• “You’ve provided me with a life of joy and laughter.”
• “I promise to love you, care for you, honor you, and cherish our marriage. I will never forget the day that I met my best friend in person! The first time I saw your face; it was like looking at the sun coming up over the horizon on a new day. It warmed my heart just knowing that now there’s someone who loves me as much as I love them. You make every bad thing seem better by being near me because nothing is more important than spending eternity with you.”

Hopefully, this provides inspiration for finding unique words when writing one’s own vows! After reading these examples it should be clear that a simple “ you’re the best” or “ we’ll never part” may not work as an effective marriage vow. Instead, think about what your loved one cares about and how you can best express your love.

Wedding vows are one of the most personal moments in a couple’s life, and they can be as simple or complex as you wish. There is no “right” way to write your own wedding vows.

A number of traditional elements have become popular additions to more modern weddings: exchanging rings, drinking wine from two glasses that represent both families, saying “I now pronounce you husband and wife” (or “…partners for eternity), giving away flowers after the ceremony etc.

Thanks for reading and we hope you’re inspired to write your own wedding vows!

P.S. If you’re looking for religious wedding vows or following a traditional wedding, check out  The Most Romantic Religious Wedding Vows and Traditions from Different Cultures . Some of the religious wedding vows are traditional while others are modern. Either way, you’ll love our original religious wedding vows and the stories behind the traditional ones.

We hope you enjoyed this article and that it’s inspired you to start writing your unique vows today. We wish you the best of luck with your vows and, of course, with your wedding itself! Also, congratulations! And if you’re not keen on writing your own vows, you should try this  wedding vows writing service that can take that stress off your plate.

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The Best Wedding Vow Examples From Real Couples to Inspire Yours

• Hannah writes and edits articles for The Knot Worldwide, with a focus on real wedding coverage.
• Hannah has a passion for DE&I and plays an integral role in ensuring The Knot content highlights all voices and all love stories.
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What are wedding vows? Wedding vows are the crux of your wedding day—the very reason you've gathered friends and family to come to celebrate. However, honing in on what promises you want to vow to uphold can feel like a daunting and intimidating task amid wedding planning , despite how much you adore your partner.

To help you tackle the task of writing personal vows , we've gathered the best wedding vow examples from real couples and real weddings to inspire you. Whether you want funny wedding vows , movie-inspired vows filled with notable love quotes, or are envisioning a ceremony filled with traditional religious wedding vows that include phrases like "in the presence of God/ name of God, I take you to be my wedded wife/ faithful husband for all the days of our lives," looking at sample wedding vows is a great starting point for understanding everything you need to know to craft your dream ceremony alongside your wedding officiant . The examples of wedding vows these real couples proclaimed are sure to get the creative juices flowing as you set about crafting your own wedding vows to share during your wedding ceremony. So if you're stuck with writer's block, let the sample wedding vows below inspire you. After all, wedding expert and officiant Daniela VillaRamos of Once Upon a Vow encourages couples that "Once you intentionally set your mind to be inspired, you'll find it!"

Wedding vow examples in this story:

For Him | For Her | Simple | Modern | Romantic | Witty | Creative

Wedding Vows For Him

Personalizing your wedding vows for your soon-to-be spouse is a great idea. Make your partner understand why you want to marry them and spend the rest of your life with them by showing just how deeply you know them through your marriage vows. These wedding vows for him are sure to get the creative juices flowing.

1. Amazing Wedding Vows for Him That Make You Cry

For their wedding in Italy, James and Stefano exchanged a series of promises outlining how they planned to support each other through the various situations they may encounter in their marriage. By envisioning circumstances they anticipate will come up in their marriage, they were also able to articulate how they'll react and support each other through those circumstances.

Stefano and James: "I, Stefano/James, take you, James/Stefano, to be my husband.When you need a friend, I will be your best friend. When you need help, I will be there for you.When you need care, I will support you. When you want to try something new, I will encourage you.And when you do the same for me, I will appreciate you.But if you don't… I will forgive you. Every day. For the rest of my life."

2. Heartfelt Step-Dad Wedding Vows

If you or your partner already have children, consider including language in your wedding vows that speak to the future of your family unit, beyond just the two of you. In her wedding vows to Marquis, Neerellyn spoke about what she admires in Marquis' journey of step-fatherhood to her daughter.

Neerellyn to Marquis: Before you, I never truly believed in "one true love." I know now that what we have transcends and is a much deeper soul connection. In you I found a partner in life, a lover, a friend, a safe place, someone I can be my ugliest and most vulnerable with. In you I found someone who supports me, who inspires me, who respects and honors me. Thank you for never making me feel like I'm too much and for looking at me with loving eyes even when we all know I'm being extra. Thank you for embracing all the parts that make me, me. Most importantly thank you for being a devoted family man, I could not have picked a better man for our kids to look up to. It was never just me, it was always the boys and me. Thank you for not shying away from the challenges of fatherhood, for loving our sons and helping me raise them. Thank you for going half on a Julia with me and being the man who is setting the bar high for the love she allows in her life one day. You are such a present dad and I could not be more grateful.

3. Emotional Sample Wedding Vows for Him

Wedding planning often brings with it challenges and hurdles that couples have to overcome. These circumstances are the perfect chance to evaluate how to tackle conflict and allow those experiences to inform the vows you want to commit to, just like Alex did in her vows to Karl.

Alex to Karl: You know I started writing this months ago, but goodness how they have changed in the past 12 days. What a week we have had. The first of many hard decisions we will have to make together, the first of many challenges we will face.

With you, I know I will never have to do anything on my own. This past week has been a true testament to the man you are and the husband you will be. A "drop everything because I need you," "work past midnight to catch up" kind of husband. An "it's never too late to do the right thing" kind of husband. A "what can I do to help you" kind of husband.

I knew you were "the one" when I realized that you truly are a better person than me. I admire you and look up to you for all the good you bring to this great big world. You are so blessed with the rare heart of a servant and your thoughtfulness touches everyone's life you are a part of. Your core is one of a kind and I am the richest girl to get to marry you, Karl Williams.

Wedding Vows For Her

As you're crafting your wedding vows for her, think through what makes your partner special and call attention to that through your wedding vows, as these couples did. You can't go wrong with highlighting why you love them and how you vow to support them for the rest of the days of your life.

4. Feminist, Personal Wedding Vows for Her

For her vows to Smita, Christina set forth a series of "I promise" statements that she committed to stick to throughout their marriage. Some of the vows were serious and some were more lighthearted, but together they painted a picture of how Chistina plans to be a support system to Smita moving forward.

Christina to Smita: Smita, of all the people you've met and places you've visited you ended up here—with me. It is a very powerful and humbling fact.

Through the years we have faced obstacles, some harder than others, that have helped us build the strong foundation of our relationship. It has shown me your unwavering love, constant support, and silent strength. Thank you for loving my fun, crazy, loud, Italian family, as much as I do. I promise to encourage you to follow your dreams. I promise to continue to challenge you to be the best version of yourself. I promise to make you laugh, when you're taking life too seriously. I promise to love you unconditionally. I promise to put you first and never lose our spark. I promise to never stop singing my own made-up songs, although I know you wish I would. Our journey as a family has only just begun and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. Smita, you are the person I choose to spend forever with, as my true soulmate. I chose you in 2018, I choose you today, and I will continue choosing you forever. I love you.

5. Heartfelt Christian Wedding Vows for Her

Many couples think that in order to have religious wedding vows, you're unable to personalize them. But that's simply not the case. For his vows to Neerellyn, Marquis talked about his faith, but found ways to personalize his words so they reflected the unique nuances of his relationship with Neerellyn.

Marquis to Neerellyn: I vow to always be your protector, and confidante, responsible for making sure your every need is met, every want is reached, and every dream realized. It's said that he who finds a wife, finds a good thing and obtains favor from God. From this life we have built to get to this moment, this great moment in our life, looking into your beautiful eyes, I vow to always be your good thing, with love in my heart, always by your side, to my last breath. I love you.

6. Simple, Powerful Wedding Vow Example

Ronnie's wedding vows to Megan were short and sweet, but filled with vibrant emotion and poignant words. Sometimes getting right to the point may be the best way to make an impact with your wedding vows.

Ronnie to Megan: I call you 'My Megan' because you are my everything. You are my light, and you've shown me more love than I've ever known.

7. Powerful Wedding Vows for Her That Make You Cry

Annebel and Rachel used their personal wedding vows to reminisce on the experiences they've shared together while expressing gratitude to each other. They used their words to paint a vibrant picture of how their journey together has improved both of their lives.

Annebel: Rachel, I feel overwhelmingly lucky and proud to be standing beside you today. Thank you for accepting me for all that I am. Thank you for knowing that I've fought everyone that tried to put me in a dress since I could walk and allowing me to express myself the way I see fit. Thank you for loving me in a suit. Thank you for always supporting and loving me, unconditionally, I know I haven't always made that easy. I love that you love my persnickety, killer Chihuahua like she's your own. I know on that fact alone, you're going to make an amazing mother to our children someday. I vow to love you without reservation or conditions. I vow to always do my best to give more than I take, and not keep score. When I am with you, I am the best version of myself because I am utterly and unapologetically myself. I vow to continuously work on myself, and to be the wife you want and deserve.

Rachel: Annabel, I was drawn to you from the day we met. Your warm and inviting eyes and your magnetic smile softened my tough façade immediately. I remember wanting to have, and sometimes make, reasons to talk to you. To see you beam that amazing smile back at me, immediately putting me at ease and brightening my day. I love that we started out as friends. That is my favorite part. You truly saw me. You understand me, accept me, in a way no one else has, in a way that I believe no one else can. You are my best friend…. I'm so grateful for our special brand of weirdness. To me, it means more than just being silly. It signifies a special, profound, unfettered love for each other. It's loving each other at our most intimate, vulnerable times. It colors our tapestry with yet unnamed, exotic colors, known only to the two of us.

Simple Wedding Vows

Wedding vows don't have to be verbose or over-the-too to be meaningful. Promises that get to the point succinctly may actually be more memorable. VillaRamos encourages to-be-weds to avoid writing "a dissertation on your love and retell the entirety of your journey from beginning to end. If your vows are over two minutes when practicing it out loud, it's time to edit. On your wedding day, your vows can easily take twice as long to share as it is an emotional day full of nerves and excitement." These simple wedding vow examples are a great starting point if you don't want to pen words that stand the test of time without being too flowery.

8. Traditional, Simple Wedding Vows From the Heart

While Tarik personalized his wedding vows to Lauren, he kept the overall feeling in line with the format of many traditional wedding vows. Personalizing wedding vows doesn't mean you have to pack your words with inside jokes—keeping a classic, traditional vibe, but adding your own spin to your promises is a great way to ensure they stand the test of time.

Tarik to Lauren: I believe in you, the person you will grow to be and the couple we will be together.

With my whole heart, I take you as my wife, acknowledging and accepting your faults and strengths, as you do mine.

I promise to be faithful and supportive and to always make our family's love and happiness my priority. I vow to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed and to share in the silence when they are not. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. I will dream with you, celebrate with you and walk beside you through whatever our lives may bring. I give you my hand and my heart. As a sanctuary of warmth and peace. I pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor as I join my life to yours. You are my person—my love and my life, today and always. I thank the most high that I am yours and you're mine.

9. Non-Religious Simple Wedding Vows

For their marriage vows, Amy and Russell both recited the same series of short vows. They started with "you are" statements highlighting characteristics of each other and then launched into "I will" statements reflecting the promises they were committing to upholding as newlyweds.

Amy and Russell: You are my lover and my teacher, you are my model and my accomplice, and you are my true counterpart. I will love you, hold you and honor you, I will respect you, encourage you and cherish you, in health and sickness, through sorrow and success, f or all the days of my life.

10. Simple and Sweet Buddhist Wedding Vows

For their Buddhist wedding in Texas, Hoàng-Kim and Johnny exchanged simple and sweet wedding vows. "For my vows, I shared how growing up I had the most beautiful example of marriage from my parents," recalls Hoàng-Kim. "A tidbit I shared was how my parents named me Hoàng-Kim, which means Golden Age and I felt like every day Johnny was in my life I felt like I was living in a Golden Age. I promised to make the best and right choices for us so our marriage would be like our own Golden Age." Meanwhile, Hoàng-Kim recalls how much the simple ending to Johnny's vows stuck with her.

Johnny to Hoàng-Kim: "As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to hold from this day forward."

11. Hobby-Focused Short Wedding Vow Example

In this wedding vow example, Adam spoke to the activities and hobbies that are an integral part of his relationship with Haleh during their vow exchange. Not only did this serve as a walk down memory lane, but it also cast a vision for their shared future together filled with memorable activities and excursions.

Adam to Haleh: You have the purest heart and a warm, loving soul. In every person you meet, you not only find, but brighten their inner light. With you I feel like half of an unstoppable whole, and I can't wait to take on this life with you as my best friend and lifelong partner.

I am not only looking forward, but am anxious to continue on our many adventures and excursions together…. Exploring the best national parks on this continent, traversing the globe, playing golf and pickup field hockey, long-boarding along the beach, attending ice hockey games and concerts that range from heavy metal to Lady Gaga, and most importantly, building a home and a family with you in close proximity to a large body of water.

12. Amazing Wedding Vows to Him About Promises

Hawa's memories of her grandmother and of growing up inspired her promise-focused wedding vows to Tony. "Hearing [my grandma's] little giggle from the front row as I read the wedding vows out loud might have been my favorite moment of the night," recalls Hawa.

Hawa: "I take the word promise very seriously. You know the story of how I promised my grandma I would get on the bus to school for the first day of kindergarten. Even though I cried and begged not to that morning, she reminded me that I made a promise–and I walked up those yellow bus steps, and kept my word. Since that day, I have done everything in my power to never use that word unless I make good on it."

Modern Wedding Vows

One reason many couples eschew traditional wedding vows is that they feel like those promises don't fit with the partnership they share with their partner. VillaRamos encourages couples to remember that their partnership and priorities should be at the center of any wedding vows. "Your vows are meant for your team of two, so don't alter your personality to be more serious or poetic than you are. The best vows are the most real ones!" These fresh, modern wedding vows are a great starting point for promises that reflect the modern partnership you and your significant other share.

13. Non-Religious Modern Wedding Vows Focused on Teamwork

Daniela and Megan "wrote vows together of the promises we wanted to agree to making and then shared that during our ceremony. We took parts from various vows we found online and added our own touches."

Daniela: I, Daniela, take you, Megan, to be my wife, my best friend and partner. I will work to create a bond of honesty, respect, acceptance, and gratitude; one that withstands the tides of time and changes and grows along with us.

Megan: I, Megan, take you, Daniela, to be my wife, my best friend and partner. I vow to cherish and accept you for all that you are and will become, taking pride in who we are both together and individually.

Daniela: I promise to challenge you and to accept challenges from you. I promise to love you in good times and in bad. I promise to treasure you. These things I give to you now and throughout the seasons of our lives.

Megan: I promise to love you when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to hold you in the highest regard. These things I give to you now and throughout the seasons of our lives.

14. Modern Vows for Wedding About Beauty and Strength

In her promises to Michael, Nicole took the opportunity to highlight a few specific qualities in her partner that she especially admires. Chances are you could write a laundry list of all the characteristics you respect in your partner, but narrowing down the scope to just a few will help your vows feel more focused and poignant.

Nicole and Michael: I swear to you that I will continue to dedicate all the days of my life to filling our days with beauty and laughter. I will celebrate your spirit and all of your accomplishments, work to inspire you, and be here to remind you of your beauty and strength. You are my partner, my confidant, my other half, and I will love you for the rest of my life.

15. Personalized, Goal-Oriented Example of Modern Wedding Vows

Smita used her personal marriage vows to Christina to lay out a roadmap of their lives, emphasizing how she promises to be a support to Christina in all her life pursuits. Vision casting for the future, and what you want life to look like as newlyweds, is a great way to use your wedding vows to start married life off on a strong foot.

Smita to Christina: Christina, w e started our journey over 3 years ago and if you told me then that we'd be standing here today celebrating our wedding oceanside in front of all of these people here today, I honestly never would have believed it. It is truly a dream come true.

Over the past 3 years, we have built the foundation of a loving relationship that I know will stand up to the test of time. Together, we have embarked on amazing adventures and overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. Ultimately, we have gained the love and acceptance of all who matter most to us and the evidence surrounds us here today.

First and foremost, we both share the belief that our family is the most important thing in the world. I cannot wait to start our new family together and I promise to always put your needs and the needs of our family before my own or anyone else's.

You have always said to me that the worth of a person is determined by their kindness and the quality of their spirit. You have also shown me what unconditional love feels like. And so I promise to treat you with kindness throughout the rest of our lives together and to always love you unconditionally.

Lastly, I am so proud of how much you and I both have accomplished in our professional lives and careers over the past few years and I am certain that none of it could be possible without the invaluable support and encouragement we provide each other. As your life partner, I promise to support you in all of your personal and professional pursuits. I will always be your biggest fan cheering you on from the sidelines. I love you very much, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you.

16. Inclusive, Modern Wedding Ceremony Vows

As a reflection of their partnership, Troy and Ian chose to write their vows together in the form of a series of promises they were mutually making as they entered marriage. Writing your vows together can be a great option if you want to ensure you're both on the same page and stepping into married life together with the same vision for the future.

Troy and Ian "wrote mutual vows together," they explain. "So instead of each of us writing our own and saying them to each other, we spent the two-and-a-half-hour drive to the venue the day before the wedding deciding what we wanted our vows to be. We had our officiant read them to us and we said 'I do' together to each one. This also allowed us both to be totally present during the ceremony, eliminating any public speaking nervousness."

Troy and Ian: We promise to always listen to hear instead of listening to respond.We promise to always lead with patience, kindness and perspective. We promise to always encourage and support each other's creative pursuits—especially when they seem bats***. We promise to cultivate a home where ideas can flourish, imagination is encouraged and diversity is celebrated.

17. Beautiful Joint Wedding Vows at Modern Ceremony

For her wedding to Roque, Jenn shares that she "really liked our joint vows, which felt romantic but also realistic. There was not a dry eye anywhere."

Jenn and Roque: Even though the future is uncertain, today I commit to our future together, and trust that the rest of our lives will fall into place around that union. I promise to keep that union, and never take it for granted, knowing that love exists because we make it exist. Love lasts, because we choose

to make it last. I promise to keep making that choice, even as we change and grow in those

bounds, and even when it is a difficult choice to make.

Romantic Wedding Vows

Weddings are about true love, so why not lean into the romance of the celebration with wedding vows that are steeped in adoration? Instead of parroting sweet nothings that sound kind, but aren't necessarily meaningful, share words from the heart that describe why your love for your partner and soul mate is so deeply held. However, VillaRamos emphasizes that it's important that nearly-newlyweds "don't put so much pressure on yourself to capture the entirety of your heart and soul into your wedding vows. That's too much for anyone! Give yourself props for writing it before the wedding day instead of the day of." Read on for the very best romantic wedding vows.

18. Beautiful, Romantic Wedding Vows to Make Him Cry

Aryanna's vows to Doug had three distinct sections that created a seamless flow to the words. To start, she affirmed Doug by describing who he is. From there she went into detail about why she loves him before ending with a few summary promises to recap how she wants to support him.

Aryanna to Doug: We both know how indecisive I can be, but one thing I know with complete certainty is that you are the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with.

You are my best friend, my anchor, my respite. My travel partner, my confidant and my biggest cheerleader. You are fiercely loyal, trustworthy, generous and selfless to a fault. You make me laugh, challenge me, support me and never let me forget how beautiful and amazing you think I am. You've helped me blossom into the woman that I am today, and have shown me a love that is pure, magical and everlasting.

I love how thoughtful, romantic and passionate you are with everything you do. I love the way you light up when you get a creative idea, the way your eyelashes curl and how your big brown eyes glimmer whenever you look at me. You are the love of my life and I am eternally grateful to know you.

I promise to always support your dreams, to be your forever sporting event partner and to always make the bed if I'm the last one to wake up in the morning.

19. Heartfelt, Romantic Wedding Vows That'll Make You Cry

In her vows to Jeffrey, Ammy, "expressed the happiness and joy Jeffrey brought into my life. From the moment we met, I have never once felt alone. Jeffrey has always held my hand through the brightest and darkest of days. Coincidentally, Jeffrey wrote in his vows how he knew from the first time that we met, there was something special about me and that he wanted to be by my side through it all. He took a vow that day to continue to always be there for me through all the highs and lows that life brings us and vowed that I would never have to worry about being alone because he would always be there for me."

Ammy: I vow never to stop asking for your warm hugs and kisses. I vow to always make weird sounds with you and laugh awkwardly. I vow to always love, support, and respect you. I am so proud to call myself your wife from this day forward. I vow to always be by your side.

Jeffrey: I vow to take care of you and support you in every way. I will be patient and trustworthy. I vow to always love you and remind you that I love you. I will always be here for you. I am so excited to see where life takes us from here. You are my world. My everything.

20. Lighthearted, Lovely Wedding Vows

Dre and Dan kept their wedding vows lighthearted with mentions of pool parties, shopping and cleaning. A marriage isn't just about the highlights, it's also about being there for each other in the mundane and throughout your daily routine—a concept the couple reinforced with marriage vows that spoke about everyday activities.

Dre: I promise to always remember that you are indeed human. That you may sometimes make questionable decisions, decisions I don't agree with, like throwing a beach party that I didn't authorize on the one free day we had before our wedding—a day when we should be doing wedding admin together and things like, I don't know, writing our vows! But what I love about you is I know that you do these things because you care so deeply about those who are close to you and are genuinely one of the most thoughtful and considerate people I have ever known. You remind me of my mother in this way. (That and your mutual unbridled passion for shopping and [my parents' dog].) Today, I promise to show that same care and consideration for you for the rest of my life. Right now, it's the easiest thing in the world to do because I honestly love you so much and want nothing but your happiness, but even when things are difficult and it gets hard to do and our love gets more comfortable, complacent and timeworn, I will always show that same care and consideration for you.

Dan: Back in June 2013, I decided I needed one more Michelada after a night out in Downtown LA. It led me to wander around a block from Skid Row—something I later learned the guidebooks advise against. But what those guidebooks also don't tell you is that you could end up meeting the love of your life as a result. I met the love of my life in you Dre—you are my number one. You make me smile whenever I think of you. I promise to make you smile as much as you make me smile, even if that means I have to watch a bit less football or 'soccer.' I also promise to pretend not to be annoyed when I find giant mounds of Dre hair in the most unlikely place after one of your giant detangling sessions, or just simply finding smaller ones that have broken free on their own literally everywhere. It is a small price to pay to live with you and your fantastic barnet, as we say in the UK.

21. Timeless, Romantic Wedding Vows to Make Her Cry

In this wedding vow example, Liz and Anna found a balance between classic, timeless vows and personalization. Liz started her vows by speaking of the early days of their relationship before painting a picture of how she wants to grow alongside Anna in the future. Meanwhile, Anna filled her vows with a series of "I promise" statements that felt equally timeless.

Liz: Anna, I knew from the very moment I laid eyes on you that you were my forever. Someway, somehow, I was determined to make you mine. And from this day forward my heart is entirely yours.

As we continue to grow in our lives together, I promise to give you all of my words when needed, and to share in the silence when they are not, to pick you up if you are down, to love you unconditionally, to lay my bare skin on you when needed most, to care for you and our families for as long as we live, to adventure with you always, to say I love you before falling asleep each night, to be the best mom I can be as we grow a family together, and to always know in the deepest part of my soul, that when challenges arise we will always find our way back to one another.

Anna, you are my everything and this is my promise to you.

Anna: Liz, Of all the people you've met on your journey and of all the places you've been, somehow and someway, you ended up here—with me. It is the most powerful and humbling fact that I can accept. I used to think that we met by chance but now I know without a doubt that the universe put you in front of me because we were meant to spend our lives together. You have filled my life with joy and have given me a sense of peace that I have never known.You are my best friend, my biggest supporter, and the best backup singer a girl could ask for. Although today marks the start to the rest of our lives, I know it will not be enough time with you. I will not take our time together for granted. And because words cannot do it, I promise to show you, for the rest of my life, how much I love you. I promise to encourage you to follow your dreams. I promise to make you laugh when you are taking yourself too seriously. I promise to hold your hand through the good times and through the bad times. I promise to be loyal and faithful and to put you before all else. I promise to never stop making up songs for you. Although, I know you wish I would. And I promise that when we are old and gray, we will look back on our lives together and we have no regrets. From this day forward, you will never walk alone.

22. Supportive, Emotional Wedding Vows

"One section of my vows in particular that really got Mike and made him lose it," recalls Jane. "I've performed with my comedy troupe for over 13 years now, and I decided to borrow some advice from our experiences on stage together, which I thought seemed applicable to our marriage. After taking a few moments discussing the various things that happen before our shows and about the importance of listening, not rushing the moments, and just having fun, I shared my vows."

Jane to Mike: The last thing we do as a troupe during rehearsal is we all stand in a circle. One by one we look someone in the eyes and say, 'I believe in you.' And though we've never really defined what that means definitively, for me, I've always felt like I was looking at a good friend and telling them, 'I love you. And no matter what happens out there, I've got your back.

So, without further ado, let's remember to listen, let's try not to rush the moments and let's have a lot of fun. Michael Dailey, I believe in you.

23. Personalized Wedding Vows Romantic Couples Will Love

Angelica shares that she is the "sentimental sap" in her relationship with Melisa. "While Melisa was working on her comedic bit, I was reflecting back on our five years together and crying every time I tried putting pen to paper," recalls Angelica. "My vows started by acknowledging how closed off my heart was before I met Melisa and how after I met her it opened up."

Angelica to Melisa: If I only had you for the rest of my life, I'd consider it a life worthy of living. There's not one ounce of me that wants to do life without you. And our existence together is my personal definition of perfect. Melisa, I choose you.

24. These Sample Romantic Wedding Vows Left Us Speechless

For their Jewish wedding vows, Jesse and Vita "wrote and read aloud letters to each other in front of everyone as part of the Ketubah ceremony. As our Rabbi, Michael Lezak put it: 'We were there to explain why everyone was there.'"

Jesse: Vita...When I can't sleep, I turn over and gaze at you - seemingly glowing in the moonlight or the morning sun. Through the stress and sleep deprivation, I cannot help but feel a smile creep across my face. That you are there, lying at my side, makes me feel like I might just be enough.

Vita: Jesse...When I think about what I want for our life together, I want to be an absolute refuge for you, I want you to feel so irrevocably and unconditionally loved with me, to build a foundation so strong that nothing else ever feels too scary.

Jesse: Before I met you I felt there was strength in numbness. Knowing and loving you has shown me that feeling is the only way to happiness. I am a better person with you and because of you.

25. Great Wedding Vows With Love Poem Inspiration

Lena and Christopher wrote their own romantic wedding vows and Lena even included a love quote from Bell Hooks in her promises. "Every time we ask our guests what their favorite part of the wedding was, they tell us it was our vows," the couple recalls.

Lena: With our losses, we've committed to being there. With our gains, we've committed to being there. Bell Hooks wrote–" t o love somebody is not just a strong feeling–it's a decision, it's a judgment, it's a promise." I promise to do the work. The work of treating you with care, and kindness. I promise to love you.

Christopher: I believe a soulmate is someone who has keys to your locks. You have the key to make me calm when I'm anxious. Motivated, when I am uninspired. Passionate, when I am downcast. You unlock every aspect of me that is good. I vow to support your growth, celebrating your wins, while getting you to celebrate your accomplishments. I vow to only make my carbonara once a month.

26. Modern Movie-Inspired Wedding Vows With Quote

Haley and Jason wrote and read their "own vows and it was the best part of the entire wedding weekend. We wrote them separately and had no idea what the other person would say. I don't think there was a dry eye in the audience after our vows were read and we had a lot of people come up to us and say those were the most meaningful vows they had ever heard," says Haley.

"My favorite part about our vows is that it was so uniquely about us, our long relationship and all that we had been through together up until that point. No element of it was traditional. Neither of us referenced any website or book about how to write vows. We wrote from the heart and that really showed in our vows." For her wedding vows to Jason, Haley incorporated an iconic movie quote from "Shawshank Redemption."

Haley: Get busy living or get busy dying.

Witty Wedding Vows

Amid the choruses of "repeat after me," "I do" and "I promise," there's space to infuse your wedding with some humor. If you want to have all your guests doubled over in laughter, let these wedding vow examples inspire your personal wedding vows.

27. Adorable and Amazing Wedding Vows

Ada and Kevin wrote their funny wedding vows with inspiration drawn from inside jokes they share. "My favorite part was calling food into my vows," explains Kevin. "I feel like our relationship has been built around shared food experiences and knew I wanted to incorporate this into the wedding vows."

Kevin to Ada: I love our shared obsession with "late-night snackies" and how you helped me discover pizza that's better than Costco pizza.

28. Good Wedding Vows With Humor

Dakarai and Kyle explain that their vows were "equal parts avoiding cliches, including humor, and sprinkling bits of heartfelt honesty of lovingkindness."

Kyle: I vow to never make you read books. I vow to attend any doctor's appointment if it will make you feel better.

Dakarai: I vow to laugh at all of your jokes.

Creative Wedding Vows

VillaRamos, who is based in New York and has run her officiant business alongside her sister since 2015, encourages couples to look at their interests and hobbies for creative wedding vow inspiration. "If you're feeling stuck, think about the things you enjoy together. Whether it's traveling, exploring new restaurants, singing to your fave bop, or rewatching one of your favorite movies or shows, inspiration is all around you." If you want creative wedding vows, look no further than the inspiration below.

29. Epic, Unique Wedding Vows

David's wedding vows to Diana read like a beautiful poem–eloquent and beautiful. In short, they're some of the most creative wedding vows couples can use for inspiration.

David to Diana: You probably want to ask me what I'm thinking about right now. I'm thinking of you, always.

From the first day we met, I've thought of you. Laying there that first night, I wondered what was your story? But after all this time together, it has become our love story.

We've rowed through rivers, dived the skies, and ventured to beautiful lands. But these experiences only tell one part of our story. It is every day that we continue telling it.

Waking up to coffee, feeding the little ones, or sitting on the couch waiting to feed our bellies. These are moments that we grow together, like two vines twirling together, blooming flowers of happiness.

I vow to continue to grow with you, to think about our story, always. From beginning, middle and to no end. Forever.

30. Creative "I Promise" Wedding Vows

Julian and Francisco creatively formatted their wedding vows as a series of "I love" and "I promise" statements.

Julian: Francisco, from our first date in 2014 to our second first date, five years ago this weekend, you have had my heart. Sometimes I have a hard time expressing that fully to you. We both know that on occasion I get in my own way and botch it all up.

So here today let me make it very clear. I love it that you bring spontaneity to my sometimes too-planned-out life. I love your dancing, your funny faces, and your ability to go from zero to 100 in seconds. I love your kind heart, emotional soul, and soft spot for your grandparents, Olivia, and literally every small dog you see. And most of all I love you, all of you, the very most.

And now for the promises. I promise to love you with all of my heart. Even the parts that have yet to be unsealed. I promise to continue to work on our communication. It is our foundation and the key to our success. I promise to encourage and support you in all that you do. Your willingness to take the leap into your business has been one of the most inspiring journeys I have ever witnessed. I promise to love your family like my own. They are an extension of your heart and I will do everything in my power to protect them! I promise to be open to adventure and adversity. Both of these have helped us grow stronger together, travel to great heights, and we are just getting started. I promise to be by your side through sickness and in health, poverty and in wealth, forever and always.

Francisco: Julian, I love you because you make me proud. Because you are adventurous, not as adventurous as me but pretty close! You are the dream I never dreamed of coming true. I love you because you believe in my dreams and support my crazy ideas. My life with you has been nothing but a beautiful adventure together!

It is so easy to love someone as unique, special, strong, creative, and joyful as you are. With my heart filled with joy and gratitude, I have the privilege to stand here before our family and friends to vow my love to you

I promise to love you for who you are, and for who you are yet to become. I promise to nurture your dreams and help you reach them. I promise to share my whole heart with you and to remember to show you how deeply I care for you, no matter the challenges that may come our way. I promise to hire a professional, even if I really want to try to do it (and probably make it worse) myself. And last but not least When I say, "I do," I don't mean the laundry!

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75 Wedding Vow Examples That Will Melt Your Heart

Fight writer's block and find ways to express your love with these romantic, funny, and short wedding vow examples.

Wedding Vows for Her

Wedding vows for him, funny wedding vows, wedding vow quotes from books and songs, wedding vow poems.

If writing your own wedding vows seems overwhelming, you’re not alone. Whether you're recently engaged and just can't wait to put your feelings down on paper, or it's the night before your wedding and you've procrastinated as long as you possibly can, these words are some of the most intimate you'll ever pen. Not only do they represent the passion and respect you have for your partner today, but they also hold promises for the future .

But where do you begin? How do you sum up a love that will last a lifetime? If you find yourself unsure of how to write your wedding vows , samples from real weddings are a wonderful source of inspiration. This assortment of wedding vow examples for him or her offers everything from short sayings and traditional promises to romantic messages and religious wedding vows that are prime for personalization. It's not the easiest thing in the world to put your heart on the page, but with some time and reflection, you can do it.

Southern Living

Some have imagined reciting bridal vows for years, envisioning family tearing up in the pews of a hometown church; others may be thinking about it for the first time. Either way, it's time to imagine what your own special words will sound like. Do you want to keep things short and pure or make your sentiments poetic and intimate? These examples of wedding vows for her range from romantic to religious and guarantee to give any bride a great place to start.

Short wedding vows for her

• I love you with my whole heart with a passion that can't be expressed in words, only in kisses, glances, and years of adventure by your side.
• I promise to be your honest, faithful, and loving wife for the rest of my days.
• I pledge to honor you, love you, and cherish you as my husband today and every day.
• Today I say, "I do" but to me that means, "I will." I will take your hand and stand by your side in the good and the bad. I dedicate myself to your happiness, success, and smile. I will love you forever.
• You are my every dream come true, and I can't wait for the reality we get to build together.
• I promise to be your guiding light in the darkness, a warming comfort in the cold, and a shoulder to lean on when life is too much to bear on your own.
• Give me your hand, and I will give you forever.
• You are loved more than any metaphor can ever try to express—my love, my husband.
• I vow to always protect you from harm, to stand with you against your troubles, and to look to you when I need protection.
• "There is no remedy for love," says Thoreau, "but to love more". Today and forever, I will follow his advice and seek my remedy in your arms.
• You make me laugh, you make me think, and above all, you make me happy.
• I promise to be your navigator, best friend, and wife. I promise to honor, love, and cherish you through all life's adventures. Wherever we go, we'll go together.

Romantic wedding vows for her

• I choose you and promise to choose you as my husband every day we wake. I will love you in word and deed. I will laugh with you, cry with you, scream with you, grow with you, and craft with you. To be your kin and your partner in all of life's adventures is all I could hope for in the world. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I don't yet know, I give you my hand. I give you my love. I give you myself, the good, the bad, and the yet to come.
• You love me in love and complete me in ways I never knew possible. From this day forth, I promise to listen to you and learn from you, to support you and accept your support. I will celebrate your successes and mourn your losses as though they were my own. I will love you, my husband, and rejoice in your love for me for all of the years of our lives.
• Today, surrounded by all of your loved ones, I choose you to be my husband. I am proud to be your wife and to join my life with yours. I vow to support you, inspire you, and love you always. For as long as we both shall live, I will be by your side—for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer. You are my one and only today and every day.
• How lucky am I to call you mine? Your love and trust makes me a better person, each and every day. For all those times that we've been together, there's always been a mutual understanding that's only shared when two people love each other truly. You were there for my greatest challenges. You encouraged me to grow. You helped believe in myself and become the person that I am today. In your arms and by your side, I know I can do anything. I'm proud to call you my husband.
• I'm madly in love with you, my husband. Not only do I promise that my love for you will grow with each day, but I promise to be your friend and partner every step of the way. I will be there for you, day or night, in richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. I trust, appreciate, cherish, and respect you. I promise to share with you my hopes and dreams as we build our lives together. You, my love, are my everything.
• My husband, I invite you to share my life. You are the most loving, clever, and kind individual I have ever known, and I promise to always be in your corner. Together, I know we can do anything. I can't wait to work hand in hand to build a beautiful life together.

Religious wedding vows for her

• I love you. I prayed that God would lead me to this choice, to you as my husband. I praise him tonight as his will is being fulfilled. Through the pressures of the present and the uncertainties of the future, I promise you and him my faithfulness, to stand beside you through all of life's experiences as you follow God.
• In faith, honesty, and love, take you to be my wedded husband. I pledge to share with you God's plan for our lives together united in Christ. For better, for worse, in sickness and in health, in joys and in sorrows, until death do we part—I promise you all of this and more with God's help to strengthen and guide me as your supportive wife. I give you all that I have myself and my love. All these things I pledge to thee in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. With this ring, I seal my vow of love to you and pray I may fulfill God's place in our home.
• My love, I give you this ring. Wear it with love and joy. I choose you to be mine. I choose you to be my husband to have and to hold, from this day forward. I pledge you my faithfulness to show to you the same kind of love as Christ showed the church when he died for her, and to love you as a part of myself. In his sight, we shall be one.
• I love you, and I thank the Lord for the love that has bound our hearts and live together in the spiritual fellowship of marriage. I will love, honor, and cherish you always. As we enter upon the privileges and joys of life's most holy relationship and begin together the great adventure of building a Christian home, I will look to you as a partner and leader in our home as I have looked to Christ as the head of the church. I will love you in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in sorrow as in joy, and will be true to you by God's grace, trusting in him, so long as we both shall live.
• In faith, honestly, and love, I take you as my wedded husband, to share with you in God's plan for our lives together united in Christ. I commit to you this day all that I am and all that I can love. I pledge to you, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Before him I offer this ring as a symbol of my love for you and a symbol of unity. I pray to faithfully fulfill my place as your helpmate and to uphold you in prayer as I submit my heart to you. I pray to always be by and on your side and to always keep the presence of the Lord in our home.
• Through all of the uncertainties and trials of life, I promise to be faithful to you and love you, so that together we may grow in the likeness of Christ. With you, I know that the home we build together will praise him each and every day.

One glance at your bride, and your heart is sure to flutter. Calm your jitters and help yourself be totally in the moment with prepared, personalized wedding vows that express your whole heart. If you're not sure where to start, take a look at these sample wedding vows for him. They're sure to give you an idea of how to let your fiancée and soon-to-be wife know exactly how much you care.

Short wedding vows for him

• Give me your bad hair days, your long commutes, your burnt coffee, and lost keys. Give me your every day, and I will give you my love to make it all alright.
• Today, I promise to be your navigator and sidekick in all of life's adventures. I promise to be your best friend and your husband. I promise you myself completely.
• Your love gives me hope. Your smile gives me joy. You make me a better man.
• When I am with you, everything else fades to the background. You flood my senses with joy. You are my life, my greatest gift. I'm so lucky to call you my loving wife.
• My life is forever entangled with yours from this day on. My dreams are your dreams, and I'll build it all around you.
• Forever with you simply will not be enough, but from this day forward, I vow to make the most of every moment.
• Today I join my life to yours, not simply as your husband, but as your friend, your lover, and your biggest supporter. Let me be the shoulder you lean on and the companion of your life.
• With this ring, I promise you that you'll never have to face the world alone.
• I promise to be there to catch you if you should stumble, carry you over every threshold, and fall in love with you every day.
• I pledge today to have all the patience and passion that love demands. In the laughter and in the silence, I'll be forever by your side.
• I take you as mine, knowing and loving all of your strengths and faults, just as I offer myself to you as yours with all of my strengths and faults. I will be there for you in your times of need, just as I know I can turn to you when I need a guiding hand.
• You're everything that I ever dreamed of and everything I will ever need. Our love for each other is heaven-sent. Today I vow to be here with you and for you, forever and always.
• I love you more fiercely with every second that slips through our hands. With you, I can make the most of my days.

Romantic wedding vows for him

• You have taught me that two people joined together with respect, trust, and open communication can be far stronger and happier than each could ever be alone. You are the strength I didn't know I needed and the joy that I didn't know I lacked. Today, I choose to spend the rest of my life with you.
• You have made me the happiest man in the world today by agreeing to share your life with me. I promise to cherish and respect you. I promise to care for you and protect you. I promise to comfort you and encourage you. I promise to be with you for all of eternity.
• I promise to love you for who you are, and for who you are yet to become. I promise to be patient and to remember that all things between us are rooted in love. I promise to nurture your dreams and help you reach them. I promise to share my whole heart with you and to remember to show you how deeply I care for you, no matter the challenges that may come our way. I promise to love you loyally and fiercely—as long as I shall live.
• Do you remember the very first day that we met? I knew the very first moment I saw you. I knew we were meant to be together for all of our days. You have become my lover, my companion, and my best friend. There's no one else I'd want to build a life with. I get to have you by my side, my love and my wife, for eternity.
• The sun smiles on us today, our wedding day, and how can it not. With our hearts beating together as one, our love warms the world. I love you with all my heart. You're my love, light, and soulmate. You're the person that keeps me singing, smiling, and laughing. I give you this ring as a sign of my love that's forever, eternal, and never-ending, like the circle in this ring.
• My darling, it's with pride and joy that I take you for my wife. Together, we can weather any storm, no matter the season of our lives. I have found my forever partner. With you in my life, I could never be lonely again. I'm in awe of you, our bond, and our potential. I promise to remain in awe while I cherish you for all the rest of our days.

Religious wedding vows for him

• I love you, and I know that this love is from God. I want to be your husband so that we might serve Christ together. Through all of the uncertainties and trials of the present and future, I promise to be faithful to you and love you. I promise to guide and protect you as Christ does his church, as long as we both shall live.
• I take you to be my wife, before God who brought us together, to love and cherish you even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, to lead you and share all of life's experiences with you by following God through them.
• In faith, honesty, and love, I take you to be my wedded wife, to share with you God's plan for our lives together united in Christ. And with God's help, to strengthen and guide me, I will be a strong spiritual leader for us in our life, for better, for worse, in sickness, and in health, in joys, in sorrows, until death do we part.
• I love you and thank the Lord for the love that bound our hearts and lives together in the spiritual fellowship of marriage. I will love, honor, and cherish you always. I will love you in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in sorrow as in joy, and will be true to you by God's grace, trusting in him, so long as we both shall live.
• I promise to love you above all others and to value you in my life as a precious gift. I look forward to raising our family and building our relationship under the care and guidance of God. I promise to stand beside you as your husband and friend in sickness or health, in times of prosperity and decline, in peace and in turmoil, as long as we both shall live.
• In the presence of friends, family, and God, I take you to be my wife. I promise with divine assistance to be a faithful, devoted, and loving husband for all the days of our lives.

Who says you can't be tender and funny at the same time? Add a bit of lighthearted fun into your wedding ceremony with a joke that's sure to make your partner smile. Whether you poke fun at one of your own faults or hers, funny wedding vows can add a glimpse of real life into a fairytale setting. Here are a few sample ideas to get you started.

• I vow to always put you first, even during football season.
• I promise to never keep score, even when I'm clearly winning.
• You're the French fries to my chocolate shake.
• When I say, "I do," I don't mean the dishes.
• I promise to hire a professional, even if I really want to try to do it (and probably make it worse) myself.
• I promise to continue to make your friends jealous of our amazing relationship.
• I promise to unclog the tub, even though you are the only one of us with long hair.
• I vow to take your hand when it's too dark, and the dog out when it's too early.
• I promise to love you for eternity and to trust you with my credit card.

Whether you have a favorite song that makes you think of each other, love listening to music together, or are avid readers , quotes from romantic works can be a great addition to your personalized ceremony message. These wedding vow quotes and passages are pulled from songs and books, and they may even make you feel like you want to sing along. Whether romantic, sweet, funny, or deep, these expressions will surely be memorable to you and yours.

• "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." – Emily Brontë, "Wuthering Heights"
• "Because of you I can feel myself slowly but surely becoming the me I have always dreamed of being." – Tyler Knott Gregson
• "I have for the first time found what I can truly love–I have found you. You are my sympathy–my better self–my good angel–I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you–and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one." – Charlotte Brontë, "Jane Eyre"
• "Will you share your life with me / For the next ten minutes? / For the next ten minutes / We can handle that / We could watch the waves / We could watch the sky / Or just sit and wait / As the time ticks by / And if we make it till then / Can I ask you again / For another ten?"– Jason Robert Brown, "The Last Five Years"
• "Grow old along with me; the best is yet to be..." – Robert Browning
• "You don't marry one person; you marry three: the person you think they are, the person they are, and the person they are going to become as a result of being married to you." – Richard Needham
• "I hope you don't mind that I put down in words / How wonderful life is while you're in the world." – Elton John, "Your Song"
• "I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life." – Rita Rudner
• "For you there'll be no crying / For you the sun will be shining / 'Cause I feel that when I'm with you / It's all right I know it's right." – Eva Cassidy, "Songbird"
• "Love is old, Love is new / Love is all, Love is you." – The Beatles, "Because"

Soon-to-be-weds hoping to capture the romance of the moment may look to loving poems for an iconic verse or phrase that represents their love. A poem can articulate what you want to say and how, whether with passion, sincerity, or humor. Whether you combine one of these wedding poems with a personalized vow or promise or you use these famous words to inspire your own, you're sure to feel the love in these romantic passages.

"Love" by Roy Croft

I love you, Not only for what you are, But for what I am When I am with you. I love you, Not only for what You have made of yourself, But for what You are making of me. I love you For the part of me That you bring out; I love you For putting your hand Into my heaped-up heart And passing over All the foolish, weak things That you can't help Dimly seeing there, And for drawing out Into the light All the beautiful belongings That no one else had looked Quite far enough to find. I love you Because you have done More than any creed Could have done To make me good, And more than any fate To make me happy.

"Why Marriage?" by Mari Nichols-Haining

Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person, With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body...

Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me, Who won't hold them against me, Who loves me when I'm unlikable, Who sees the small child in me, and Who looks for the divine potential of me...

Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night With someone who thanks God for me, With someone I feel blessed to hold...

Because marriage means opportunity To grow in love in friendship...

Because marriage is a discipline To be added to a list of achievements...

Because marriages do not fail, people fail When they enter into marriage Expecting another to make them whole...

Because, knowing this, I promise myself to take full responsibility For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness I create me, I take half of the responsibility for my marriage Together we create our marriage...

Because with this understanding The possibilities are limitless.

"To Be One with Each Other" by George Eliot

What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life—to strengthen each other in all labour, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting?

"I'll Be There For You" by Louise Cuddon

I'll be there my darling, through thick and through thin When your mind's in a mess and your head's in a spin When your plane's been delayed, and you've missed the last train. When life is just threatening to drive you insane When your thrilling whodunit has lost its last page When somebody tells you, you're looking your age When your coffee's too cool, and your wine is too warm When the forecast said "Fine", but you're out in a storm When your quick break hotel, turns into a slum And your holiday photos show only your thumb When you park for five minutes in a resident's bay And return to discover you've been towed away When the jeans that you bought in hope or in haste Just stick on your hips and don't reach round your waist When the food you most like brings you out in red rashes When as soon as you boot up the bloody thing crashes So my darling, my sweetheart, my dear… When you break a rule, when you act the fool When you've got the flu, when you're in a stew When you're last in the queue, don't feel blue 'cause I'm telling you, I'll be there.

"Sonnet XVII" by Pablo Neruda

...I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this: where I does not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

"Song of the Open Road" by Walt Whitman, from "Leaves of Grass"

. . . I give you my hand! I give you my love more precious than money, I give you myself, before preaching or law; Will you give me yourself? Will you come travel with me? Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

"The Privileged Lovers" by Rumi

The moon has become a dancer at this festival of love. This dance of light, This sacred blessing, This divine love, beckons us to a world beyond only lovers can see with their eyes of fiery passion. They are the chosen ones who have surrendered. Once they were particles of light now they are the radiant sun. They have left behind the world of deceitful games. They are the privileged lovers who create a new world with their eyes of fiery passion.

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How to Write Wedding Vows Step by Step

Written by  Shutterfly Community Last Updated: Sep 5, 2023

Tips for Writing Wedding Vows

Wedding vows for her, wedding vows for him, romantic wedding vows, funny wedding vows.

• Wedding Vows Examples

• Continue by saying what it is you love about your partner.  What about this person has led you to promise forever? When did you realize you were in love? What do you miss when you’re not around each other? Jotting down all of your ideas and each of things you love about this person can make it easier to get your thoughts together, find a theme and focus in on a few items that really stand out. Don’t worry about saying every little thing, if you were to do that your ceremony would go on forever.
• Use a story to bring this love to life.  This is a great moment to tell a story or use an anecdote to bring your love to life. A personal story is memorable and will give your guests an intimate look into your love for one another.
• Lay out exactly what it is you are promising.  Make promises to your partner and vow to stick to them. Such as, “I vow to always support you,” or “I promise to never steal the covers unless, you’re hogging them.” Mention specific ways you will show your love— in romantic ways, funny ways and ways only the two of you could understand. If the two of you are celebrating your faith on your wedding day, you can incorporate religious wedding vows and wedding bible verses too. Use words like I vow, I promise and I pledge.
• Use romantic wedding vows to personalize your promise.  Use romantic wedding vows to encompass your promise, love and devotion.
• Use funny wedding vows to personalize your promise.  Your wedding day will be one of the happiest days of your life. Add humor to your wedding vows so they stay true to the two of you.
• Mention specific things the two of you will do together.  Continue this portion of your vows by mentioning the specific things you will accomplish together. Using phrases like: “With you,” “I will,” and “Together.”
• Don’t forget to add that you’ll be there even when times get rough.  Reassure your partner that this is for better or for worse, in sickness and in health.
• Wrap your vows up with a look towards the future.  Think about your goals, aspirations and future. Will your love help you through the home remodel? How will your love set the tone for the way you raise your family? What are you looking forward to sharing with this special person.
• “As long as we both shall live.”  End your vows with one last promise, the promise of forever, for eternity and until death do us part.

• Talk vows over with your fiancé.  You’ll want to keep the final product a secret and surprise for your wedding day. Although, it can help you feel more comfortable getting started if you and your partner agree on a certain style, format or tone for your vows. Will the two of you incorporate some of the same promises as traditional wedding vows? Are you going to stick to romantic promises or incorporate a more light-hearted tone? Some couples even decide to share their vows with each other before the wedding day. The best part is that the two of you get to decide what you prefer!
• Surround yourself with memories.  Whether it’s old photographs, your first love note or special keepsakes, these items will remind you of all the moments the two of you have shared with one another. One moment may remind you of another which, may lead to that one time and the next thing you know it, you’ll have too many ideas.
• Make a list.  When you first sit down to write your vows, don’t be stressed about writing complete sentences. Start jotting down everything that comes to mind.
• Why did you decide to get married?
• What did you think when you first saw him/her?
• When did you realize you were in love?
• What do you have now that you didn’t have before you met?
• How has she/he changed your view of the world?
• What do you miss when you’re apart from each other?
• What hard times have you gone through together?
• What makes your relationship tick?
• Get inspired. You can look through different wedding vow examples including the ones featured below. You’ll be able to find plenty of inspiration. You can also pull inspiration from your favorite poets, authors, o romantic movies, as long as you don’t let someone else’s words overpower your own.  Once you’ve found a few ideas you love, determine what it is about those vows that you are drawn to and try to incorporate that into your own.
• Avoid anything too personal or embarrassing. You’ll want your guests to be able to follow along with what you’re saying and be a part of this special moment. Limit the inside jokes and any words you second guess as you re-read what you’ve written. You can also have a friend read through your vows and make sure you didn’t miss anything.
• Take a break.  Sometimes your best writing happens when you come back to it the next day. If you need a break, then take one. This is the reason you started early in the first place.
• I promise to love you, honor you, and cherish you as my husband.
• I am proud to be your loving wife, ecstatic to discover what is next in our lives, and thrilled that our every day will be together on this adventure.
• I promise to laugh with you and to laugh at myself.
• You are the love of my life and I am proud to marry you. I promise to support your dreams and to be there for you for all eternity.
• I vow to be a loving and devoted wife, without judgement, without scorn, but always with an open heart and mind.
• We are best friends, with unending happiness, always having the best time, let’s solve life’s mysteries together one embrace at a time.
• I truly love all I know of you and long to learn more as we grow old together, falling for you a little more each day, being part of your life and connected in every way forever.
• You are my forever, my best friend, my dream come true, my shoulder to lean on, my husband. You are my everything.
• I vow to listen, to speak lovingly, to give generously all of myself, to care, to heal, to rejoice, and to pray with you forever and always.
• I love you to the moon and back. And so much more than that.

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• I promise to be the man that I see now in your eyes, today, tomorrow, and for always.
• You are the first person I want to see in the morning and the last at night. I look forward to loving the smallest moments, like your eyes while you toss your hair. Spin a coin into a fountain and make a wish for us. You are my wish come true.
• I vow to always protect you from harm, to stand with you against your troubles, and look to you when I need protection.
• I know you. I know you as my love who has always been and will always be. I name you my wife and cannot wait to continue our eternal loving journey.
• In your eyes, I have found my home. In your heart, I have found my love. In your soul, I have found my mate. With you, I am whole, full, alive. You make me laugh. You let me cry. You are my breath, my every heartbeat.
• You know me better than anyone else in this world and somehow still you manage to love me. You are my best friend and one true love. There is still a part of me today that cannot believe that I’m the one who gets to marry you.
• I see these vows not as promises but as privileges: I get to laugh with you and cry with you; care for you and share with you. I get to run with you and walk with you; build with you and live with you.
• I pledge to listen to your advice, and occasionally take it. I pledge to never keep score… even if I’m totally winning. I pledge to always admire your huge, strong, kind and determined heart. I pledge that I will love you.
• I am so happy to be able to tell you – I do, I will, and I always will – whatever I have is yours.
• I promise to love and care for you, and I will try in every way to be worthy of your love. I will always be honest with you, kind, patient and forgiving. I promise to try to be on time. But most of all, I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you. I love you.
• I have to catch my breath to believe this is real, that I am marrying my true love, my heart’s desire, and my best friend.
• As I promise always to be true I promise myself to you.
• No words can possibly express the vow that I give to you now – it is an ineffable part of myself that I place in your care as we join together.
• Our love will bind us together through all time and this I promise, to always be true.
• I knew I loved you from the moment we met, and I have been helplessly lost in your eyes ever since.
• I promise to grow with you and build with you a better life each day as we learn from each other to be patient, kind, giving, and to always cherish each day together.
• My commitment to you is one if give willingly, absolutely, and without hesitation. I am yours utterly and have been since the moment we met. We were married before this day and will always be.
• I promise you my unconditional love, tenderness, and undying devotion, to not ask you to be more than you are, and to love you for being you.
• I promise to be here to wipe away tears of sadness, to elicit tears of joy, and to cry out to everyone who will listen how much I love you.

• I vow to turn on the heater when you’re freezing cold, even if I’m burning up.
• I promise to take out the garbage, even in the pouring rain or freezing cold.
• I promise to get up and get our remote from across the room, even if it was not I who placed the remote so very far away.
• I promise to always respect your choice of music in the car when you are driving. If you are not driving however…
• I promise to root for ______ even though I could truly care less who wins.
• You are the one I want to binge watch Netflix with forever.
• I promise to love you as much as the Chicago Cubs and not hold your black and white striped dress against you.
• Let’s be the only people to get each other’s jokes.
• I vow to be your spell checker, grammar friend, and tell you when things need hyphens. I promise to be your partner in exercise, even if I am much faster than you, and most of all, I promise to try things, even though I am sure I will not like them, just because you say, “try this!”
• I promise to share the covers, leave the light on, make sure the toilet paper is stocked, not use all the hot water, and do as many dishes as I can stomach, as long as we both shall live so help me God.

Wedding Vows Example

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Everything You Need to Know About Wedding Vows (Including How to Write Your Own)

Wondering where to start with writing yours? These wedding vow examples are perfect for both modern and traditional ceremonies

The moment you and your partner recite your wedding vows is (arguably!) the most significant in the wedding ceremony , as this is your declaration of love to one another, and is often seen as the 'official' part of the ceremony, along with the exchanging of rings or other religious symbols.

But when it comes to the type of vows for a wedding that you choose to recite, the options vary wildly. From traditional wedding vows used in religious ceremonies, to writing your own wedding vows for a completely bespoke service - the options are quite literally endless. 

So, do you go with tried and tested traditional wedding vows or choose something contemporary and modern? Should you write your own, or (*whisper*) get a professional to write them for you? If you write your own, where do you start? What do you say?

A Complete Guide to Wedding Vows: Examples & Writing Tips You Need to Hear

Don’t panic! We’ve put together a complete guide to wedding vows for you, which includes both modern and traditional wedding vows examples for you to browse, as well as expert tips on how to write your own wedding vows.

And for those who have already tied the knot but are still feeling loved up, some information on how much it costs to renew your wedding vows.

Yep, we've genuinely thought of everything!

What Are Wedding Vows?

How to write your wedding vows, traditional wedding vows examples, real wedding vows examples, how much does it cost to renew wedding vows in the uk.

We hear the term all the time when talking about weddings, and specifically wedding ceremonies, but what are wedding vows and why are they so important?

Well, whether you are having a religious wedding ceremony with a traditional format to it, or you're hiring a wedding celebrant and going completely non-religious and bespoke, all weddings have one thing in common: the couples speak during the ceremony.

In the simplest of terms, the wedding vows are the words which a couple exchange during their wedding ceremony. For many religious wedding ceremonies, the traditional wedding vows play a really significant role in the consent and ring exchanging part of the wedding.

For non-religious wedding ceremonies, and celebrant-led celebrations, wedding vows are seen more as a declaration of love from one person to another, before their wedding is officiated. 

Types of Wedding Vows

As with wedding styles and structures, there are so many different types of wedding vows. For religious ceremonies following a traditional structure, there will be set wedding vows examples for you and your partner to recite, often with little personalisation.

Interfaith weddings often see two religious or cultures merging, and this usually includes a combination of traditional wedding vows intertwined together, along with different ring exchanging and ceremonial traditions being woven together. 

For non-religious weddings and those that are celebrant-led, couples have the flexibility to write their own wedding vows, or use traditional templates. 

If you're planning on writing your own wedding vows (love that for you!), we have some insight into the biggest dos and don'ts, including expert tips from professional wedding celebrant Rebecca Douglas on both writing  and reading them.

Check in With Your Partner

This might sound like strange advice to give, as your wedding vows are usually a surprise for your other half on the day, but it's important to check in with each other to agree on the type, style and length of your vows.

Rebecca explains, "Before you write your vows, have a discussion with each other about what you each want to include. For example, will your vows just be what you promise for the future or will you add more of a narrative to them, explaining what you love about each other and any stories from your relationship.

"It's also important to discuss and think about length. You want them to be fairly similar, not only in style but in time as well. It would be quite embarrassing if one partner recited a great love story and a list of things they loved about the other whilst pledging a dozen promises for the future whilst the second partner only had one or two promises they wanted to share."

Imagine how awks that could be! As well as talking about what you do want, are there any words you both disagree on, such as “to obey”? 

Get Some Ideas Down on Paper

In terms of getting the content down on paper, head somewhere it’s quiet and you can think. You might find it easier to write your vows in stages so start by making some notes.

Here’s a few questions you can think about to get you started and give you ideas on what to say:

• When did you first meet?
• How did you get together?
• When did you realise she/he was the one?
• What little details make you smile when you think of him/her?
• How do you balance each other out? Is he super-organised, whereas you’re more of the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type?
• Why are you getting married? What does it mean to you?
• What promises do you want to make for a happy marriage?

Don’t worry about constructing perfect sentences or how things sound to start with, just get your ideas down. You may well end up with pages and pages. Great!

Once you have plenty of notes, you can choose the bits that really stand out to you, and then start polishing them up. The reason you’re writing your own vows is to make them personal, so don’t rush deciding what you want to say.

Think About Length

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Your vows should only be around a minute or two long per person. Pick out five to seven of the most important things you want to say to your partner and use them as the foundation of your vows. You’ll want a mix of the reasons you love them and some key promises you want to make to them for your life together.

We know, you probably have 1,000 lovely things to say about your partner, but don't get your wedding vows confused with a wedding speech. If you are loving the process of gushing over your partner, why not write a longer version of your vows in a letter to give to your partner on your wedding night?

Research Other Wedding Vows

Read lots of examples of other people’s wedding vows (handily, we’ve got lots below) and see if you prefer a more traditional or modern style.

Do you want religious or secular wedding vows? Are they going to be funny or emotional? Will it be promises, or a speech or a poem?

Of course, if you want them to be original, you won't be copying and pasting other people's wedding vows, but they are a great start to get you going, and can provide brilliant inspiration if you're suffering from writer's block.

Get Your Celebrant Involved

If you're hiring a wedding celebrant, Rebecca stresses the importance of using them as a sounding board. She says, "I would advise sending your vows to the celebrant so they can look at them both and make sure they are reasonably aligned with each other."

This is a great idea if you haven't had that initial conversation with each other. It's also helpful for your celebrant or whoever is conducting your wedding ceremony to know the rough timings of your vows - they'll be able to tell you to reign it in if you've gone a bit hard on the length.

Ensure They Sound Like You

This may sound like an obvious one, but you'd be amazed the amount of wedding ceremonies we've seen where someone has clearly felt pressured to make their vows, speech or reading sound ultra-fancy.

Rebecca adds, "When it comes to writing your vows, follow the structure you and your partner came up with but don't be too fancy with vocabulary if you are not normally someone who uses big words.

"Remember you will be saying these in front of people so you don't want to trip yourself up with words you are not entirely sure you know how to pronounce. It can be quite emotional standing up there so you want to make it as easy as possible for yourself, as well as sounding as genuine as possible."

Practise Makes Perfect

Hopefully, you don't need us to tell you that practising your wedding vows is a good idea, and Rebecca agrees, "Rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse. You don't have to learn them by heart but you want the words to flow when you are saying them and you want to know what is coming should you find yourself overcome with emotion.

"Practising also means you can look at your partner a little more while saying them, rather than staring down at your script, after all, it is them you are speaking to. I also recommend using a rather large font, it helps should you lose your place to quickly find it again."

Top Tip:  Here's the wedding vow tip you didn't know you needed! No reading vows off of phones please - it's not a great look. Rebecca advises, "Presentation-wise, it is much nicer if you have your vows in a folder or wedding vow booklet , rather than a piece of paper and it means you can add some ribbon to match your colour scheme too so they are coordinated."

Accept Your Emotions

If you are worried about writing anything too emotional and getting upset, don't. As Rebecca says, "When all is said and done, it doesn't matter if you make a mistake when saying your vows or get emotional in the delivery. This isn't a performance, it is you telling your partner that you love them and that you will continue to love them so no matter how you say your vows, it will still be a cherished and precious moment in your relationship."

If writing your own wedding vows and going off-script isn't your idea of fun, and you'd prefer to recite traditional wedding vows, below are some examples which suit a range of wedding styles and cultures.

As well as traditional wedding vow examples for weddings in different religions, there are also examples here for civil ceremony weddings and non-denominational examples for you to browse. 

Even if you are having a religious wedding, if you feel as though you want to add something into your ceremony, or personalise the vows slightly, we encourage you to speak to the officiant who is conducting your ceremony to go through your options. 

• Church of England Traditional Wedding Vows Examples
• Catholic Traditional Wedding Vows Examples

Hindu Traditional Wedding Vows Examples

Muslim traditional wedding vows examples, jewish traditional wedding vows examples.

• Civil Ceremony Traditional Wedding Vows Examples
• Non-Denominational Traditional Wedding Vows Examples

Church of England Wedding Vows

Church of England weddings involve a number of hymns and prayers before the vow exchanging ceremony begins. The vows also traditionally begin with the minister asking both the congregation and the couple a question.

"First, I am required to ask anyone present who knows a reason why these persons may not lawfully marry, to declare it now.

"The vows you are about to take are to be made in the presence of God, who is judge of all and knows all the secrets of our hearts; therefore if either of you knows a reason why you may not lawfully marry, you must declare it now.

"[Name], will you take [Name] to be your husband/wife? Will you love him/her, comfort him/her, honour and protect him/her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him/her as long as you both shall live?

"Will you, the families and friends of [Name] and [Name], support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?"

More prayers are said, along with your chosen hymns and readings, before the exchanging of the vows below take place.

"I [Name] take you [Name] to be my husband/wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow."

The minister will then say a prayer about the wedding rings and what they symbolise ahead of the exchanging.

"[Name] I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honour you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Catholic Wedding Vows

In the Roman Catholic Church, a wedding is one of the seven holy sacraments, and includes the declaration, exchanging of consent, the wedding blessing and the exchanging of rings.

Ahead of exchanging vows, couples usually answer three questions from the priest marrying them, all to do with consent, commitment and children.

"[Name] and [Name], have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in this marriage?

"Will you honour each other as man/wife and man/wife for the rest of your lives?

"Will you accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?"

Once those questions are all answered with a 'yes' from each person in the couple, the exchanging of vows can then take place.

"I [Name] take you [Name] to be my wife/husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, take and wear this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness."

Hindu weddings are often representative of not just the coming together of two individuals, but two families within a community. Traditionally, Hindu ceremonies are represented by the exchanging of floral garlands during a ceremony called Jai Mala. 

Exchanging vows at a Hindu wedding is known as 'Saptapadi', which translates to the 'seven steps', also known as the 'seven vows'. Today, some couples choose to fuse together tradition with modernities, by exchanging both rings  and garlands. 

Below are the seven steps of the Hindu wedding ceremony vows that you will hear at traditional celebrations.

"Let us take the first step to provide for our household a nourishing and pure diet, avoiding those foods injurious to healthy living.

"Let us take the second step to develop physical, mental, and spiritual powers.

"Let us take the third step to increase our wealth by righteous means and proper use.

"Let us take the fourth step to acquire knowledge, happiness, and harmony by mutual love and trust.

"Let us take the fifth step so that we are blessed with strong, virtuous, and heroic children.

"Let us take the sixth step for self-restraint and longevity.

"Finally, let us take the seventh step and be true companions and remain lifelong partners by this wedlock."

Traditionally, Muslim wedding ceremonies, known as Nikkah, don't include an exchanging of wedding vows. As an alternative, the Imam usually hosts a short sermon and blessing where the give their consent to marry.

However, with many Muslim weddings varying from culture to culture, and some couples opting for fusion ceremonies, some do include vows. Muslim wedding ceremonies which do include an exchanging of wedding vows typically follow the below format.

"I, [Name], offer you myself in marriage in accordance with the instructions of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him. I pledge, in honesty and with sincerity, to be for you an obedient and faithful wife.

"I , [Name] pledge, in honesty and sincerity, to be for you a faithful and helpful husband."

In weddings where a bride and groom are marrying, the bride recites the first vow, and the groom responds with the second, but for LGBTQ+ couples, and those who want to change the order, there's no reason why you can't add your own spin or adapt the vows to suit you.

Couples who want to host a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony will learn that they often don't include a spoken exchanging of wedding vows. Instead, the key component to the ceremony is when the rings are exchanged and the seven blessings are recited - often in Hebrew.

As couples exchange their wedding rings in a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, it's likely they will exchange the below words. 

"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine."

When spoken in Hebrew, this term translates directly to, "Behold, thou art consecrated unto me with this ring according to the law of Moses and of Israel."

Civil Ceremony Wedding Vows

For couples who want to have a nonreligious wedding ceremony that is still considered a legal wedding, civil ceremonies are the most popular choice. They are conducted by a legal officiant and the traditional structure of civil ceremony wedding vows are below. 

They refer mostly to the legal aspect of the wedding, but you can always adapt them to be more personalised. 

"I call upon these persons here present, to witness that I [Name] do take thee [Name] to be my lawful wedded wife/husband."

These may be slightly extended, eg: "I call upon these persons here present, to witness that I [Name] do take thee [Name] to be my lawful wedded wife/husband, to be loving, faithful and loyal to thee in living our married life together."

"I give you this ring as a symbol of our love. All that I am I give to you. All that I have I share with you. I promise to love you, to be faithful and loyal, in good times and bad. May this ring remind you always of the words we have spoken today."

Non-Denominational Wedding Vows

For those who want to veer off from the traditional script, some registrars will have alternative traditional wedding vows for you to choose from. The below is a particular example is from Oxfordshire County Council.

"I promise that I will respect you as an individual, support you through difficult times, rejoice with you through happy times, be loyal to you always and, above all, love you as my wife/husband and friend. I promise to love and respect you, helping our love grow, always being there to listen, comfort and support you, whatever our lives may bring.

"I give you this ring as a sign of our love, trust and marriage. I promise to care for you above all others, to give you my love, friendship and support, and to respect and cherish you throughout our life together."

Marshwood Manor

Traditional or religious wedding vows aren’t for everyone. Sometimes you want something that sounds more up-to-date and true to you as a couple. These example real wedding vows are modern, funny and heartfelt. Take a read through and see if they inspire you. 

Here are extracts from a few real wedding vows that could prove a great starting point for writing your own.

Thank you for standing by me...

“[Name], I feel like the most blessed person in the world. I have not only found my life-long companion, the lover of my heart, but my soul mate. Thank you for standing by me and sticking with me through thick and thin; for seeing the person that’s before you now. You believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself and for that I love you so much. 

“Choosing to commit the rest of my life to you is the easiest thing I will ever do. You are my best friend and inspire my every single day. I promise to spend every day I have left on this earth looking after you, encouraging you, laughing with you and comforting you.

"I promise to do these things because I have been given the most amazing gift I could ever have: you. Know that I love you with all my heart. I’m so happy to call myself your husband/wife!”

We will be partners in adventure...

"I vow to hold your hand in my hand and hold your heart in my heart as long as we live. I take you as my husband/wife through the good times and the hard times, side by side. You are the most beautiful, generous, kind and clever person I know, and I will try my hardest every day to be the man you deserve.

"We will be each other's shoulders to stand on and to cry on; we will lift each other up and hold each other tight; we will be partners in adventure and allies in conflict. I promise to never stop making your love and happiness my priority, because your joy is my joy. In sickness and in health, in failure and triumph, I will walk beside you and I will love you, forever."

I promise to be true to you...

“They say never date a coworker. Well, I'm so glad I did. From the moment our paths crossed, you’ve captivated me, challenged me, frustrated me and improved me in ways no person has done before. And I have fallen in love with you again and again. I promise to be true to you, to support and encourage you, and to challenge and frustrate you.

"I believe we are truly good for each other and that we will continue to grow stronger together. Today, as we move from I to we, [Name], take this ring as a symbol of my decision to join my life with yours until death shall part us. I walked to this place to meet you today, we shall walk from it together.”

“From this day forward I promise to be worth it. Worth the time. Worth the trip. Worth the energy. Worth the embarrassment. Worth your love. I promise that you will always count. You will always come first, and of course, if you don’t for whatever reason, I will buy you some shoes. From the moment you entered my world, you have filled it with life"

I wake up every morning excited to see you...

"Seven years ago, I had the unexpected joy of falling in love with my best friend. It took us three years to realise we were right for each other, but ever since that moment we drunkenly kissed at Anna's New Year's Eve party, I've never had a moment of doubt. You are my soul mate and the wait was so worth it.

"I wake up each morning excited to see you and I know that feeling will never go away. I promise to make each day with you an adventure, to always make the best of every opportunity and disaster, to continue to make each other the best versions of ourselves, and to take on all life throws at us together.

"I want to grow a family with you and to grow old with you. Because life is nothing without you by my side. Thank you for being my husband/wife and my best friend."

I promise to cherish you...

“[Name], I love you with all my heart and I promise to try to make you happy every day of our lives together, but more importantly I promise to always order something you like so that we can share in the restaurant.

"I promise to always get rid of the spiders, even though I’m more scared than you. I promise to let you win the occasional argument, even if I’m right. I promise to unclog the shower drain, even though only one of us has any hair. I promise to never watch the next episode on Netflix without you, no matter how much I want to.

"I promise that every day we will laugh, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always love you. These promises I make to you today, and all the days of our life.”

I will never let our honeymoon period end...

“It is impossible to put into words how much I love you. You’re my best friend and at last you're my husband/wife! I promise as our everyday life begins, we will continue to be best friends, we will still be girlfriend and boyfriend. I will never let our honeymoon period end. [Name], loving you is the easiest, most obvious thing I’ve ever done, and I will love you for an eternity.”

Wherever you go, I will go...

“Today, I join my life with yours. Wherever you go, I will go; whatever you face, I will face. For good or ill, in happiness or sadness, come riches or poverty, I take you as my husband/wife, and will give myself to no other.

"May our days be long, and may they be seasoned with faith, love, understanding, and respect, forever and ever. Today is the beginning of the rest of our lives. I choose to spend today, and all of my tomorrows, with you.”

I make these promises before our family and friends...

“As we start our married life together today, I make these promises before our family and friends...

“I will continually challenge myself to become the best husband/wife I can be; always looking to put you before myself and making your dreams our dreams.

“I will love you; I will adore you; I will cherish you; I will be faithful to you.

“As much as music will always play an important part of my life, you come before my guitars! You will be the greatest song I could and would ever sing.

“I will help you discover your full potential, pushing you to become the best you can be, to support and ensure your hopes and dreams come to fruition.

“I will stand by your side in all things, the highs and the lows, always finding agreement in everything that we do as husband and wife."

I am a better person because of you...

“I promise to be your faithful husband/wife. I promise to love you when the sun shines, when the rain falls, in sickness, and in health. When you look at this ring, think of me and remember that I love you always.

"You know me better than anyone in world and you still love me - for that I will never be able to thank you enough. I am a better person because of you and I will try to be worthy of your love. I promise to be the man/woman that I see now in your eyes, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives. I love you."

You fill my life with meaning...

“I promise to try to be worthy of your love in every way, to climb mountains and swim oceans just to be by your side. I will be honest, caring, patient, forgiving and loyal. You fill my life with meaning. Thank you for taking me as I am, loving me, and welcoming me into your heart. I promise to always love you, respect you, and to be faithful to you forever. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Whether times are good or hard, I'll be there...

"When you met me, I was lost. I didn't know who I was or what I wanted, but you took my hand gently and made me the man/woman I am today. I pledge to build the most beautiful future with you.

"I promise to love you, respect you, always be kind to you, and never give you any reason to doubt me.

"I will support you, be patient with you, and help you achieve your dreams - just as you've done for me. With this ring, I promise to share my life with you until the day we die. Whether times are good or hard, I'll be here. I will hold your hand gently and look forward to all the tomorrows ahead of us."

I promise you this...

“As your husband/wife, I promise you this,

“To love and fall more in love with you each day.

“To cherish every moment we have together.

“To respect and honour you for the rest of my life.

“To be open and honest with you.

“To support you in all your heart’s desires.

“To follow you wherever you may go.

“To make God the centre of our marriage and to push us into the things he has for us.

“To be faithful to you for the rest of my days.”

To me, you are a miracle...

"You came into my life when I wasn't looking for anyone and opened my heart in ways I never expected. I was given a second chance at happiness with you and I am eternally grateful for your love. I vow to be your loving and devoted husband/wife, without judgement, without scorn, but always with an open heart and mind.

“I vow to be patient and humble and try my best to let you win an argument, sometimes. I will communicate with you fiercely and fully and let you know how much I love you every day. To me, you are a miracle and because of you, I laughed again. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you and stand by your side as we see what life has in store for you.

"You are my equal in all things, my partner-in-crime, and my entire future."

You are eternally fascinating to me...

“There hasn't been a day since we met where I didn't want to know everything about you. On our first date, I thought I'd nearly scared you away by interrogating you about your passions, your fears, what keeps you up at night, and what gets you up in the morning. You are eternally fascinating to me and I love everything I know about you now.

"As we become husband/wife and wife and take on everything that comes with it, we will continue to learn together and I know that will love you more and more. Your sense of humour, your compassion, your ability to see the good in every situation - that is what makes you unique and wonderful and I promise to never hold back your light. 

"With love and trust and constant fascination, we will continue to make each other shine. One lifetime isn't enough for all the love I have for you, but I will do my best every single day."

If you're already married and have celebrated a few milestone wedding anniversaries - but love the idea of renewing your vows, here's what you need to know about pricing. 

The cost of renewing your wedding vows will entirely depend on the style of celebration you plan. The bigger the do, the pricier it will be, but one fee all renewals will need to consider is that of the wedding celebrant conducting the ceremony. 

Rebecca sheds some light, explaining, "Celebrant prices can really vary, depending not only on the area you live in, but also the style and detail you want. In the Surrey, London, and Hampshire areas, which I cover, prices typically start at around £500 and can be anything up to £900 and beyond.

"Some celebrants may only offer a standard package where they work from a variety of templates and others will be more involved and can create something unique and personal to you. This will certainly impact cost and this is an important detail to consider before you book your celebrant as it is important to choose a style that is fitting for you as a couple and is something you both feel comfortable with.

"Some couples for example want to keep their ceremony short and sweet whilst others would like the ceremony to be as personal as possible, including telling their story and/ or involving family members, rituals, and other personalised touches."

Once you've written them, it's time to get yourself something to host them in! These wedding vow books will look so beautiful on the day and act as amazing wedding keepsakes afterwards, too. 

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In This Article

• Unique Wedding Vows
• Personal Wedding Vow
• Traditional Wedding Vows

Religious Wedding Vows

Non-religious wedding vows.

• Funny Wedding Vows

Simple Wedding Vows

Modern wedding vows, how to write wedding vows.

• Wedding Renewal Vows
• Wedding Party & Reception

45 Real Wedding Vows Examples To Steal

Quite a number of people could do with some wedding vows examples to help with ideas for their big day. A vow is a promise , and wedding vows are promises you make to your partner at your wedding. In writing wedding vows, it helps to imagine what you would wish your partner could promise you, write it all down, and edit. Take motivation from the real couples who composed their own sentimental real wedding vows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to write wedding vows.

To write your own wedding vows, discuss with your partner the tone, length, and style you both want. Reflect on your relationship, make a list of important moments and promises, and consider the length. Start writing and don’t worry about getting it perfect on the first try. Add personal touches and practice saying your vows out loud. Your vows should come from the heart and be a true expression of your love and commitment.

Unique Wedding Vows Examples

Quite similar to personal wedding vows, these unique wedding vows examples are different from the norm, and most definitely the couple’s own words. These do not stick to any specific wedding ceremony script , and below are a few examples.

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Bride/Groom, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. And I promise to cherish you and to always hold you in the highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.

I, Bride/Groom, affirm my love to you, Bride/Groom, as I invite you to share my life. You are the most beautiful, smart, and generous person I have ever known, and I promise always to respect you. With kindness, unselfishness, and trust, I will work by your side to create a wonderful life together.

I, Bride/Groom, take you, Bride/Groom, to be my [husband/wife], to share the good times and hard times side by side. I humbly give you my hand and my heart as I pledge my faith and love to you. Just as this ring I give you today is a circle without end, my love for you is eternal. Just as it is made of incorruptible substance, my commitment to you will never fail. With this ring, I thee wed.

Bride/Groom, I promise to love you, to be your best friend, to respect and support you, to be patient with you, to work together with you to achieve our goals, to accept you unconditionally, and to share life with you throughout the years.

I, Bride/Groom, pledge my undying love to you, Bride/Groom, as I invite you to share my life. I promise to be kind, unselfish, respectful, and trustworthy so that together, our dreams of a beautiful future can come true. To this end I call upon all present to witness that I take you [name] to be my [husband/wife], to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.

Personal Wedding Vow Examples

These are sample wedding vows written from scratch by each partner, to express themselves willfully and in their own words. Below are a few of such romantic quotes you should say to your love :

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Wedding vows for her examples

I promise to encourage your compassion, Because that is what makes you unique and wonderful. I promise to nurture your dreams, Because through them your soul shines. I promise to help shoulder our challenges, For there is nothing we cannot face if we stand together. I promise to be your partner in all things, Not possessing you, but working with you as a part of the whole. Lastly, I promise you perfect love and perfect trust, For one lifetime with you could never be enough. This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things.

I promise to love and care for you, and I will try in every way to be worthy of your love. I will always be honest with you, kind, patient and forgiving. And I promise to try to be on time. But most of all, I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you. I love you.

You know me better than anyone else in this world and somehow still you manage to love me. You are my best friend and one true love. There is still a part of me today that cannot believe that I’m the one who gets to marry you.

I see these vows not as promises but as privileges: I get to laugh with you and cry with you; care for you and share with you. I get to run with you and walk with you; build with you and live with you.

I promise to be your lover, companion and friend, Your partner in parenthood, Your ally in the conflict, And your greatest fan and your toughest adversary. Your comrade in adventure, Your student and your teacher, And your consolation in disappointment, Your accomplice in mischief. This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things. All things.

Click here to download free personal vows examples

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Wedding vows for him examples

“You have been my best friend, mentor, playmate, confidant, and my greatest challenge. But most importantly, you are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever imagine and more loved than I ever thought possible… You have made me a better person, as our love for one another is reflected in the way I live my life. So I am truly blessed to be a part of your life, which as of today becomes our life together.”

On this day, I give you my heart, My promise, That I will walk with you, Hand in hand, Wherever our journey leads us, Living, learning, loving, Together, Forever.

I believe in you, the person you will grow to be and the couple we will be together. With my whole heart, I take you as my wife/husband, acknowledging and accepting your faults and strengths, as you do mine. I promise to be faithful and supportive and to always make our family’s love and happiness my priority. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. And I will dream with you, celebrate with you and walk beside you through whatever our lives may bring. You are my person—my love and my life, today and always.”

“On this day, I give you my heart, My promise, That I will walk with you, Hand in hand, Wherever our journey leads us, Living, learning, loving, Together, Forever.

I take you to be my partner for life, I promise above all else to live in truth with you And to communicate fully and fearlessly, I give you my hand and my heart As a sanctuary of warmth and peace And pledge my love, devotion, faith, and honor As I join my life to yours.

Click here to download free vows examples for him!

Family real wedding vows examples

Some wedding vows include not just the couple, but also other members of the family. This usually occurs at second marriage ceremonies and weddings for blended families. So find below some wedding renewal vows examples as well as wedding vows to stepchildren examples for such weddings.

OFFICIANT: [Groom], [Bride] and [Child] would you please join hands to form your family circle? I am going to ask all of you 3 questions. I would like all of you to answer each of them with, “I Promise!” Do you promise to love, respect and protect each other from this day forward?  All 3: “I Promise!” Do you promise to always try to be the best person you can be?  All 3: “I Promise!” Do you promise to accept the responsibility of being a family, and encourage, and support each other in your new life together?  All 3: “I Promise!”

OFFICIANT: These sacred vows are not just between __________ and _________ because you will not only be a new couple, you will be a new family. ___________, will you please join us now for the special family rites of this wedding. (Children come forward) Do you promise to love and respect your parent’s new life together? Children: “We do.” Do you promise to support their marriage and your new family? Children: “We do.” Do you promise to accept the responsibility of being their children, and to encourage them and support them in your new life together as a family? Children: “We do.”

God has given us a second chance at happiness. I come today to give you my love, to give you my heart and my hope for our future together. I promise to bring you joy, to be at home with your spirit, and to learn to love you more each day, through all the days of our lives. My love for you is endless and eternal.

I offer myself to you as a partner in life. I vow to love you in sickness and in health. And I commit myself to encouraging you in good times and in bad. I will cherish and respect you all the days of our life together. Starting anew once again, I give thanks that I have found you. May our marriage be a gift to the world and our families, as your love is a gift to me?

Because of you, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream again. I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my life with you, caring for you, nurturing you, being there for you in all life has in store for us, and I vow to be true and faithful for as long as we both shall live.

Click here to download free family vows examples!

Traditional Sample Wedding Vows

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Traditional wedding vows are standard wedding vows; Classics, which have been passed down from generation to generation. Below are a few samples of traditional wedding vows :

I, Bride/Groom, commit myself to you, Bride/Groom, as wife/husband/partner, to learn and grow with, to explore and adventure with, to respect you in everything as an equal partner, in the foreknowledge of joy and pain, strength and weariness, direction and doubt, for all the risings and settings of the sun. We tie these knots to symbolize our connection to one another. They represent our trust in each other and our combined strength together.

Today, surrounded by people who love us, I choose you, Bride/Groom, to be my partner. I am proud to be your wife/husband/partner and to join my life with yours. I vow to support you, push you, inspire you, and above all love you, for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, as long as we both shall live.

OFFICIANT: Do you, Bride/Groom and Bride/Groom, pledge to create a life of mutual respect, compassion, generosity, and patience toward each other as you grow together in years? COUPLE: We do. OFFICIANT: Do you pledge to recognize each other’s individuality and celebrate each other’s uniqueness as a strength in marriage? While at the same time, will you guard one another’s weaknesses with understanding, support, and inspiration? COUPLE: We do. OFFICIANT: And do you pledge to share the love you have for each other with all living beings? To be a couple that lets their marriage radiate into others, making their lives more beautiful because of it? COUPLE: We do. OFFICIANT: Bride/Groom and Bride/Groom, if you will face each other and repeat after me. Bride/Groom: Bride/Groom, I give you my life. With all that I am and all that I have, I honor you. Bride/Groom: Bride/Groom, I give you my life. With all that I am and all that I have, I honor you.

I, Bride/Groom, take you, Bride/Groom, to be the wife/husband/partner of my days, the companion of my house, the friend of my life. We shall bear together whatever trouble and sorrow life may lay upon us, and we shall share together whatever good and joyful things life may bring us. With these words and all the words of my heart, I marry you and bind my life to yours.

UNITARIAN I, Bride/Groom, take you, Bride/Groom, to be the wife/husband/partner of my days, to be the parent of my children, to be the companion of my house. We will keep together what measure of trouble and sorrow our lives may lay upon us, and we will share together our store of goodness and plenty and love.

Click here to download free traditional vows examples!

robdight via Instagram

Christian wedding vows examples

ROMAN CATHOLIC I, Bride/Groom, take you, Bride/Groom, to be my [wife/husband], I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. And I will love you and honor you all the days of my life. Bride/Groom, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND I Bride/Groom, take you Bride/Groom, to be my [wife/husband], to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law; in the presence of God, I make this vow.

EPISCOPAL In the Name of God, I, Bride/Groom, take you, Bride/Groom, to be my wife/husband/partner, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

FROM THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER I, Bride/Groom, take thee, Bride/Groom, to be my wedded [Wife/Husband], to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth. With this Ring, I thee wed: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

THE PROTESTANT WEDDING SOURCEBOOK In the presence of God and before our family and friends, I, Bride/Groom, take you, Bride/Groom, to be my [wife/husband]. All that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you. Whatever the future holds, I will love you and stand by you, as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow.

This is one more reason to get your Miss to Mrs. Bridal Box . In it you’ll find a beautiful vow book that you can write your beautiful vows in, so you don’t forget them.

Click here to download free Christian sample wedding vows!

Buddhist Wedding Vows Examples

I take you for the love you hold in your heart and vow to spend my life cultivating my love and care for you, for our family, and for all living things. Our relationship is my most important consideration; it gives me strength, and I vow to put every effort into strengthening it in turn through honesty, faithfulness, and patience. For all the days that we live with one another, I promise to spend each day working to become a more true version of myself, and I will do my utmost to help you do the same. In this effort, I take the Threefold Refuge vows, the Three Boundless precepts, the Ten Grave Precepts, as well as your wisdom and your council as my guides.

I, Bride/Groom take you Bride/Groom to be my husband/wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. And I will trust you and honor you I will laugh with you and cry with you. Through the best and the worst, Through the difficult and the easy. Whatever may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold So I give you my life to keep.

Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine with each other and with all beings, we undertake the practice of growing in happiness each day. Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine with each other and with all beings, we undertake the practice of using whatever arises in our relationship for our own awakening and for the awakening of all beings. And knowing how deeply our lives intertwine with each other and with all beings, we undertake the practice of receiving everything in our relationship as teachings meant to open our hearts. Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine with each other and with all beings, we undertake the practice of revealing ourselves fully in our relationship, striving toward complete vulnerability and honesty. Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine with each other and with all beings, we undertake the practice of listening without judgment. And knowing how deeply our lives intertwine with each other and with all beings, we undertake the practice of feeling and releasing all obstructions to being fully present in each moment.

I Bride/Groom, take thee, Bride/Groom to be my Husband/Wife- To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise My love to you. And with this ring, I take you as my Husband/Wife, for as long as we both shall live.

Do you, Bride/Groom promises to love, cherish and work day and night to bring total happiness to Bride/Groom? Do you promise to practice generosity, morality, patience, and joy in all you do; mindfulness and wisdom to treat [Bride] and all others with loving kindness and compassion, for all the time you are together, knowing that this marriage can only be as good as the two of you make it. “I do.”

Click here to download free Buddhist vows examples!

tessatadlock

Non-religious wedding vows are vows made by couples to each other, which are not based on any faith or religion. These beautiful vows are based simply on the love that they have for each other.

I take you to be my spouse. I promise to choose you every day, to love you in word and deed, to do the hard work of making now into always. To laugh with you, cry with you, grow with you, and create with you. To honor the divinity in you, of you, and around you. And to be your kin and your partner in all of life’s adventures. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I don’t yet know, I give you my hand. I give you my love. I give you myself. Will you give me yourself? Will you come to travel with me?

Today, surrounded by people who love us, I choose you, Bride/Groom, to be my partner. I am proud to be your wife/husband/partner and to join my life with yours. I vow to support you, push you, inspire you, and, above all, love you, for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, as long as we both shall live.

OFFICIANT: Do you, Bride/Groom, promise to be a loving friend and partner in marriage, to talk and to listen, to trust and to appreciate, to respect and to cherish Bride/Groom’s uniqueness? Do you promise to support, comfort, and strengthen him/her/them through life’s joys and sorrows? Do you promise to share hopes and dreams as you build your lives together, and to grow with Bride/Groom in mind? Will you strive to build a home that is compassionate to all, full of respect and honor, filled with peace, happiness, and love? Do you promise to always be open and honest with Bride/Groom, and cherish him/her/them for as long as you both shall live?

I take you as you are, loving who you are now and who you are yet to become. I promise to listen to you and learn from you, to support you and accept your support. And I will celebrate your triumphs and mourn your losses as though they were my own. I will love you and have faith in your love for me, through all our years and all that life may bring us.

Click here to download free non-religious vows examples!

Funny Wedding Vows Examples

I promise to overdraft the checking account I promise to complain about the kitty litter And I vow to encourage us to try new and strange things I vow to fill your ‘I love you’ bank every day I vow to never use a recipe when fixing dinner And I vow to be the best parts of me that fit perfectly with the best parts of you Although I will be imperfect, I pledge to be sensitive and respectful of your unique talents, abilities, and quirks I pledge to lend you strength for all of your dreams Through our union, we can accomplish more than I could alone I believe in you.

I want your worst—give me your bad hair days, your long commutes, your burnt coffee, lost keys, splashed shoes, annoying coworkers, lost receipts, broken copiers. Give me your every day and I will give you my love to make it alright.

I Bride/Groom, take you, Bride/Groom to be my lawfully wedded wife and chief tennis doubles partner, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, for when we win and the very, very rare occasion when we lose. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you, to return your serves and do my best not to foot fault. This I vow to you. Bride/Groom: “I promise to forget to stack the dishes on the right and leave stagnant water in the sink I promise to always drive the speed limit, even on the freeway I promise to cuss loudly at video games And I vow to snuggle you as often as possible I vow to make you really really laugh out loud I vow to always try one bite of any meal you create And I vow to be the best parts of me that fit perfectly with the best parts of you Although I will be imperfect, I pledge to be sensitive and respectful of your unique talents, abilities, and quirks I pledge to lend you strength for all of your dreams Through our union, we can accomplish more than I could alone I believe in you. I promise to love and cherish you as much as I do our dog, Spot. From this day forward, I will lint roll the chairs whenever your parents visit. I will love you in sickness and in health, as long as you take care of the vet visits. I promise to cuddle with you as much as I do Spot and pick up treats for you whenever he gets some, too.

Click here to download free funny vows examples!

Romantic Wedding Vows For Her: Examples, Outline And Tips

xoandfetti via Instagram

Short and sincere, simple wedding vows capture the depth of love and commitment as couples exchange heartfelt promises, expressing their unwavering devotion and lifelong commitment to each other.

I, [Partner’s Name], take you, [Spouse’s Name], to be my beloved [wife/husband/partner], to love and cherish from this day forward. I promise to support you, honor you, and be there for you through all of life’s joys and challenges. With all that I am, I pledge my love and fidelity to you.

Click here to download free simple vows examples!

gina.paulson via Instagram

Modern wedding vows embody a fresh and contemporary approach to expressing love and commitment. These vows embrace personal and unique elements, reflecting the couple’s individuality and the modern values they hold dear. They often incorporate creative expressions of love, promises for equality and partnership, and a shared vision for the future. Click here to download free modern vows examples!

I promise to stand by your side as your equal, to support your dreams and passions as my own, and to create a partnership built on love, trust, and open communication. Together, we will forge our own path and embrace the beauty of our modern love story. In a world of endless possibilities, I choose you as my partner and companion. With you, I promise to explore new adventures, celebrate life’s joys, and navigate challenges with strength and resilience. This modern love we share is boundless, and I vow to cherish it every day.

Wedding Renewal Vows Examples

Renewing your wedding vows is a beautiful way to celebrate your love and commitment to each other. Here are some examples of wedding vow renewal ceremonies that you can use as inspiration for your own:

Officiant: [Spouse’s name] and [Spouse’s name], do you come here today to reaffirm your love and commitment to each other? Spouse 1: I do. Spouse 2: I do. Officiant: [Spouse 1], do you once again take [Spouse 2] to be your lawfully wedded spouse, to love, honor, and cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, for as long as you both shall live? Spouse 1: I do. Officiant: [Spouse 2], do you once again take [Spouse 1] to be your lawfully wedded spouse, to love, honor, and cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, for as long as you both shall live? Spouse 2: I do.

Officiant: [Spouse’s name] and [Spouse’s name], you have come here today to renew your vows and to declare once again your love and commitment to each other. [Spouse 1], please repeat after me: [Spouse 1]: I, [Spouse 1], take you, [Spouse 2], to be my beloved spouse. Officiant: To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. [Spouse 1]: I reaffirm my love and commitment to you, [Spouse 2], today and always. Officiant: [Spouse 2], please repeat after me: [Spouse 2]: I, [Spouse 2], take you, [Spouse 1], to be my beloved spouse. Officiant: To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. [Spouse 2]: I reaffirm my love and commitment to you, [Spouse 1], today and always.

So, never fret, just follow these simple steps.

• Reflect on Your Relationship: Take some time to reflect on your relationship, the journey you’ve shared, and what makes your love unique. Think about the qualities you admire in your partner and the moments that have shaped your bond.
• Define Your Promises: Consider the promises and commitments you want to make to your partner. Think about the values that are important to you both and the qualities you want to nurture in your marriage. Focus on expressing your love, support, and dedication.
• Find Inspiration: Read examples of wedding vows, poems, love quotes, or even passages from books or songs that resonate with you. These can help inspire your own ideas and give you a sense of the tone and style you’d like to incorporate into your vows.
• Write from the Heart: Start drafting your vows, writing from the heart and in your own voice. Be authentic and genuine in expressing your emotions and feelings for your partner. Use specific anecdotes, memories, or inside jokes to make your vows personal and meaningful.
• Keep It Concise: Wedding vows are typically short and concise, capturing the essence of your love and promises. Aim for around one to two minutes when spoken aloud. Be mindful of the time and ensure your vows are balanced if you plan to exchange them with your partner.
• In order not to forget these vows, write them down. You’ll find the perfect vow book for this task amongst wedding essentials in your Miss to Mrs. Bridal Box .

Finding the right words to say your wedding vows can be quite challenging and confusing sometimes. So, if possible, use any of the above as a wedding vows template, to help boost your ideas while writing your beautiful vows .

Writing wedding vows can be fun, and can be interesting. You might be inclined to include a list of quotes to use in your wedding vows. Either way, be sure to use the words you believe in and go on to have the wedding of your dreams.

Check out this useful infographic with examples of how to write your wedding vows. Pin it, save it, and be inspired!

Infographic

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How to Write Wedding Vows: The Ultimate Guide For Elopement Couples

Writing wedding vows can be intimidating and thrilling at the same time. A lot of couples become overwhelmed thinking about how to write wedding vows. It can be stressful to sit down and attempt to sum all of their love, promises, and dreams to their partner. However, it’s well worth it once you are in front of each other exchanging words. Reading and writing vows are some of our most favorite elopement moments photographers share with us . If you’re up for the challenge to write your wedding vows, then get ready to pin this page to make sure you cover everything you need to as you prepare to write your vows.

This is a long resource, so feel free to jump to the section you’re most interested in while planning your wedding vows together:

• How to Write Your Wedding Vows (our 5 step guide)
• Tips For Writing Your Wedding Vows

Brainstorming Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Write

Wedding vow examples.

Disclaimer: This guide was created specifically for couples who are planning an elopement, intimate wedding, or exchanging their vows in private. While there are many guides out there, our wedding vow guide was created specifically for couples who want to enjoy an intimate ceremony together.

How to Write Your Wedding Vows

Photo by Madeline Barr Photo

Writing your vows doesn’t have to be scary or hard for anyone. We think wedding vows can actually be straight forward! Follow these steps to prepare and create the perfect template for your wedding vows.

1. Talk about what you love about your partner

Who is your partner to you? Define who your honey is, and what he or she means to you. 

2. Think of writing a short story about your love life

As you draft your ideas together, think about how you met or fun and adventurous moments between you two. This will give a personal touch to your vows and show your partner how you see your relationship through your eyes.

3. Dedicate a section where you define what you are promising to your partner

Writing your own vows can easily turn into a mini-rant. To keep yourself focused, after the first two steps, think about what promises you want to make to your partner. You can also mix in some religious wedding vows, bible verses, or traditional pledges here.

4. Break the ice and make it personal

After you made your promises, make sure to break the ice and make your partner laugh. Don’t be afraid to bring a little humor into your vows. By adding a few laughs, you are creating wedding vows that help relieve some nerves and stay true to the two of you.

5. Set some goals and wrap it up

After all the steps above, make sure to think about your goals and future as a couple. Think of yourselves as a team, and don’t be afraid to talk about the family you one day hope to have, or what you are looking forward to sharing together. Then, end your vows promising to love your partner “as long as we both shall live”.

Tips for Writing Your Wedding Vows

Photo by Thien Tong Photography

Now that we went over an easy guideline for you to follow, here are 10 tips to think about and inspire you as you start writing your wedding vows.

1. Get Inspired

The best way to write your own wedding vows is to become inspired. Put together a playlist of different romantic songs, read old letters from each other, or look at old photographs. Walking down memory lane could be a useful tool to get in the “mood” and help get the words flowing. Another great way to get inspired is to read poems, books, or even watch a good romantic movie.

2. Pick Out The Perfect Vow Book

Photos by Sarah Gehman Photography

After featuring hundreds of elopements, we have seen it all when it comes to how couples document their vows. We have seen everything from the traditional vow books to popsicle sticks! Nothing is off-limits and you can write your vows down on your phone, on a bunch of papers, or a custom book.

We personally love vow books from The Keeper Co. This is a fun and interactive approach to your basic vow book. Instead of a bunch of blank pages, The Keeper Co. provides enough space for your vows to your honey, and the remaining pages  have fun, interactive, and romantic prompts that will inspire you to remember why you’re saying “I do.” These books also come in three color options: white, grey, and black.

We love these little vow books so much that we snagged a special deal just for you.

Use code WANDERING for 10% off at The Keeper Co.

Take a look inside The Keeper Co. Vow Books:

The Keeper Co. Vow Books

We also love these vow books from Amazon if you’re looking for another option. If you do end up buying a standard vow book, you can always continue writing your vows for your vow renewal, years later (your welcome for that idea).

3. Make a List of All Your Thoughts

Even if you plan on writing your vows days before or the morning of your wedding day, have a list you can go back to and make sure you have covered all the bases. It’s so easy to forget to write something or skip over it. This list will be a great starting point to help you focus.

4. Don’t Stress

Pro tip: don’t stress trying to cover everything in your wedding vows. While we understand you may want to fit everything you are feeling into your vow book, it’s impossible. You have your whole lives to tell your honey how much you love them.

5. Find a Quiet Place

While many may say to write your vows days before your actual wedding, we actually love it when photographers capture the moment where the bride and groom write down their vows before they get ready during their elopement. This is probably the most ideal time because your heart and mind are completely on your wedding day free from any distractions. With that being said, find someplace quiet and comfortable to write down your wedding vows. You don’t want to lose your train of thought because too many people are around you. 

6. Say, “I love You”

This may sound shocking, but a lot of couples tend to forget to say these three little words in their vows. Often, they will get so wrapped up in all the other details, they forget to say the words that mean the most. Take a moment, more than once, to remind your partner how much you love him or her.

7. Make Promises You’ll Keep

As you sit down at your quiet spot and write down your vows, think about what’s important to both of you. Think about what goals you both want to accomplish, and what promises you want to make. Most wedding vows, touch on sticking around through the good times and the bad. It’s nice to bring up that marriage won’t always be sunshine and rainbows, and how ready and you’re ok with that. Promise to stick by their side, but also promise to put down the toilet seat.

8. Get Personal With It

We touched upon this, but you don’t have to make your vows 100% romantic because no relationship is ever 100% candlelit dinners and roses. Your partner also wants to hear about what makes your relationship authentic. Talk about the late-night binge eating to a whole season on Netflix, or that crazy time you both got stranded exploring somewhere new. Make your vows raw and unapologetically you.

9. If You’re Nervous, Practice!

For some couples, writing their wedding vows isn’t the only stressful thing. Reading out loud could be another aspect making you feel jittery. Remember, however, the person you are reading your vows will not judge you. If you find yourself nervous, don’t be afraid to go through a practice run or share some ideas with a close friend or family member.

10. Keep Your Vows a Secret

Think of your wedding vows as a wedding present to each other. While we do suggest talking about the length you both should write for each other (you don’t want to write 2 pages and have your partner write 10!), we think everything else should be kept a secret. This is a great time to show your partner how you see them through your eyes.

Photo by M.N.Y Photography

If you are still struggling to get started, then check out these questions to get your ideas rolling!

• Where did you first meet?
• What did you think when you first saw your partner?
• When did you realize you were in love?
• How has your life changed since you met each other?
• What is something you both love doing together?
• What hard times did you both get through?
• Is there a song or quote that you feel represents your relationship?
• Do you have any inside jokes?

Now that you wrote some notes, here are some epic wedding vow examples from gorgeous elopements around the world. We have presented some excerpts from couples and videos, so you both get a great idea of how an intimate wedding ceremony looks like when you decide to elope together.

Find the location you are interested in and jump over to view the example…

Julia and Joseph’s Elopement at Mt. Baker, Washington

Jennifer and craig’s elopement in sedona, arizona, jumi and greg’s elopement in crete, greece.

Claire and Jason’s Elopement at Yosemite National Park 

Jordan and Kegan’s Elopement at Rocky Mountain National Park

These wedding vow examples are in both excerpts and video formats. If you are still stuck on how to incorporate your vows into your wedding ceremony, we suggest teaming up with a Wandering Weddings member.

Are you wondering how epic it would be to have your vows recorded by a videographer? Julia and Joseph’s elopement day at Mt. Baker in Washington was captured by True Northwest Weddings .  

Jennifer and Craig eloped in Sedona, Arizona. This elopement was captured by AdventureandVow , and the official was Jen Paul of Life Passages. If you are looking for short and sweet vows, then this is the perfect wedding vow example to follow:

I, Craig Allen Tingley the II,

take you, Jennifer Elizabeth Sloan

to be my lawfully wedded wife. Before these witnesses,

I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live. I take you, with all your faults and strengths, as I offer myself to you with all my faults and strengths. I will help you when you need help, And turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.

I, Jennifer Elizabeth Sloan

take you, Craig Allen Tingley the II

to be my lawfully wedded husband. Before these witnesses,

I, take thee, Jennifer, to be my wedded wife, To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise my love to you.

With this ring, I take you as my Wife for as long as we both shall live.

I, take thee, Craig, to be my wedded husband To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise my love to you. With this ring, I take you as my Husband for as long as we both shall live.

This magical elopement ceremony captured by Cinema  of  Poetry is breathtaking. Jumi and Greg exchanged vows with Crete’s gorgeous landscape as their backdrop.

Claire and Jason’s Elopement at Yosemite National Park

Claire and Jason’s beautiful wedding day at gorgeous Yosemite will inspire you to elope. Just look at that view! This elopement was captured by Nicole Alex Photography . Check out these wedding vow examples from the bride and groom:

Groom: “Every day you try your very hardest to be the best partner, daughter, sister, student, employee, and person all at the same time. I’ve had the special privilege of seeing all of this and admire so many of your qualities. You are amazing. And to this day, boy am I grateful to be the one you have chosen… I look forward to traveling the world with you, starting a family together, growing old in that little house around the corner we love so much.

Bride: “We could have met each other so many different times before we finally connected. We likely passed each other on the street, in the halls at university but when we finally meant it clearly was meant to be. You are the place I feel safest, you are my greatest adventure and I am so excited to start our lives together.”

This romantic elopement at the beautiful Rockies is a great example of intimate wedding vows. This elopement was captured by Backcountry Vows .

If you need more elopement planning tools to help make sure your day goes by smoothly, we recommend:

Best Places to Elope

Creating an Elopement Timeline

What Does Elope Mean?

Are You Looking For More Planning Resources For Your Wedding Day

Free elopement concierge.

Discover expert guidance, curated vendor matches, and essential resources. Elope with confidence and simplicity

12 Genius Tips for Writing Your Own Wedding Vows

Updated september 23, 2023, by  love stories tv team.

By Lauren Witonsky

Before we get into our wedding vow tips, have you found your wedding officiant yet? You can search lovestoriestv.com for officiants near you or any other vendors you may be looking for!

Now, the marriage vows you exchange during your wedding ceremony are words you'll both remember for the rest of your lives. So it's not surprising that so many couples are choosing to craft their own wedding vows for their special day. The more personalized vows, the better. 'Til death do us part does the job but, ideally, you'll write vows containing special words and phrases to you both. While the wedding officiant will be in charge of the script for the majority of the wedding ceremony, this will be a moment where you both decide exactly what you want to say in front of your family and friends to express your love and commitment to one another.

But writing these important words—as well as getting up in front of your family and friends to recite them—can seem like a daunting process for many of us.

And once you have your final draft, don't forget to practice before the big day, which will lessen your nerves when you're up at the altar. “The key to all is to practice out loud as much as possible,” says Tanya Pushkine, aka The Vow Whisperer . “This will help through the nerves of speaking in public."

Still a little stressed? Don't panic, we've asked some couples who have written their own wedding vows to share their tips on how they took on this task.

1. Think about what would make your partner laugh

While you may feel pressured to wax poetic, it’s more important to keep your vows authentic to who you are. With that in mind, there’s nothing wrong keeping things lighthearted—and knowing what will bring a smile to your loved one’s face is way more meaningful than sounding like a Hallmark Card.

Katie + Sean’s advice: “Keep it fun and meaningful! It is hard to sum up years of dating into a couple of minutes but it is so much better than generic vows. Make your partner laugh! Every couple needs a good laugh on the wedding day after the months of planning and stress. Start with some light-hearted digs at your partner or even make fun of yourself - just not too many inside jokes!” Plus, after filming 200+ weddings, Sean also offers advice from a videographer's perspective: “The more original content you can provide, the better.” Watch Katie + Sean's Napa vineyard wedding day, captured by Kurtela Video Productions .

2. Get creative with the delivery

Don’t be afraid to break tradition! Whether your creative outlet of choice is spoken word, songwriting, or poetry, use that to deliver your marriage vows. Remember, love has no boundaries (or rules).

Lauren + Rob's advice: “I definitely always wanted to write my own wedding vows. Poetry has always been the best way for me to express those deeper, difficult-to-describe emotions. When Rob and I started dating we began to write poems back and forth to each other, and actually still do. When I sat down to try to write wedding vows it was only natural that they came out as a poem. In fact, I remember it was about five months before the wedding and I had a feeling come over me that I need to start my vows. I grabbed a pen and paper and began to write as it was just a stream of consciousness flowing out. I read them again a few months later and they still felt so right to me that I never ended up changing a thing about them.” Watch Lauren + Rob's rustic Massachusetts big day, captured by Some Fuzzy .

3. Make your vows a top priority

Writer's block making you abandon your vows altogether? Don't do it! Instead, make a list of your top priorities and put marriage vows at the top.

Emma + Dylan's wedding vow tips: "Vows, music, bar. Everything else is window dressing." Watch Emma + Dylan's whimsical Canada wedding ceremony, captured by Fresh Finish Media .

4. If the perfect vows are not flowing out, be spontaneous

It’s normal for magic to happen in the eleventh hour. The days--and sometimes even hours—before your wedding ceremony can bring on a whole new whirlwind of emotions, which can turn into the perfect heartfelt writing material. Trust us, the vows will come.

Robyn + Ben's wedding vow tips: “To be honest, Ben and I didn’t begin writing our vows until the final days before our wedding. I hadn’t planned for that to happen, but every time I sat down to write wedding vows it just didn’t feel right. Maybe it was inexplicable feelings that one has in those final days before the wedding that really got the creative juices and emotions flowing. It also helps that Ben is a professional writer and has an absolute knack for speech writing. I, on the other hand, just led with the heart and wanted to keep it light.” Watch Robyn + Ben's boho Canada beach wedding day, captured by Evergreen & Bound Films .

5. Throw it back to your first date

Remember where and when you met? What it was like to see each other for the very first time? Try to capture that feeling and put it into words—it’s the beginning of your love story and what led you to this special moment! This excerpt from Ariel + Michael's vows is a perfect example:

“We were on our first date. The sun had just set. We had sand beneath our feet. I was hesitant to reach for your hand, not knowing if you would shy away. When I finally summoned up the courage to do so, I knew you were someone special. Your hand fit perfectly into mine, so naturally, like it was the hundredth time, like it was meant to be.” Watch Ariel + Michael's modern military Florida big day, captured by Andreo Studio .

6. Forget about the audience

Whether you plan to recite your marriage vows in front of all your friends and family, or just to a select few, write wedding vows as if you’re only talking to your partner. It will ease any nerves of speaking in front of an audience and allow you to articulate how you really feel.

Jenna + Ryan’s wedding vow tips: “Possibly the most unique part about our day is we decided last minute to read our heartfelt vows to each other during the first look. It was by far the best part of the day. We allowed them to come straight from the heart without the audience.” Watch Jenna + Ryan's winter Colorado wedding day, captured by Blnk Films .

7. Get inspired by your venue or location

Chances are, the spot you and your partner picked to tie the knot has some special meaning, so use that to your advantage when you write vows. Eloping to a new destination, for example, gives you the perfect opportunity to talk about your shared love of adventure.

Lisa + Alex’s advice: “Travel being as important to us as it is (we’ve been to 10 countries and several different US states), we always knew our wedding would be somewhere else. We saved money over a traditional wedding and had the experience of a lifetime, both for us and for our families. Finally reading the vows we had spent months preparing on a cliffside in the Quiraing got us both seriously choked up, which you can hear a bit in the film.” And when Alex says, “You are my greatest adventure. I’m so excited to spend the rest of my days with you,” you bet we got choked up too. Watch Lisa + Alex's United Kingdom mountain elopement, captured by Vow of the Wild .

8. Celebrate your differences

You binge-watch the same shows, you root for the same sports teams, and you can always agree on where to eat out for date night. But what makes your partner the yin to your yang? Which of their strengths complement your weaknesses? Reflecting on these differences can lead to some seriously beautiful vows--just read this excerpt from Katherine + Mathew's vows for proof:

“Over time, though, I’ve found that the things I love and admire about you most are the things that make you different from me. I love how fearless you are. No person or situation ever intimidates you, and you approach conflicts and setbacks with unwavering determination. I admire your candor, how open and honest you are with everyone you meet. I love how fiercely dedicated you are to seeking justice in the world and standing up for people who’ve been mistreated. And most of all, I love your never-ending enthusiasm and warmth. You radiate joy even during the most boring moments, filling my heart with light and a sense that I can do anything when I’m with you.” Watch Katherine + Mathew's Persian Maine wedding, captured by OTD Collective .

9. Remind yourself what vows are all about

What promises do you vow to keep today, tomorrow, and always? It’s a big question because it’s a big deal, and it’s helpful to think seriously about what you’re promising your partner. This is newlyweds Micah + Jason’s wedding vow tips:**

“I think it’s important for your vows to be serious because it is what you are promising your partner, but I also think that infusing personality and inside jokes can be really charming if it’s done right. For instance, at the end of my vows, I said, “I love you Bubs. Or should I say hubs?” Our hashtag was #FromBubsToHubs, so it was super cute!” Watch Micah + Jason's modern Atlanta wedding day, captured by KLassey Productions.

10. Think about the future

What do you imagine the next 10 years to be like? 25 years? 100 years?! Painting a picture of what marriage looks like together down the road is a way to write uniquely personalized vows to say "I choose you, forever." Read this excerpt from Samantha + Armin's vows to see how it's done:

"Once we look back, 70, 80, 100 years from now on our rocking chairs, holding hands, looking at the sunset over North Dakota, with our 4 kids, 12 grandchildren, 3 cats, and 14 dogs surrounding us - let's face it, I'm a dog person and these are my vows - we will look back it all and smile. The wrinkles on our face will not only represent our age and wisdom, but will represent all the memories that we made together." Watch Samantha + Armin's Persian-Christian fusion wedding day, captured by Birdhouse.

11. Remember that vows can be made to anyone

Weddings are about families coming together as one, so extending your vows to the most important people in your SO's life is always a thoughtful gesture, especially when little ones are in the picture. See just how meaningful these vows to the bride's daughter are in this excerpt from Taylor + Lauren's big day:

"I was not there when you took your first steps, when your first tooth came in. But I promise you I will never miss another first." Watch Taylor + Lauren's rustic Tennessee wedding, captured by Griffin R Dunn.

12. Make a list of your favorite qualities

Sometimes, a list can kickstart your writing process—and other times, the list is all you need to write wedding vows. Either way, this trick will get the words flowing, and all you have to do is read this excerpt from Bianca + Zena’s vows to believe it:

“You are unlike anything, or anyone I’ve ever met. Deep, curious, loving, caring, and humorous are just some of the pleasures I get to enjoy being with you.” Watch Bianca + Zena's boho Joshua Tree elopement, captured by The Quail & The Dove.

We hope this advice helped you. If you're looking for more inspiration for writing your own wedding vows, find vows to inspire you and wedding vows you'll love . Then, you can watch more amazing wedding videos here. Ready to find your wedding videographer? Check out our directory to see videographers near you. Find wedding officiants near you or other pro wedding vendors here .

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