At Young Hip & Married, we’re passionate about wedding vows. Check out lists of vows for every type of couple & tips on how to write your own!
So you’re working on your wedding vows when you realize…you need somewhere to put them! While you could read off a piece of paper, many couples prefer to put their vows into vow books. Vow books not only look great in your wedding photos but they also give you a safe place to keep your vows and can be a keepsake for years to come.
Below we’re sharing 10 of our favourite vow books that you can buy on Etsy, allowing you to support a creator and order your books today. No matter what your style or budget, you’ll find a great vow book option on Etsy!
If you’re looking for a timeless, compact and sophisticated option for your vows, we are loving the look of these leather vow books! These 20-page, soft leather books are handmade and offer personalization options such as choosing the colour of the covers and adding your wedding date.
Want a simple, yet personalized, vow book option? Then you’ll love this set by Copper & Blush Paper. Choose your favourite foil colour and customize the books with your pronouns, wedding date and names. Plus, there’s free shipping to Canada and the US!
The ultimate vow keepsake might be these hard cover wedding ceremony vow booklets! Not only are these hard cover books going to be long-lasting mementos from your wedding day, but you also have the option to completely personalize the cover with words of your choice and choose the cover colour/material you like best.
This handmade vow book is perfect for art lovers and those looking for a book with texture and unique features. The cover is made of cotton paper while the inside pages are made of heavyweight text paper. The ribbon is hand-dyed and hand-torn, giving your book an authentic look and feel. Plus there are 19 ribbon colours to choose from!
Speaking of unique, why not read your vows from a wooden book? These wooden vow books are definitely one of a kind, allowing you to choose the wood finish, vegan leather binding and screw colour, as well as personalize the book with your names and date. You can even buy a matching wooden guest book!
If you’re looking for a simple (and non-gendered!) vow book option, check out these vow books by Wild Confetti Workshop. With a basic, yet pretty, foil title on uncomplicated black and white backgrounds, these vow books could be perfect for your special day. You also have the option to customize the books with your names and date.
Another option is to monogram your vow books with your initials, like in these vow books by Ivory and Sage Co. These books are incredibly customizable – there are 35 cover colours to choose from or they will match your wedding colours! You can choose foil, font type, additional personalization, and you can even buy a matching guest book and officiant book.
If you’re into a more modern, minimal vibe, then these are the vow books for you! We love the simple gold foil at the bottom corner of the cover and eight beautiful colours to choose from. These books are handmade and can be personalized if you get in touch with the shop.
Another minimal option for vows are these beautiful embossed books by Studio Hartsuiker. The titles are embossed on 111 lb premium cotton paper, giving these books a very elegant and subtle look. You can also personalize the books with your names and wedding date on the backside.
Want the ultimate personalization for your wedding vow books? With these vow books, you can not only choose the cover colour and font colour, plus personalize the book with your names and date, but you can also include your own photo. Add the photo yourself or have the Etsy shop print the photo in the book for you. Such a unique way to share your vows!
Now that you have your perfect vow book, you need the perfect vows to put in them! Check out our FREE vow writing guide to get started with your personal wedding vows.
When it comes to choosing or writing wedding vows, many couples panic. They worry that they’re not romantic enough or a good enough writer to pull it off. They think, “Do wedding vows have to be long and poetic? Can’t we just have simple wedding vows?”
It turns out, you can 😉
What are simple wedding vows?
Simple wedding vows are just that – simple! They’re short, easy to read and understand, and straight to the point. They don’t have lots of flowery language or go on for pages and pages.
But just because wedding vows are simple doesn’t mean they are not heartfelt. In fact, sometimes the simplest wedding vows are the most meaningful because they come straight from the heart. Your partner – and your guests – would rather hear two sincere sentences from you than paragraphs of fluff!
Absolutely! Your wedding vows can be as short and simple as you want. If you want to say, “I vow to love you today and for the rest of my days” that works! Of course, you may want to add a few more sentences. But there’s no rule saying that your vows have to be poetic, serious, or multiple pages long.
You may want to keep in mind what kind of wedding vows your partner is going to write. It can be awkward if Partner 1 pours their heart out in a 10 minute love story while Partner 2 cracks a joke and calls it a day. Avoid this by deciding with your partner ahead of time approximately how long your vows will be and what kind of vibe you’re going for. You can also ask your wedding officiant to look at both of your vows to make sure they are in line.
Your wedding vows should be true to you. If you’re the kind of couple who tells jokes all the time, add a few funny lines to your vows. If you’re the kind of couple who reads each other love poems, add a few stanzas to your vows. The best wedding vows are always ones that feel authentically YOU!
How do I write my own simple wedding vows?
We’re glad you asked! Writing your own wedding vows is one of the most meaningful parts of wedding planning. Get started with our FREE wedding vow writing guide. You can also check out sample vows and more vow resources below.
Remember: Wedding vows are the promises you want to make to your spouse for your marriage ahead. They’re not just a walk down memory lane, a romantic speech, or a chance to compliment your partner. While simple wedding vows can include those things, don’t lose sight of their purpose. Your vows should answer the question: What do I want to promise my spouse about our marriage together?
21 simple wedding vow examples
Check out our simple wedding vow samples below and get inspired for your ceremony! If you love any of these vows, go ahead and copy/paste them directly into your wedding day. Or, use them as inspiration to write your own unique vows.
Together in Marriage
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my wedded spouse, and to live together in marriage. I promise to love you, comfort you, honour and keep you for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to you, so long as we both shall live.
The Vows We Keep Always
(NAME), I want to be with you always just as you are. I choose you above all others to share my life in marriage. I love you for yourself, and I want you to become all that you can be. I promise to honour this pledge as long as I live. I ask everyone present to witness that I take you as my partner in marriage.
Companion of Your Life
Today I join my life to yours, not simply as your spouse, but as your friend, your lover, and your biggest supporter. Let me be the shoulder you lean on and the companion of your life.
Covenant Before God
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my spouse, and I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful spouse in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.
I Promise
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, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my wedded spouse. With deepest joy I receive you into my life that together we may be one. I promise you my love, my fullest devotion and my tenderest care. I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful partner.
Together, Forever
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.
Until Death Parts Us
I take you, (NAME), to be my spouse from this day forward, to join with you and share all that is to come. I promise to be faithful to you until death parts us.
In Honesty and Sincerity
I pledge, in honesty and sincerity, to be for you a faithful and helpful partner for all of our days.
Abiding Love
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know, I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us.
by Tyshawnna Reann Collective
Partner for Life
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 honour as I join my life to yours.
Grow Together
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my partner, loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the person you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever life may bring us.
My Solemn Vow
In the presence of God, I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my spouse, 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 parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
All the Days of My Life
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my partner. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love and honour you all the days of my life.
Biggest Adventure
Today I stand before you, ready to start the biggest adventure of our lives. I know it will be really hard, and some days will take a lot of work. But I also know that there will be days filled with love, laughter, and pure bliss. I can’t imagine sharing this adventure with anyone else but you. You’re my best friend, the love of my life, and my soul mate. Today I promise to stand by your side and to love you always.
(NAME), I take you as my partner, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my 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.
Best Friend for Life
(Name), you are my best friend for life. I pledge to honour, encourage, and support you through our walk together. When our way becomes difficult, I promise to stand by you and uplift you, so that through our bond we can accomplish more than we could alone. I promise to work at our love, and always make you a priority in my life. With every beat of my heart, I will love you.
Life with You Forevermore
Before our friends and those so special to us here, on this wonderful day of gladness and good fortune, I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), as my partner in friendship and in love, in strength and weakness, to share the good times and misfortune, in achievement and failure, to celebrate life with you forevermore.
Your Navigator
I promise to be your navigator, best friend, and partner in life. I promise to honour, love, and cherish you through all life’s adventures. Wherever we go, we’ll go together.
Lawful Spouse
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), for my lawful spouse, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I will love and honour you all the days of my life.
In Your Corner
(NAME), 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.
As wedding officiants who lead hundreds of ceremonies every year, we know a thing or two about wedding vows! In fact, we literally wrote the course on vows.
Gone are the days when every couple getting married would simply recite traditional, religious vows. These days couples are writing their own personal vows, getting inspired by vows found in literature or movies, printing their vows in beautiful wedding vow booklets, or opting for simple wedding vows that just get to the point. Some couples are even planning to skip the vows at their ceremony (more on that later!).
But what are the different types of vows and different ways to say them? Keep reading to find out!
There are three main types of wedding vows: traditional, personal and a hybrid.
Traditional wedding vows are vows that are pre-written. They’ve been around for hundreds or even thousands of years and usually are heard in religious weddings. For examples, check out The Top 20 Traditional Wedding Vows.
Personal wedding vows are vows that the couple writes themselves. While it may sound intimidating, we promise that writing your own personal vows (and hearing the ones your partner writes for you) will be the most meaningful experience, allowing you to decide what promises you want to make for your marriage. To get started, grab our FREE wedding vow writing guide.
Hybrid wedding vows combine both traditional and personal vows. Instead of sticking to one set of traditional vows and instead of writing your own personal vows from scratch, hybrid vows let you have the best of both worlds. You can mix and match lines and phrases in pre-written vows, while adding in your own style and sentences where needed.
Now that you know about the three different types of wedding vows, it’s time to dive into how you’ll deliver them. Here are the five main options:
1. Your officiant reads the vows and you say, “I do”
With this option, your wedding officiant will read your vows out loud and you will answer by saying, “I do.” This delivery style works best for traditional vows and in situations where the couple doesn’t want to speak very much during their ceremony. For example:
Officiant: “Do you, Taylor, take Cory as your lawful spouse, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part? If so, please say ‘I do.'”
Taylor: “I do.”
2. Your officiant reads the vows, one line at a time, as you repeat them
Repeating wedding vows allow you to say your own vows, but with the support of your officiant. In this delivery style, you’ll repeat each line of your vows after your officiant. This delivery style is best suited to shorter, traditional vows, as they’ll be said four times (your officiant, you repeating, your officiant again, your partner repeating). For example:
Officiant: “Taylor, please repeat after me. ‘I, Taylor, take you, Cory, as my wedded spouse …'”
Taylor: “I, Taylor, take you, Cory, as my wedded spouse…”
Officiant: “To join with you and share all that is to come…”
Taylor: “To join with you and share all that is to come…”
Officiant: “And I promise to be faithful to you until death parts us.”
Taylor: “And I promise to be faithful to you until death parts us.”
This third delivery style is the most personal and, often, most preferable for guests (and couples!). In this style, you will simply read your own wedding vows, usually from a wedding vow booklet or wedding vow book. Since your officiant isn’t needed, they can step to the side and allow you to have a personal moment with your spouse-to-be.
Of course, this delivery style is ideal if you’re writing your own personal vows – who better to read them than you? But this delivery style can also work for traditional or hybrid vows. For example:
Taylor: “Cory, I take you as my spouse, 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 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.”
4. You memorize your wedding vows
While this is technically an option for how you can say your wedding vows, we strongly advise against it! Memorizing your wedding vows (or worse, making them up on the spot!) may seem romantic in the movies but is far from it in real life. By choosing to memorize your vows, you’re adding an extra layer of stress to your wedding day.
Plus, even the best memorizers may find their minds go blank under pressure. The last thing you want is to get to the vows part of your ceremony and realize you’ve completely forgotten your vows and don’t have a back up plan!
If you really want to memorize your wedding vows, go for it. But please still bring a written or printed copy of your vows to your ceremony with you. That way, if nerves get the best of you, you’ll still have the option to read your vows instead of standing there, mouth agape and eyes wide as your guests shuffle uncomfortably and your fiance starts to tear up.
The last option for delivering your vows is to actually say them in private instead of in front of your guests at your wedding ceremony. This option is becoming more and more popular so we’re diving deep into it in the next section!
Do you have to say vows at your wedding ceremony?
Yes and no. Legally, you do need to consent to enter into marriage with one another, usually by saying “I do” after hearing or reciting a short declaration of intent.
However, it’s not mandatory to share your personal vows at your ceremony in front of all of your guests. More and more we’re seeing couples opt to share their wedding vows in private. But is that the right decision?
Pros to sharing your wedding vows in private
It’s a private moment for just the two of you. Funny enough, it can be hard for couples to carve out alone time on their wedding day. There’s something special about sharing your vows in an intimate moment for just you two.
There’s less nerves. Because you don’t have to share your wedding vows in front of all of your friends and family, you’ll likely feel less nervous about your ceremony.
You can still have photos or video of the moment. Even though you’re sharing your vows in private, you can still have your photographer and/or videographer around to capture the memories.
Cons to sharing your wedding vows in private
You miss out on making your declaration publicly. There’s something so powerful about saying, “Listen up, world! I love this person so much and I want to spend my life with them. Here’s why.” Making your vows in front of your loves ones can be an important moment for you.
Your ceremony may feel less meaningful. If you cut the vows from your ceremony, you may find that it feels less personal and that you’re less invested, since you’re not speaking any of your own words at your own wedding.
You may skip the vows altogether. The worst part about opting to share your vows in private is that you may end up not sharing vows at all. If you’re running behind (as weddings often do!) you may end up skipping your moment to share vows or rushing through it. You may even forget to write them since no one will know except you two.
So should you share your wedding vows in private or at your ceremony?
Ultimately, the choice to say your vows in public or in private is up to you. We’ve seen how meaningful it can be to share vows with your partner in front of the people who love you most, declaring to the world your commitment to them. But we also know some couples would prefer a more intimate moment.
Whatever you choose, we do hope you take the time to put your vows together thoughtfully and share them with one another on your wedding day.
If you opt to share your vows in private, we recommend still saying a shortened version at your ceremony. As noted above, this is important for legal reasons: Your officiant needs to hear you both consent to enter into marriage with one another. It’s also an important part of your wedding ceremony, as ceremonies are built around the vows. If you skip them completely, your guests may wonder if you or your officiant forgot!
So even if you opt to say your vows in private, you can still include short and simple wedding vows or a declaration of intent in your ceremony. You can opt for delivery style #1, where your officiant reads the vows and you simply say “I do.” Your wedding officiant can even explain your choice to your guests by saying something like:
Officiant: “Taylor and Cory have written and shared personal vows with each other earlier today, and will now solidify their commitment in front of all of you. Taylor, do you take Cory from this day forward, to join with you and share all that is to come, and promise to be faithful to them until death parts you? If so, please say ‘I do.'”
Which wedding vow delivery style should you choose?
Let’s recap: There are three different types of wedding vows (traditional, personal and hybrid) and five different ways to deliver them (officiant reads, you repeat after your officiant, you read, you memorize or you say in private). But which type and style works best for you?
Of course, there is no one right answer – each couple is going to make the choice that works best for them. While we strongly believe that writing your own personal vows and delivering them in front of your closest friends and family is the best way to start your marriage and add meaning to your ceremony, we know it’s not for everyone. However, if you think it could be for you with a little help, check out our vow writing course!
If you’re opting for personal vows, we believe they sound best when read by you. It can be a little awkward for your officiant to say, “I still remember our first date and the way I looked in your eyes.” It’s always better coming straight from the author!
If you’re opting for repeating vows (where your officiant reads the vows, line by line, and you repeat each line), make sure to keep them short. Since the vows will be said four times (twice by your officiant and once by each of you), it can take a long time to recite, so stick to short and simple wedding vows.
And as we agreed to above, please don’t try to memorize your wedding vows or make them up on the spot!
Which wedding vow type and delivery style are you leaning towards? If you need help writing your vows and deciding how to say your wedding vows, get in touch! We’d love to match you with a wedding officiant and start planning your dream ceremony.
If you’ve watched a movie with a wedding scene or been to a few weddings, you’ve probably heard repeating wedding vows before. Repeating vows are when the couple repeats their vows, line for line, after their officiant. Their officiant will say a line and then one partner will repeat it, continuing until both partners recite their full vows.
But what are the pros and cons of repeating wedding vows? Do you have to repeat your vows or can you say them by yourself? Plus, what do you need to know about repeat after me vows if you decide to go that route?
Find out if repeating wedding vows are for you and check out our 10 repeat style vow examples. Say “I do” to some extra help with your wedding vows!
by John Bello Photography
What are the different types of wedding vows?
There are three main types of wedding vows: traditional vows, personal vows and a combination of the two.
Traditional vows: Traditional vows are vows that are prewritten for you – you simply select a prewritten vow to say at your ceremony. You can find these vows online and there are lots of religious and historic examples. They generally follow a set pattern, speak more broadly about love, and can be heard in many ceremonies. Check out our top 20 traditional wedding vows here!
Personal vows: Personal vows are vows that you write yourself. They give you a chance to reflect on your own love story and decide on the exact promises you want to make to your spouse. Personal vows often feel more meaningful and heartfelt because they are unique to your wedding.
There’s nothing more special than taking the time to write personalized vows to your partner and to hear the ones they write for you. If you want to write your own vows but you’re not sure where to start, check out our video vow writing course.
Combination vows: Combination vows combine traditional and personal vows. You may start with a set of traditional vows and tweak some of the language to better suit your relationship. Or you might start with personal vows you write yourself and then borrow a few lines from a traditional vow.
Remember: There are no rules when it comes to writing or putting together your vows – it’s your wedding, your way!
What are the different ways to deliver your wedding vows?
Just like there are different types of wedding vows, there are also different ways to deliver your wedding vows. The two main options are reading or repeating.
Reading: If you opt to read your vows, you will do just that – read your vows! This works best with personal vows where couples can read their vows to one another, in their own words, coming straight from the heart. Typically, the officiant will step aside and each member of the couple will take turns reading their vows off of a piece of paper.
Repeating: If you choose to repeat your vows, you will follow a “repeat-after-me” pattern with your officiant. Each member of the couple will repeat a line that the officiant says. Once partner 1 finishes repeating all the lines of the vow, it will be partner 2’s turn and the officiant will start again from the beginning. This vow delivery usually works better with traditional vows, but can still be an option for personal vows.
Repeating vows example:
Officiant: “I, Taylor, take you, Cory, to be my spouse,”
Taylor: “I, Taylor, take you, Cory, to be my spouse,”
Officiant: “To have and to hold,”
Taylor: “To have and to hold,”
And so on until Taylor finishes their vows. Then, Cory will take their turn, repeating each line after the officiant.
Just an “I do”: If you don’t want to read or repeat vows, the last option would be to skip the vows entirely. Instead, you can simply go with a commitment statement (aka declaration of intent) that your officiant will read out loud. You will answer by saying, “I do.”
by John Bello Photography
3 reasons to choose repeating wedding vows
Repeating vows aren’t for everyone but some couples really like this vow delivery option. Here are three pros to choosing repeat-after-me wedding vows.
They’re short and sweet!
Repeating wedding vows are often shorter than vows you write and read yourself. If you’re looking for a shorter ceremony, this could be a good option. Repeating style vows are also great for couples who are nervous and less comfortable with public speaking, as they’ll only need to say one line at a time.
You can collaborate on your repeating vows
Typically, the same set of repeating vows are spoken by both members of the couple – you’re both saying the same vows. The nice thing about this is that you can collaborate on what you want your shared promises for your marriage to be. You can select the vows together (check out our examples below) or write your own.
Repeat after me wedding vows are perfect for private couples
If the idea of sharing personal wedding vows and promises to one another in front of all of your guests sounds like a nightmare, repeating vows may be for you. At the ceremony, you can opt for a short, pre-written, repeating vow and save the personal vows for a private moment between just you two.
by Keely Rae Photography
3 reasons NOT to choose repeating wedding vows
Of course, there are some cons to choosing repeating vows. If any of the below bother you, repeating wedding vows might not be the best option for your wedding ceremony.
Your officiant is part of the moment
The nature of repeating vows means that your officiant is a big part of your vow moment. They will be speaking your vows with you and likely in every photo from this part of your ceremony. If you skip repeat after me wedding vows, you can make this moment more intimate by reading your vows directly to one another while your officiant steps to the side.
Your vows can feel stiff
In real life, we very rarely have to repeat what we want to say after someone else, one short line at a time. So it can feel a little bit stiff to only say a few words at a time and then take a giant pause, especially when your officiant just said those same few words. The stop/start motion of repeating vows can remove some of the natural flow and intimacy from the vows moment.
Repeating vows are not as personal
Since you’ll be starting and stopping, involving your officiant in your vows, and very likely saying pre-written vows, it only makes sense that repeat after me vows just feel less personal. As officiants who have witnessed thousands of vows, there’s nothing quite as special as couples reading their own words, from the heart, to one another without any interference. Sadly, you lose out on that with repeating vows.
by Clint Bargen Photo
1 thing to keep in mind with repeating vows
If after reading through the pros and cons above you decide that repeating vows are for you, there’s one very important thing we need you to keep in mind:
Repeating vows will be repeated four times, so keep them short!
Repeat after me vows are said by the officiant, partner 1, the officiant again and then partner 2. That’s four times that every single line will be said out loud. Not only can this get a little monotonous for your guests, but it can also drag on for a long time.
So keep it short and sweet! Guests don’t want to sit through long, tedious vows. And you don’t want to feel awkward repeating after your officiant for minutes that feel like hours. Instead, choose a short vow that can be easily repeated in a short amount of time.
Aim for your repeating vows to be 1-3 sentences (which is really 4-12 sentences after they’re repeated four times, plus pauses). If you really want to say more in your vows, consider reading them yourself instead of repeating. This will cut the overall time in half, as your officiant won’t have to say the vows twice. You’ll also be able to read your vows more naturally and without stopping after every few words.
Alternatively, you could save longer vows for a private moment or wedding day card to your spouse-to-be and still use repeating vows during your ceremony.
by Keely Rae Photography
10 unique repeat after me wedding vows examples
If you’ve decided that repeat after me wedding vows are right for you, check out 10 repeating wedding vow examples below. From short repeat after me vows to funny repeating vows, we’ve got what you’re looking for. Go ahead and choose your favourite for your upcoming ceremony! Or use this list as inspiration to write your own short and sweet repeating vows.
Traditional repeating vow
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my spouse, to have and to hold from this day forward. For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, I promise to love and cherish you.
Modern twist on traditional repeating vow
(NAME), 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. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in the highest regard.
All the love wedding vow
(NAME), I take you to be my spouse; to share with you the laughter; to kiss away the tears; and to give you all the love in my heart, as long as we both shall live.
Share all that I am vow
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my partner, to share all that I am and all that I have, for all time to come. I promise to do all in my power to keep my love as deep and as strong as it is today.
All my heart repeating wedding vow
(NAME), I take you to be my partner: to love you with all my heart; to share with you all my soul; to grow with you through all my days; as long as we both shall live.
By your side repeat after me vow
From this day forward, I make a promise that whatever happens, you shall not walk alone. I’ll stand by your side and be your closest confidant. Through our brightest days and our darkest nights, I take you into my heart.
Friendship and marriage wedding vow
(NAME), I commit my life to our friendship and love in marriage. I promise to comfort you, to encourage you, and to support you. I vow to share life and all that I am with you always.
Journey through life repeating vow
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my partner, lover and friend, to journey through life with, beyond the road’s end. I will love, comfort and honour you, through good times and bad, all of my days.
Best friend and lover wedding vow
Today, I take you, (NAME), as my spouse. I promise to walk by your side forever, as your best friend, your lover, and your soulmate.
Rest of my days repeating wedding vow
(NAME), I promise to love and respect you, laugh with you, share my life openly and honestly with you, support you in times of sadness, and share your joy in times of triumph for all the rest of my days.
Will you be repeating vows on your wedding day? If so, which one of the wedding vow examples above do you like best?
Wondering how to write a wedding vow? Like many couples getting married, you’re not alone in wondering where to start when writing your own vows. Luckily, we’ve got you covered!
You may have a lot of questions like: What are wedding vows? What’s the difference between personal and traditional wedding vows? When should you start writing and what should you say?
Phew, wedding vows can be overwhelming! To break it all down, we put together a wedding vow FAQ blog post. If you’re totally lost, start there. We also have a FREE GUIDE and vow course that will walk you through how to write a wedding vow, step by step.
Once you’ve got the basics down and you’re ready to write, check out our top vow writing tips below!
by Erica Miller Photography
1. Get inspired
Most people struggle with how to write a wedding vow because they don’t think they’re romantic enough. It can be hard to sit down in the middle of the day and force yourself to come up with the most beautiful words that perfectly capture how you feel about your partner.
Start with inspiration! Before you begin writing, take some time to walk down memory lane. Reread old letters or cards you’ve given each other, look back at photos of your best moments, and take time to reflect on the milestones in your relationship.
Even when you’re not about to write a wedding vow, it helps to keep an eye out for inspiration. Start a new note on your phone’s notes app so you can jot down important memories, moments or lines for your vows whenever they come to you. That way, when a special moment comes to mind in the middle of the grocery store, you won’t forget it when you’re writing your vows a few days later.
2. Set the mood
Just like getting inspired before you write a wedding vow, it helps to create a mood that is conducive to writing. You don’t want to be writing your vows on your phone in the middle of a loud bar or while doing your taxes.
First, block out distractions. Turn off the TV, put your phone away and ask anyone else in the home to not bug you for a little while. While it may be convenient to write a wedding vow on your laptop or iPad, it’s also easy to accidentally open up another tab and spend hours going down a Youtube blackhole instead of doing any writing. Consider switching off wifi while you write.
Second, set the environment. With distractions out of the way, you can now set the perfect vow writing mood. That may include low lighting, soft music, candles and a bottle of wine or maybe you prefer a cup of coffee on the patio with your favourite fuzzy blanket. Whatever the ideal writing environment is for you, try to create that when it comes time to write a wedding vow.
by Erica Miller Photography
3. Give yourself time to write your wedding vows
Like most things in life, writing your wedding vows isn’t just going to happen unless you set aside time to make it happen. Instead of promising you’ll get to it one day, set aside specific time for yourself to work on your vows. Commit to a regular schedule and put it in your calendar.
You also want to give yourself lots of time to write, polish and practice your vows. This isn’t something you want to be doing the night before your wedding! Get started a few weeks or a few months before your wedding date so you have plenty of time to write without any pressure.
4. Write a wedding vow in chunks
Another great way to take the pressure off of vow writing is to give yourself multiple sessions to get your vows done. There’s no reason why you need to sit down with a blank piece of paper and not stand up again until you have written the world’s best wedding vows. You can write your vows in chunks instead of forcing yourself to complete them in a single session.
Start with a task for each session. For example, your first session might include watching an online vow course and jotting down a few notes. At your next session, you’ll outline what you want to say in your vows. Then you can spend a session working on your rough draft. Finally, your last session can be for revising, polishing and practicing.
Not only will writing your vows in chunks remove the pressure of nailing it in one go, but it will allow you to be more thoughtful with vows you’ve crafted over time.
Did you know you can write a wedding vow with your spouse? Even if you want to have separate vows that are kept secret from one another until the big day, you can still enjoy the act of writing your vows together – maybe from opposite sides of the room!
Writing a wedding vow should be fun, so why not make a date night out of it? You and your partner can open a bottle of wine and sit down to watch a video vow course together. Next, you can reread old love letters or go through your pictures together. Then, slide to opposite sides of the couch to start drafting your wedding vows.
There’s something pretty exciting about sitting in the same room as your spouse-to-be, knowing they are writing all about how much they love you. And even if you’re not able to finish your vows together (remember: write them in chunks!), it’s still a great night spent preparing for your wedding, reminiscing about your relationship and drinking your favourite wine.
One thing to note: Don’t let the idea of writing your wedding vows together cause you any stress. There’s no reason to panic if your partner is writing more than you or faster than you – and also no need to worry if you look over and their page is blank. Trust that both you and your partner will find the perfect words in time for the big day!
by Erica Miller Photography
6. Don’t write a wedding vow on your phone
We do everything on our phones these days, from email and social media to banking and ordering food. But one thing you shouldn’t do on your phone? Read your wedding vows!
While it’s okay to use your phone to jot down notes to inspire your wedding vows, the actual vows should be written or typed onto on a piece of paper or in a vow booklet that will you read from on your wedding day.
We highly recommend not reading your vows off your phone. Why? Two main reasons:
One, phones can fail. Your battery might die, your app might crash, you might lose signal or you might be bombarded with notifications that you have to keep swiping away. Secondly, reading vows off your phone looks bad. In all of your wedding photos, it will look like you decided to scroll through TikTok in the middle of your own wedding ceremony!
7. Practice makes perfect!
Once your vows are written, your job is still not over. Now it’s time to practice!
Set aside time to practice reading your vows out loud. Read them in front of a mirror so you can watch how you deliver them. Try to practice when no one else is home so you can speak at full volume. Or, if you need a second opinion, practice your vows in front of a close friend or family member.
Practice often. You should be very comfortable with the words that you wrote. Odds are you’ll be a little nervous on your wedding day, so all of that practice will pay off when you deliver your vows smoothly under pressure.
by Erica Miller Photography
8. Don’t memorize your wedding vows
While we encourage you to practice saying your wedding vows, we don’t suggest you try and memorize them. Yes, it looks super cool in the movies when the couple speaks their vows from memory, no paper or vow booklet in sight. But you know what those actors have that you don’t? The chance for a second take – not to mention years of experience with memorization and less pressure, since they’re not really getting married!
As wedding officiants, we’ve seen up close what it looks like when someone memorizes their wedding vows only to arrive at their ceremony completely blank. We’ve watched as their eyes grow in horror and they stumble through whatever they can remember. It’s not pretty.
Play it safe and stick to reading your vows. Because you’ve practiced so much, you’ll naturally be able to look up and make eye contact with your partner at certain points as you’re reading. You’ll be able to share your vows with confidence, knowing the words you spent time crafting are right in your hands.
Bonus tip: Send a copy of your vows elsewhere for safe keeping. If you’re worried about losing your vows or forgetting them back at your hotel room, have a back up. Send an email copy of your vows to yourself and your officiant and print out a few extra hard copies to have on hand.
Remember, your wedding officiant is an expert on wedding vows. Don’t forget to utilize them as a resource! Not only can your officiant provide you with tools for writing your vows, like blog posts and vow writing courses, but they can offer personalized help too.
Before your wedding day, ask your officiant if both you and your partner can send your vows to them. That way, your officiant can read through both sets of vows and make sure they’re similar in length and tone. While it’s okay if one partner is slightly more long-winded or funnier than the other, it can be awkward if one of your writes a 10 page poem and the other opts for a 3 line roast. By sending your vows to your officiant, they can check them both while you still keep them a secret from one another.
Your officiant can also be responsible for holding your vows on your wedding day. You can email them a copy of your vows ahead of time for them to print and hand to you during the ceremony. Or you can give them your printed vows or vow booklets to hold on the day, which they will then pass back to you during the ceremony.
That way, you don’t have to be afraid about losing your vows or fumbling to get them out of your pocket – or worry about where to put them if your outfit doesn’t have a pocket!
10. Display your vows after your wedding
Congrats, you’re married! So is that it for your wedding vows? It doesn’t have to be!
Your wedding vows are the promises you and your spouse made to one another for the marriage you’re building together. It only makes sense that you’d want to incorporate those promises into your everyday life.
After your wedding, you can choose to display your wedding vows as a visual reminder of the promises you made to one another. You can get them framed or work with an artist to turn them into a visual piece. Etsy has lots of great options for this!
You could also make a pact to revisit your vows every year on your anniversary. As part of your anniversary celebrations, why not reread your vows to one another? Over the years, it will be so special to revisit the foundational words of your marriage and recommit yourselves to those promises.
“I promise to stand by you and love you unconditionally.” When it comes to wedding vows, lines like this sure know how to pull on the heart strings!
If you’re getting married, odds are you’ve given some thought to your wedding vows. But you might still have some questions. Should you write your own wedding vows or recite traditional vows? Do you need a vow booklet? And what the heck are you actually supposed to say in your vows anyway!?!
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. As wedding officiants, we’ve married thousands of people and listened to thousands of vows. We know what works, what flops, what makes people cringe and what will have every guest reaching for a tissue.
Check out our answers below to some of the most commonly asked wedding vow questions!
Let’s start with the basics: What are wedding vows?
Wedding vows are the promises you make to your partner for your marriage. They’re typically spoken out loud during the ceremony portion of your wedding, with each partner taking turns addressing the other.
Think of your wedding vows as the foundation for your marriage. They are your marriage contract – promises you and your spouse-to-be are agreeing to fulfill throughout your lifelong partnership.
Wedding vows are also the purpose for the party! The whole reason why you’re throwing a wedding and why your guests have gathered is to celebrate you two entering into marriage. Your vows are the verbal beginning of that marriage.
by Erica Miller Photography
What should wedding vows sound like? What should I say in my wedding vows?
Most importantly, your wedding vows should sound like you. Every couple is different, so every set of vows should be different too. Your vows can be short, long, silly, serious, romantic, poetic or a little bit of everything!
In terms of the content, your vows should mostly focus on the actual promises (aka vows) you want to make for your marriage. Think about what you want to do or who you want to be in your committed relationship. Most vows also feature a compliment stage. This is where you can share how much you love your partner and why you want to marry them.
Pro tip: Don’t get too caught up in your love story! Some couples forget that marriage vows are supposed to be just that – the vows you intend to keep in your marriage. Instead, they only talk about how they met, how they fell in love and why they like their partner so much.
And while all of that is wonderful, it shouldn’t replace the actual promises, vows and commitments you’re making to your partner on your wedding day.
Bottom line: Your wedding vows should answer the question, “What do I want to promise my partner about our lifelong marriage?”
by Erica Miller Photography
What are personalized wedding vows?
Personalized wedding vows are vows you write yourself. While they can be completely written from scratch using your own creativity, they can also be inspired by wedding vow examples you’ve seen or heard before. In fact, you could even combine some lines from vows you love with your own words.
Personalized vows give you the opportunity to tell your love story in your own words. They are meaningful and unique to you; no one else will have these same vows! They allow you to make an incredibly special moment during your ceremony that you, your partner and your guests will never forget.
Should we say traditional wedding vows or personal vows at our ceremony?
Traditional vows are a standard set of wedding vows that couples can choose to recite on their wedding day. Instead of writing your own personal vows, you’d recite pre-written vows, likely repeating each line after your officiant. These vows usually have historical or religious significance. You’ve likely heard traditional vows at weddings you’ve been to in the past, or in TV shows or movies.
Deciding between traditional wedding vows and personal vows depends on what matters most to you. Some couples choose to use traditional vows because they’re more comfortable with them or because they have a religious affiliation. And other couples choose personalized vows because they want to make promises in their own words.
In our opinion as wedding officiants, we prefer personalized vows. We believe personal vows make for a more meaningful wedding ceremony – for both the couple and their guests. Even if you’re nervous or don’t think you’re a good writer, you can still write your own wedding vows (with a little help!).
Still not sure what’s best for you? Take our vow quiz! Remember, you can always combine your favourite lines or words from traditional vows into your own DIY vows.
by John Bello Photography
Is there a wedding vows script or wedding vows template we can follow to write our own vows?
We’re so glad you asked! We have a wedding vow course that will provide you with an easy template and step-by-step instructions. Check out the vow course here!
Many couples sit down to write their wedding vows and get hit with a huge case of writer’s block. It can be overwhelming to try and put all of your feelings for your partner into words! When you’ve never had to write vows before, it only makes sense that you have no idea where to start.
So we highly recommend taking a vow writing course (like ours!) and following a wedding vow script or template. While there’s no universally correct way to write vows, a writing formula helps to make the process easier. With a template in front of you, you’ll feel less overwhelmed, more organized and better able to stay on track and capture what you actually want to say to your partner on the big day.
by Erica Miller Photography
What mistakes do couples make with their wedding vows?
No one wants to flop their wedding vows. But sadly, we see it happen all the time! Here are 5 mistakes you want to avoid with your marriage vows:
Mistake #1: Not putting enough time into your vows. Writing your vows doesn’t have to take long, but you should dedicate at least 1-2 hours to them sitting down and writing them.
Mistake #2: Trying to write your vows the morning of your wedding. The last thing you want to be doing on the morning of your wedding is rushing to write down your most meaningful and important promises while someone curls your hair or pins on your boutonniere.
Mistake #3: Settling for traditional vows because you don’t think you can write your own. With a vow course and template, even non-writers will have the tools they need to write their own wedding vows. Don’t settle because you think you’re not creative or romantic enough to write your own.
Mistake #4: Not practicing your vows. After you finish writing your vows, practice saying them out loud a few times so you get comfortable with the words. This will make a huge difference come wedding day!
Mistake #5: Trying to memorize your wedding vows. While we love the effort, we’ve seen this plan backfire. Words that seemed easy to memorize at your kitchen table will quickly escape your mind when you’re standing up at your wedding ceremony. Don’t try to be a hero and memorize your vows!
by Erica Miller Photography
Do we need a vows booklet?
A wedding vows booklet is a small notebook of paper where you write your vows and which you hold on the big day when reciting them. These little booklets can be simple or extremely ornate; you can even get personalized ones with your names and wedding date on Etsy.
Do you need a vows booklet? No, it’s not a necessity. But they can be nice to have!
As we mentioned in the vows mistakes above, you don’t want to risk memorizing your vows only to completely forget them when it’s your turn to speak. You do want to have your vows written down for you to read, or at least reference, at your ceremony.
“Can’t I just keep my vows on my phone?” Please don’t! As officiants, we see this all the time and it makes us cringe. In your wedding photos, it looks like you’ve decided to scroll TikTok or answer a quick email during your own wedding ceremony! And worse, what happens if your phone battery dies, you lose service or your app starts acting up?
We suggest writing your vows down on paper and reading off that paper at your ceremony. While any kind of paper will do, many couples do opt for a wedding vow booklet. Not only do vow booklets look a lot nicer than a torn piece of loose-leaf paper or hotel room stationary, but they also make wonderful keepsakes. You can revisit your vow booklets every anniversary!
by Erica Miller Photography
Are renewal wedding vows or elopement vows different than regular wedding vows?
Every set of wedding vows will be different because every couple is different. So depending on the wedding, elopement or vow renewal you plan, you may have completely different vows or use the same ones.
But generally speaking, vows will vary slightly depending on the occasion. For a wedding renewal, your vows will likely reference the many years of marriage you’ve shared together, the milestones you’ve celebrated, and the challenges you’ve overcome. Renewal wedding vows, for example, will also talk about your renewed commitment and updated promises for the rest of your marriage.
In an elopement, where there are few or no guests, wedding vows are likely to be more personal. Just by virtue of the fact that an elopement is truly all about you two, you’ll allow yourself to be more vulnerable and share more deeply. There’s a reason why so many elopement couples are seen wiping away tears during their vows – that intimate moment is so special!
So there you have it – everything you have ever wanted to know about wedding vows! Still have questions? Drop a comment below or reach out to us on social media.
written by Riana Ang-Canning feature image by Amber Leigh Photography
At Young Hip & Married, we typically officiate weddings for couples getting married to each other for the first time. But what about for couples who want to recommit to one another after years of marriage? In today’s blog post we’re talking all about vow renewals, whether you should renew your vows or not, and what to include in your renewing vows ceremony!
What is a vow renewal ceremony?
First things first: What is a vow renewal? A vow renewal is a recommitment ceremony between a couple that is already married.
While no formal paperwork is signed, renewing your vows can feel like a regular wedding ceremony complete with outfits, guests and, most importantly, personal vows. Of course, it can also be much more casual and intimate, just like any first time wedding!
by John Bello Photography
When should you renew your vows?
Luckily, wedding vows don’t expire! So there’s no specific time when you need to renew your vows. Some couples choose to renew their vows every year on their wedding anniversary, some wait until they’ve been married for 20+ years and others choose not to renew their vows at all.
Some couples choose to plan their vow renewal ceremony for a special milestone, such as their 10th anniversary or the year they both turn 50. Others will use it to renew their commitment after a rough patch or life transition, such as after one partner has a health scare or once they’re empty nesters. And some couples choose to renew their vows whenever certain conditions are met, like anytime they travel to a new continent or when their team wins the Stanley Cup.
At the end of the day, your vow renewal should be born out of your desire to recommit to one another, not a set-in-stone date on the calendar. As long as you both want to rededicate yourselves to your marriage, go ahead and renew those vows!
3 reasons to renew your vows
We’re big fans of weddings, love and any excuse to renew your commitment to one another. Here are 3 reasons to renew your vows:
You get to refocus on your relationship. For many couples, their relationship takes a backseat after years of busy careers, raising kids, moving across the country, etc. A vow renewal gives you a great opportunity to refocus on what really matters: your marriage!
You get to make new promises and renew old ones. If you got married five, ten, twenty or more years ago, the vows you promised may feel a little old – if you can even remember them! When you renew your vows, you’re recommitting to your partnership and updating your promises to reflect what life looks like now.
You get to party! What better reason to party than as a celebration of love? Your vow renewal ceremony is an amazing chance to reconnect with family and friends, wear a special outfit, plan an awesome party and dance the night away. Plus, you can go on a second honeymoon!
by Erica Miller Photography
What to include in a wedding vow renewal ceremony and vow renewal script
The wonderful thing about planning a wedding vow renewal is that it’s truly up to you. Since this type of ceremony isn’t traditional, you can totally run with it and make it your own. Some couples choose to go big, throwing an event that looks exactly like a wedding, minus the legal paperwork. And others choose to do something completely different from their original wedding day.
The important thing is that your wedding vow renewal is grounded in recommitting yourself to one another. Your partnership and lasting love should be at the basis of every decision you make. The celebration you plan should reflect both of you and what’s important to you at this stage of life.
Ideas for renewing your wedding vows
While renewing wedding vows will look different for every couple, here are a few ideas you may want to incorporate in your vow renewal:
Write personal vows. Of course, we think every renewal of vows should centre on your vows. Take the time to write personal, meaningful vows. (Need help? Check out our vow writing course!)
Throw out the dress code. If you felt forced into a big white dress or stuffy black tux on your wedding day, your vow renewal is the perfect time to change things up. Wear the outfit of your dreams whether that includes a fabulous feathered cape, bedazzled jean jacket or bright red cowboy boots!
Include your family. If your family has changed and grown since the last time you said vows to your spouse, why not include your new family members in your vow renewing? You can recite a family or community vow to include your closest loved ones in your special day.
Think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your wedding vow renewal. Maybe you want to renew your vows during a helicopter elopement, on a gondola in Italy or at the top of a ferris wheel!
Skip the wedding traditions that don’t resonate with you. Since a vow renewal isn’t traditional, you don’t have to keep any wedding traditions you don’t love. Feel free to throw out the bouquet toss, ring exchange, cake cutting or anything else you don’t want!
Should you have a wedding officiant at your renewing vows ceremony?
While you won’t need a wedding officiant for your vow renewal to take care of any legal paperwork, it can still be super worthwhile to hire an officiant for your vow renewal ceremony. Wedding officiants don’t just take care of the official paperwork. They write custom ceremonies, facilitate readings and speeches, manage guests and so much more (find out more about what wedding officiants really do!).
If you’re planning a vow renewal, it’s because you believe in the power of marriage. You are taking the time and effort to recommit yourself to your partner in a meaningful way. And the best way to ensure that your vow renewal is a beautiful, lasting memory is to have an experienced wedding officiant lead the ceremony.
Your wedding officiant will work with you to create the vow renewal ceremony of your dreams – one that will have all of your guests laughing, tearing up and saying to each other, “Wow, those two are so in love!”
One of the most important parts of your wedding day is the moment you and your spouse-to-be exchange vows. But many couples have no clue what to say! Below we’re sharing traditional wedding vows to inspire you and help you find the perfect words for your ceremony.
Wedding vows traditions: Are traditional wedding vows right for me?
Before we get into the vows, you might be wondering if traditional vows are the way to go. After all, you’re getting married in the 21st Century, not the 1500s. But traditional wedding vows could be the right choice for your modern age wedding.
Traditional vows are traditional for a reason. They have stood the test of time and their words are still meaningful to couples hundreds of years later. Even though the words aren’t uniquely yours, you can still have a special moment reciting them with your partner.
There’s something powerful about being able to speak the exact same words that have been said between newlyweds for centuries. This could be even more meaningful to you if you know that your parents, or your grandparents, also used these traditional vows at their weddings.
If you’re religious, traditional vows are a great way to honour that part of you by including your beliefs in your wedding vows. While many traditional vows do have religious origins, you can still opt for traditional vows even if you’re not religious. You can simply remove any mention of “God” or other religious phrases from the vows below.
Remember, traditional vows can always be used as a starting point. You can recite these vows word for word or you can allow them to inspire you to write your own vows. You can tweak them, combine a few different ones or recite them verbatim – it’s completely up to you!
by Erica Miller Photography
Top 20 traditional wedding vows
Do you take X as your lawfully wedded wife/husband
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), for my lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death does us part. I will love and honor you all the days of my life.”
Covenant before God
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my wife/husband, and I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful husband/wife in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.
These things I promise you
I, (NAME), take you, to be my (wife/husband), and these things I promise you: I will be faithful to you and honest with you; I will respect, trust, help, and care for you; I will share my life with you; I will forgive you as we have been forgiven; and I will try with you better to understand ourselves, the world, and God; through the best and worst of what is to come, and as long as we live.
My solemn vow
In the name of God, I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), 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, until parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
Pledge thee my faith
I, (NAME), take thee, (NAME), 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 do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith.
by Erica Miller Photography
With divine assistance
In the presence of God and these our friends, I take thee to be my wife/husband, promising with divine assistance to be unto thee a loving and faithful husband/wife so long as we both shall live.
Holy relationship of marriage
(NAME), I now take you to be my wedded wife/husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy relationship of marriage. I promise to love and comfort you, honor and keep you, and forsaking all others, I will be yours alone as long as we both shall live.
Until death parts us
I take you, (NAME), to be my wife/husband from this day forward, to join with you and share all that is to come, and I promise to be faithful to you until death parts us.
In honesty and sincerity
I pledge, in honesty and sincerity, to be for you a faithful and helpful wife/husband.
Love, honor and respect
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), as my wedded wife/husband and I promise you love, honor and respect; to be faithful to you, and not to forsake you until death do us part. So help me God, one in the Holy Trinity and all the Saints.
by Erica Miller Photography
Abiding love
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know, I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us.
My hand, my heart and my spirit
I, (NAME), in the name of the spirit of God that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood and the love that resides within my heart, take thee, (NAME), to my hand, my heart, and my spirit, to be my chosen one. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people, and thy ways as I respect myself.”
All the days of my life
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 and honor you all the days of my life.
Equal partner
I, (NAME) , commit myself to you, (NAME), as (wife/husband) 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.
I choose you
(NAME), I take you as my wife/husband, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my 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.
by Emily Nicole Photos
One true love
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), 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. 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.
Lifelong union
I vow to be your faithful husband/wife, understanding that marriage is a lifelong union, and not to be entered into lightly, for the purpose of mutual fellowship, encouragement, and understanding; for the procreation of children and their physical and spiritual nurture. I hereby give myself to you in this cause with my sacred vow before God.
Through the best and the worst
I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), to be my wife/husband and these things I promise you: I will be faithful to you and honest with you; I will respect, trust, help, and care for you; I will share my life with you; I will forgive you as we have been forgiven; and I will try with you better to understand ourselves, the world, and God; through the best and worst of what is to come, and as long as we live.
Declare your intent
I take you, (NAME), to be my husband/wife from this day forward, to join with you and share all that is to come, and I promise to be faithful to you of God and this congregation to declare your intent.
Life with you forevermore
Before our friends and those so special to us here, on this wonderful day of gladness and good fortune, I, (NAME), take you, (NAME), as my husband/wife, in friendship, and in love, in strength and weakness, to share the good times and misfortune, in achievement and failure, to celebrate life with you forevermore.
by Erica Miller Photography
What about alternative wedding vows?
So you’ve read through the top 20 traditional wedding vows and you’re not sure if traditional is for you? That’s okay! There are lots of other vow options out there. You can choose vows that are more modern, personal or alternative.
Check out a sampling of some alternative vows below that might be more your style:
Share in your dreams
From this day forward I promise you these things:
I will laugh with you in times of joy and comfort you in times of sorrow.
I will share in your dreams, and support you as you strive to achieve your goals.
I will listen to you with compassion and understanding, and speak to you with encouragement.
I will help you when you need it, and step aside when you don’t.
I will remain faithful to you for better or worse, in times of sickness and health.
You are my best friend and I will love and respect you always.
Biggest adventure
Today I stand before you, ready to start the biggest adventure of our lives. I know it will be really hard, and some days will take a lot of work. But I also know that there will be days filled with love, laughter, and pure bliss. I can’t imagine sharing this adventure with anyone else but you. You’re my best friend, the love of my life, and my soul mate. Today I promise to stand by your side and to love you always.
Best friend for life
(NAME), you are my best friend for life. I pledge to honour, encourage, and support you through our walk together. When our way becomes difficult, I promise to stand by you and uplift you, so that through our bond we can accomplish more than we could alone. I promise to work at our love, and always make you a priority in my life. With every beat of my heart, I will love you.
As we build our lives
(NAME), I pledge to you to be your loving friend and partner in marriage. To talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate you; to respect and cherish your uniqueness; and to support, comfort, and strengthen you through life’s joys and sorrows. I promise to share hopes, thoughts, and dreams as we build our lives together. May our lives be ever intertwined, our love keep us together. May we build a home that is compassionate to all, full of respect and honour for others and each other. And may our home be forever filled with peace, happiness, and love.
Have you considered writing your own vows? As officiants who have married hundreds of couples, we always love when our couples choose to write their own wedding vows. There’s something so special about writing the promises that you make to your spouse, and taking that time to reflect on your relationship and marriage ahead.
A lot of people are scared to commit to the best wedding vows ever but they have no idea where to start. They’re convinced that they are a horrible writer or just not that romantic. We get it! It can be a lot of pressure to try and sum up your entire relationship and promises for your marriage in just a few lines.
Which is why we created our How To Write Your Own Wedding Vows Online Course to walk you through the process of writing your own personalized wedding vows. We break down the process, step by step, so you’re not just staring at a blank page. This course will help you get over the worst case of writer’s block and add that personal touch to your ceremony.
As officiants, the vows are one of our favourite parts of the wedding ceremony. It’s the promises you’re making to your new spouse about the life and marriage you’re going to have together. It doesn’t get more intimate and important than that!
And while we love when our couples write their own vows, we also get that not everyone is into that idea. And that’s totally fine! Remember, it’s your wedding – your way, and your vows should reflect that.
So what kind of vows are right for you? Take our fun quiz below to find out!
And remember, this quiz is just for fun. We’re not mind readers. You do you with your vows!
Photo by Kaoverii Silva Photography
1) It’s a few weeks before your wedding and you and your boo are having a romantic movie night. What’s playing?
A – When Harry Met Sally
B – The Proposal
C – He’s Just Not That Into You
D – La La Land
2) You’re hungry! It’s dinner time. What are you cooking up?
A – Steak and potatoes
B – Sushi take out
C – A mish mash of leftovers
D – You’re opening up the cupboards and winging it
3) Wedding morning and you want to write your soon-to-be spouse a love letter. Where do you start?
A – Quoting a line from a book of love poems
B – Including a lyric from your favourite song
C – Memories of your relationship milestones over the years
D – Straight from the heart! Pouring out whatever you are feeling in the moment
Photo by Mathias Fast Photography
4) What does your wedding wardrobe look like?
A – Modest white dress or formal black suit
B – Low back mermaid style or modern navy suit
C – Lace dress with mom’s veil or grey suit with grandpa’s handkerchief
D – Colourful ombre dress or purple tux
5) What song do you envision walking down the aisle to?
A – The Wedding March. No question.
B – Something by The Beatles
C – An instrumental version of a pop song we love
D – Our wedding party is playing kazoos and ukuleles as we walk down the aisle
6) It’s time for the flowers. What’s going in the bouquets?
A – Romantic red roses
B – Modern peonies
C – A mismatch of seasonal blooms
D – Succulents and greenery
Photo by Emily Nicole Photos
7) What kind of food are you serving at the reception?
A – Plated meals of chicken, steak or fish
B – We’re bringing in a food truck
C – Buffet style with every type of cuisine
D – Our favourite restaurant is catering
8) And what are you drinking?
A – Red or white. A little bubbly for toasts.
B – Craft beer
C – There’s going to be a Make Your Own Caesar Bar
D – Signature cocktails based on our favourite flavours
9) At the end of the night, where would we find you?
A – Heading into our newlywed car and driving to the airport to start our honeymoon
B – Doing a sparkler exit with all of our guests
C – Putting together a bag of sweets from our candy bar
D – Still dancing to our favourite songs
10) The big question: How do you actually feel about writing your own wedding vows?
A – Absolutely not
B – Probably not for us
C – We kind of like that idea
D – We LOVE that idea
Photo by Emily Nicole Photos
If you got…
Mostly As: Traditional Vows
If you picked mostly As, your best fit might be reciting traditional vows. Traditional vows are traditional for a reason – they have stood the test of time. Check out some traditional vows and other vow options here.
Mostly Bs: Contemporary Vows
If you picked mostly Bs, your best fit might be reciting contemporary modern vows. You’re right in the middle where you don’t want older traditional vows but you also don’t want to craft your own. Luckily, there are lots of awesome modern vows for you to choose from. Check out some great options here.
Mostly Cs: Mix and Match Vows
If you picked mostly Cs, your best fit is mix and match vows. You don’t want to write your vows from scratch but you also don’t want to recite any pre-written vows exactly as they are. So lucky for you, you can mix and match. Take one line from these vows, two lines from those vows, add a word, change a word, cut a line – do whatever you want! These are your vows. Check out this list to start mashing together your custom vows.
Mostly Ds: Write Your Own
If you picked mostly Ds, your best fit is to write your own vows. You are a unique person and no one is going to be able to capture your love story better than you. Writing your own vows can sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Check out our free guide below to help you get started.
written by Riana Ang-Canning
feature image by Erica Miller Photography
