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!
Can wedding vows really be short and simple?
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.
We May Be One
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.
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.
I Choose You
(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.
More wedding vow resources!
- Everything You Need to Know About Wedding Vows
- 5 Different Ways to Say Your Wedding Vows
- What to Know About Repeating Wedding Vows
- Should You Write Your Own Wedding Vows?
- Should You Renew Your Vows?
- Top 20 Traditional Wedding Vows
- 22 Wedding Vows for Any Wedding Ceremony
- FREE wedding vow writing guide
The best resource for simple wedding vows is someone who has seen them up close hundreds of times – your wedding officiant! Meet our team of wedding officiants and book your ceremony package today!
written by Riana Ang-Canning
feature image by Deanna Rachel Photography
