Wedding Vows

Wedding vows are a very important part of the wedding ceremony, to a lot of people the most important. There are traditional vows and then the more personal, untraditional style. Really, it is up to you to design the wedding vows so they ring true to you and your partner. The wedding vows are a promise of your devotion to each other, so ensure that you say what is truly important to you and has true meaning.

Since you are both going say your vows you can choose to either say the same thing or to each say something different. Some want to 'surprise' their partner by writing their own vows to them and not show them before the actual wedding.

Traditional wedding vow samples

If you are getting married in a more traditional setting such as a church, or overall having a more religious ceremony, you may want to consult with the priest of the church about the wording of your vows and if there is anything you should defer from and/or if there is something in particular that is recommended to include when you write your wedding vows.

Here are some samples of traditional vows (not necessarily religious):

I, (name), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do us part.

I, (name), take you (name), to be my (opt: lawfully wedded) (husband/wife), my faithful partner, my friend and my love from this day onwards.

With God in our presence, our friends and family, I vow to be faithful to you in sickness and in health, in bad times just as in good, in sorrow as well as in joy. I will love you unconditionally and support you through whatever life brings us. I will honor and respect you and look forward to share both laughter and tears with you. I will cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

Non-traditional wedding vow samples

If it suits your personality and relationship you may choose to go with wedding vows that are slightly less traditional.

Below are a few samples of more non-traditional vows

I, (name), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), best friend, partner and lover. I will honor and respect our bond and love you more each day. I will trust you, laugh with you and share your tears with you. Always by your side in good times and bad, regardless of challenges we may meet. I give you my heart, my love, my hand in all our days together.

In the presence of God and our families and friends I take thee to be my husband/wife, promising to be a loving and faithful husband/wife (opt: and father/mother) for as long as we both shall live.

I, (name), take you (name), to be my lover and my friend, the (mother/father) of my children and my beloved partner in life. During times of plenty and times of want, times of sickness and times of health, I will be by your side. When we are blessed with sorrow as with joy, we will face and share those experiences together. I vow to respect and cherish you. I will care for you and protect you. I will comfort and encourage you. I will be to you faithful and always true for all eternity to come.

Religious wedding vow samples

Religious vows will often be inspired by your faith. It may be good to consult your priest (or similar) when writing your vows if you want to be very strict with making your vows align with your religion.

Here are a couple of samples of religious wedding vows that can also be altered to better work for you;

Male:
(Name of partner), I love you and I feel certain this love comes from God. With our common faith I want to be your husband so we can serve Christ together. Through any uncertainties and tests of the moment and the future, I will be faithful and love you always. I promise to protect you and guide you as Christ guides this church. I shall try to always, with the help of God, show you my love for I know that in His sight we will both be one.

Female:
(Name of partner), I love you and I am forever grateful that God has lead me in this direction. Through the challenges of the present and the future I will always be faithful and I will be with you through all the experiences we are yet to meet as followers to God. On our path through life, with God by our side, may we grow in the likeness of Christ and let our home be praise to Him.

Humorous wedding vow samples

If both you and your partner feel that a bit of fun and humor is the best way to cherish your bond then by all means let that color your vows for your wedding. Be sure though that you are both on the same page so that one of you do not get disappointed by what you say in your wedding vows (and so that your vows somewhat jive with your partners).

Here is a sample of some funny/humorous wedding vows to inspire you;

Groom:
I, (name) choose you, (name) to be my life partner. In front of our friends and family here today I promise to cherish, respect and love you through good and tough times. I promise to try to remember replace the toilet roll when it is finished and I to put down the toilet seat. I will remember this day with lots of love and I promise to always look after you. I will love you till eternity.

Bride:
I, (name) choose you, (name) as my partner in life and with our friends and family with us here today I promise to love and cherish you through whatever we may face on our path through life. I promise to learn how to refill the windshield washer fluid when it runs out and to change a tire. I will always be here to comfort you when your team loses and drink beer with you when they win. I will remember this day with tender love always just like I will always love you.