Writing your wedding vows can be one of the most difficult parts of your entire wedding. For those gifted with writing and oratory skills it can be a pleasure, but for many it is stress inducing. I have read and had the privilege to listen to many different vows, from traditional to wacky.
Below I have put together a selection of those vows for your reference, a mix of repeat after me, “I do” and vows to read yourself. I encourage all couples to mix and match, add and subtract until they have created vows that reflex them and their love for one another
- Traditional
I Carly, take you Miguel, to be my 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.
- Traditional, but secular
Miguel today I take you to be my husband
Together we will create a home becoming a part of one another.
I vow to help create a life that we can cherish,
inspiring your love for me and mine for you.
I vow to be honest, caring, and truthful,
to love you as you are and not as I want you to be,
and to grow old by your side as your love and best friend.
- Secular
I, Carly, choose you Miguel to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, trusting what things I will discover. I will respect you as a person, a partner, and an equal. There is little to say that you haven’t already heard, and little to give that is not already freely given. Before you asked me, I was yours and I am devoted to you in every way. I marry you with no hesitation or doubt, and my commitment to you is absolute.
- Secular, but spiritual
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. 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.
- Short and sweet
I, Carly, do pledge you, Miguel, my love, for as long as I live. What I possess in this world, I give to you. I will keep you and hold you, comfort and tend you, protect you and shelter you, for all the days of my life.
- I promise (customizable)
I promise to leave my apple cores and dirty butter knifes on the counter
I promise to overdraft the checking account
I promise to complain about the kitty litter
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
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 v2.0 (customizable)
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
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
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
- Honest and loving (customizable)
I Carly, take you babyfaced one to be my husband, my friend, my lover, my tormentor, my companion in life and my instigator in trouble.
I will love you unconditionally, support you in your goals, honor and respect you, without TOO much sass (except on fridays).
I promise to love you faithfully through perfect times and the merely fabulous times, regardless of how often you are ADD boy.
I hereby promise to resist the urge to beat your ass when you are difficult to get out of bed.
In the presence of our family and friends who insisted on bloody tagging along, I offer you my solemn vow to be your Brat in sickness and in health, despite your nancy boy whining.
In good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow, I give you my trust, my love and my soul.
- One of my favorites!
Do you, Carly and Miguel, realize that this ceremony is the biggest real-deal, unplugged, sincerely meaningful, and everlasting thing you’ll ever do? “We do!”
And are you prepared to support and love each other unconditionally, throughout your many years together, no matter how silly or serious, geeky or nerdy, artsy or fartsy, the situation may be? “We do!”
Do you, Carly, agree to be Miguel’s technical support, spellchecker, jogging companion and loving life partner? “I do.”
Do you, Miguel, agree to be Carlyl’s playtester, barber, life coach, and loving life partner? “I do.”
- Sweet personal vows
I am proud to take you as my husband/wife.
For all the time we have been together, there has always been the kind of mutual understanding which is only shared when there is true love.
You have helped me triumph over challenges presented,
Encouraged my personal growth and boosted my self-esteem.
You have helped me become the person I am today,
And with your help, I will be a better person tomorrow than I was yesterday.
I vow to trust and value your opinions, and stand by your actions.
I pledge to always treat you as my best friend and equal.
I will ask for help when I need it, and offer help to you always.
Let us be friends and lovers, and grow old disgracefully together.
- Instead of “I do”, “I will”
Will you, Carly, keep Miguel as your favorite person — to laugh with him, go on adventures with him, support him through life’s tough moments, be proud of him, grow old with him, and find new reasons to love him every day?
“I will.”
Will you, Carly and Miguel, be each other’s partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely — for the rest of this lifetime and for whatever may come next?
“We will.”