Wedding Vows
A well-versed and well-rehearsed wedding vow, especially when it comes from the heart, sends a certain chill to everyone who hears it. Wedding vows have been a long-time tradition in wedding ceremonies.
The promise of a lifetime commitment to each other despite difficulties and differences guarantees that true love really exists. Isn’t that a nice thought?
Both the groom and bride exchange wedding vows. Commonly, the vows would include a pledge of unselfishness, faithfulness, and unconditional love. If you are in the dark on what to write in your wedding vows, don’t be, you can find one of a kind wedding vow just with a click of your mouse.
Surfing the internet for wedding vows proved to be a good source of ideas and tips that you can readily use on your wedding day. You may need to pay for the service on some sites, but you can scout one for free too.
Free wedding vows do away with the traditional and scripted promise one hears over and over again in common wedding ceremonies. The good thing about free wedding vows on the net, aside from the fact that they are free, they give you the freedom and flexibility to write what you want to say from your heart.
You can modify the free sample vows or if you find the writing incredibly heartwarming, you can go ahead and use it without revisions.
There are different vows you can choose from, like everything, vows can be customized according to the circumstances that you are in.
There can be vows specially written for second marriage couples, couples with children, religious variations, or wedding anniversaries. Using poetry as part of a vow is a common practice too. Those of Gibran, Keats, and Browning are popular choices.
You can browse some internet sites that can even offer a free worksheet format and questionnaires that you need to fill out for you to easily modify your chosen wedding vow, these will serve as your guideline so that you can re-evaluate what you want to say.
Before that big day, preparing your wedding vows is very crucial. Writing your vows together is a very special activity that is highly recommended.
When writing a wedding vow together, set a specific time and place where the two of you can have some privacy. You can jot down your promises on a separate sheet of paper and agree to compare what you’ve written after an hour or so.
First, write a letter professing your love for your partner, do not hesitate to elaborate on what you are feeling, be creative and be sure to take note of your favorite and memorable times together, either good or bad.
Some suggestions are the first time that you met, the moment when finally said ‘yes’ or when a trying situation happened but still your love for each other endure.
Grab sweet lines from songs, books, or scriptures that translate your love for your partner. After writing down your letter, get back together and read each other’s writings. Reading the letters can be truly heartwarming.
Prepare to share a laugh or even occasional crying. Share your thoughts on the best part of the letter and from there start your outline for your vows.
The secret of a good wedding vow is making it a personal commitment to your other half and making sure that the message you convey is made clear and simple. Nothing beats anything that genuinely comes from the heart.
Wedding Vows Books
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Traditional Wedding Vows
Here is a selection of free wedding vows ranging from traditional to modern, and religious to non-religious.
Wedding Vow Variant 1
I take you,______________, to be my wife/husband and I promise before God and all who are present here to be your loving and faithful husband/wife, as long as our lives shall last. I will serve you with tenderness and respect and encourage you to develop God s gifts in you.
Wedding Vow Variant 2
I, ________________, take you, _____________, to be my wife/husband; and I promise 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.
Wedding Vow Variant 3
Before God and these witnesses, I, ________________, take you, _______________, to be my husband/wife, and I promise to love you, and to be faithful to you as long as we both shall live.
Wedding Vow Variant 4
Do you, _____________, take this woman/man, _______________, to be your wife/husband, according to God s holy decree; do you promise to be to him/her a loving and loyal husband/wife, to cherish and keep her/him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to him/her as long as you both shall live?
Answer: I do.
Wedding Vow Variant 5
,_________________, will you have this woman/man to be your wife/husband to live together according to God s decree in the holy estate of marriage? Will you love her/him, comfort her/him, honor and keep her/him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, faithfully keep to her/him alone, so long as you both shall live?
Answer: I will
Wedding Vow Variant 6
I, _____________, take you, ______________, to be my wife/husband, according to Gods holy decree: 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 we part: and to that, I pledge you my faithfulness.
Wedding Vow Variant 7
I _____, take you ______, 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 or in health, to love and to cherish ’till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.
To Love You Without Reservation
I, (Bride’s Name), take (you/thee), (Groom’s Name), to be my [opt: lawfully wedded] husband, secure in the knowledge that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love.
On this special [opt: and holy] day, I (affirm/reaffirm/give) to you in the presence of God and (all those in attendance/these witnesses) my (pledge/sacred promise) to stay by your side as your [opt: faithful] wife in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad.
I (promise/further promise) to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve (higher/all of your) goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
I, (Groom’s Name), take (you/thee), (Bride’s Name), to be my [opt: lawfully wedded] wife, knowing in my heart that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love. On this special [opt: and holy] day, I (affirm/reaffirm/give) to you in the presence of God and (all those in attendance/these witnesses) my (pledge/sacred promise) to stay by your side as your [opt: faithful] husband in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad.
I (promise/further promise) to love you without reservation, honor and respect you, provide for your needs as best I can, protect you from harm, comfort you in times of distress, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
The Book of Common Prayer
I, (name) take thee, (name) to be my wedded (husband/wife), to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, ’til death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance; thereto I plight thee my troth.
(Thereto I pledge my love).
Holding Hands
Bride and Groom Holding Hands
________, please face ________ and hold his hands, palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you.
These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love, that is holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.
These are the hands you will place with expectant joy against your stomach, until he too, feels his child stir within you.
These are the hands that look so large and strong, yet will be so gentle as he holds your baby for the first time.
These are the hands that will work long hours for you and your new family.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will comfort you in illness and hold you when fear or grief wracks your mind.
These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into his eyes: eyes that are filled completely with his overwhelming love and desire for you.
,________, please hold,________’s hands, palms up, where you may see the gift that they are to you. These are the hands of your best friend, smooth, young, and carefree, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as she pledges her love and commitment to you all the days of her life.
These are the hands that will hold each child in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurt, supporting and encouraging them along the way, and knowing when it is time to let go.
These are the hands that will massage tension from your neck and back in the evenings after you’ve both had a long hard day.
These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.
These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick or console you when you are grieving.
They are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will hold you in joy and excitement and hope, each time she tells you that you are to have another child, that together you have created a new life.
These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together as a team, everything you wish for can be realized.
Minister:
God, bless these hands that you see before you this day. May they always be held by one another. Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their wondrous love. Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring, and devoted to reaching for your perfection. May ________ and ________ see their four hands as healer, protector, shelter and guide.
We ask this in your name, Amen.
Exchange Of Vows
I, ________, take you ________ to be my 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. I will love you faithfully Through the best and the worst, Through the difficult and the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold So I give you my life to keep So help me God.
I, ________, take you ________, to be my husband, 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. I will love you faithfully Through the best and the worst, Through the difficult and the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold So I give you my life to keep So help me God.
In unison: Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.
Pagan Vows
I, ________, 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 ________ to my hand, my heart, and my spirit, to be my chosen one. To desire thee and be desired by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. 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.
Civil Ceremony Wedding Vows
________, I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband/wife.
Before these witnesses, I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live.
I take you, with all your faults and strengths, as I offer myself to you with all my faults and strengths.
I will help you when you need help and turn to you when I need help.
I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.
Minister
Many are asking for obedience and until death do you part from their vows.
My substitution is an honor, cherish and love (obey) and until the end of your forever (death do you part)
Roman Catholic Wedding Vows
I, ________, take you, ________, to be my husband/wife.
I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you
and honor you all the days of my life.
Christian Wedding Vows
Christian Wedding Vow example 1
Groom
I ________, in faith, honesty and love, take you, ________, to be my wedded wife, to share with you God’s plan for our lives together united in Christ. And with God’s help, to strengthen and guide me I will be a strong spiritual leader for us in our lives, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, in joys and in sorrows, until death, do we part. I give you all that I have myself and my love. (All these things I pledge to thee) In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. With this ring, I seal my vow of love to you, ________, and pray I may fulfill God’s place in our home, in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Bride
I, ________, in faith, honesty, and love, take you, ________ to be my wedded husband, to share with you God’s plan for our lives together united in Christ. And with God’s help, to strengthen and guide me I will be your supportive wife, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, in joys and in sorrows, until death, do we part. I give you all that I have myself and my love. (All these things I pledge to thee) In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. With this ring, I seal my vow of love to you, ________, and pray I may fulfill God’s place in our home, in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Christian Wedding Vow Sample 2
Groom
________, as we stand before both God and man, making public our commitment to one another, I wish to make it known that I recognize first of all God’s authority over my life which is exercised from His loving heart. He has chosen me to be one of his own, and He is now my life. I recognize also that He has blessed me and entrusted to me your life as a free gift that I have not earned. In recognition of these things, ________ I purpose to love you with His love, to provide for your needs through His enablement, and to lead you as He leads me, as long as He gives us life together, regardless of the circumstances. As Psalm 34:3 expressed my heart when I asked you to marry me, so it expresses my heart now: “O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.”
Bride
On this special day, ________, I am reminded of the verse James l:17 which says, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” With a gift such as you, I know that many new responsibilities face me. In I Corinthians, it explains “It is required of a steward to be found trustworthy.” I cannot do this on my own strength, ________, but by God’s grace and power working within me, I desire to be trustworthy as your wife by following your leading submissively, even as unto Christ, loving and serving you in all circumstances as long as He gives me life on this earth.
Christian Wedding Vow Sample 3
Groom
________, I love you and I know that this love is from God. Because of this, I want to be your husband so that we might serve Christ together. Through all of the uncertainties and trials of the present and future, I promise to be faithful to you and love you. I promise to guide and protect you as Christ does his church, as long as we both shall live. God’s Word gives us the perfect example of this love in Christ’s death for the Church. I shall try always, with God’s help, to show you this same kind of love, for I know that in His sight we will both be one.
Bride
________, I love you. I prayed that God would lead me to his choice. I praise Him that tonight His will is being fulfilled. Through the pressures of the present and uncertainties of the future, I promise my faithfulness, to follow you through all of life’s experiences as you follow God, that together we may grow in the likeness of Christ and our home be a praise to Him.
Christian Wedding Vow Sample 4
Groom
________, I love you. Today is a very special day. Long ago you were just a dream and a prayer. This day like a dream come true the Lord Himself has answered that prayer. For today, ________, you as my joy become my crown. I thank Jesus for the honor of going through the time with you. Thank you for being what you are to me. With our future as bright as the promises of God, I will care for you, honor and protect you. I lay down my life for you, ________, my friend and my love. Today I give to you me.
Bride
________, I love you and I know you love me. I am confident that God has chosen you to be my husband. It is my prayer and desire that you will find in me the helpmeet God designed especially for you, and in confidence, I will submit myself unto your headship as unto our Lord. Therefore, ________ I pledge to you my life as an obedient, faithful, and loving wife. Whither thou goest I will go, whither thou lodgest I will lodge, Thy people shall be my people, And thy God my God.
Christian Vow Sample 5
Groom
________, we read in Genesis, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife,” and in Proverbs “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing.” He has ordained that the husband be the head of the wife. He instructs me, as the one who will be your husband, to love you as Christ loves the Church. It is my desire and delight to follow this scriptural teaching. With all my heart, I make this pledge to you.
Bride
________, the Lord instructs me as the one who will be your wife to submit to you as unto Him. Our Father created woman to be man’s helper. It is my desire and delight to follow this scriptural teaching. With all my heart I make this pledge to you.
Christian Wedding Vow Sample 6
Groom
I love you, ________, and I know that God has ordained this love. Because of this, I desire to be your husband. Together we will be vessels for His service in accordance with His plan so that in all areas of our life Christ will have pre-eminence. Through the pressures of the present and the uncertainties of the future, I promise to be faithful to you. I promise to love, guide, and protect you as Christ does His Church, and as long as we both are alive. According to Ephesians 5 and with His enabling power, I promise to endeavor to show to you the same kind of love as Christ showed the Church when He died for her, and to love you as a part of myself because in His sight we shall be one.
Bride
I love you, ________ and I know that you love me. Because of this, I desire to be your wife. For _ years I have prayed that God would lead me to His choice and I am confident that His will is being fulfilled tonight. Through the pressures of the present and the uncertainties of the future, I promise to be faithful to you. I will love, serve, and obey you as long as we both are alive. Christ told us that the wife must submit herself unto her own husband as unto the Lord. For as Christ is Head of His Church so is the husband head of his wife. ________, I submit myself to you.
Christian Wedding Vow Sample 7
Groom
I, ________, take you, ________, to be my wedded wife. With the deepest joy, I receive you into my life that together we may be one. As is Christ to His body, the church, so I will be to you a loving and faithful husband. Always will I perform my headship over you even as Christ does over me, knowing that His Lordship is one of the holiest desires for my life. I promise you my deepest love, my fullest devotion, my tenderest care. I promise I will live first unto God rather than others or even you. I promise that I will lead our lives into a life of faith and hope in Christ Jesus. Ever honoring God’s guidance by His spirit through the Word, And so throughout life, no matter what may lie ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful husband.
Bride
I, ________, take you, ________, to be my wedded husband. With the deepest joy, I come into my new life with you. As you have pledged to me your life and love, so I too happily give you my life, and in confidence submit myself to your headship as to the Lord. As is the church in her relationship to Christ, so I will be to you. ________, I will live first unto our God and then unto you, loving you, obeying you, caring for you, and ever seeking to please you. God has prepared me for you and so I will ever strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage you. Therefore, throughout life, no matter what may be ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as an obedient and faithful wife.
Presbyterian Wedding Vows
Presbyterian Wedding Vow Sample 1
I, ________, take thee ________, to be my wedded husband/wife, and I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses, to be thy loving and faithful wife/husband; in plenty and in want,
in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.
Presbyterian Wedding Vow Sample 2
“Do you, ________, take ________ to be your husband/wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him/her, forsaking all others and holding only unto him/her?” (“I do”)
(Repeat) “I ________, take thee ________, to be my husband/wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise my love to you..”
(Ring) With this ring, I thee wed; all my love, I do thee give.”
Methodist Wedding Vows
Methodist Wedding Vow Sample 1
I, ________, take thee ________, to be my husband/wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better – for worse, for richer – for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, and thereto I pledge thee my faith.
Methodist Wedding Vow Sample 2
I, ________, ask you, ________, to be my husband/wife as my friend and my love.
On this day I affirm the relationship we have enjoyed, looking to the future to deepen and strengthen it. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. Together we will dream, will stumble but restore each other, we will share all things, serving each other and our fellow humanity. I will cherish and respect you, comfort and encourage you, be open with you, and stay with you as long as we shall Live, freed and bound by our Love.
Methodist Wedding Vow Sample 3
“________, wilt thou have this man/woman to be thy wedded husband/wife to live together after God’s ordinance in the Holy Estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love him/her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto him/her, so long as ye both shall live? (“I will”)
(Repeat) “I, ________, take thee ________, to be my husband/wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better – for worse, for richer – for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, and thereto I pledge thee my faith.”
(Rings) “In token and pledge of the vow between us made, with this ring I thee wed; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
(Rings) “Receive this ring as a token of wedded love and faith.”
United Methodist Declaration of Consent
I take you, ________, 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.
Lutheran Wedding Vows
Lutheran Wedding Vow Sample 1
I, ________, take thee ________, to be my husband/wife,
and pledge thee my troth,
so long as ye both shall live.
Lutheran Wedding Vow Sample 2
I, ________, take you, ________, to be my husband/wife,
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 the worst of what is to come as long as we live.
Lutheran Wedding Vow Sample 3
________, Our miracle lies in the path we have chosen together.
I enter into this marriage with you knowing that the true magic of love
is not to avoid changes, but to navigate them successfully.
Let us commit until death parts us.
Lutheran Wedding Vow Sample 4
________, wilt thou have this man/woman to be thy wedded husband/wife to live together after God’s ordinance in the Holy Estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love him/her, comfort him/her, honor and keep him/her as long as ye both shall live?” (“I will”)
(Repeat) “I, ________, take thee ________, to be my husband/wife, and pledge thee my troth, so long as ye both shall live?”
(Rings) “Receive this ring as a token of wedded love and faith.”
(Rings) “With this ring, I thee wed, and pledge thee my troth..”
Jewish Wedding Vows
Groom
Do you ________, take ________ to be your wife? (“I do”).
Do you promise to love, cherish and protect her, whether in good fortune or in adversity and to seek with her a life
hallowed by the faith of Israel? (“I do”)
Bride
Do you ________, take ________ to be your husband? (“I do”).
Do you promise to love, cherish and protect him, whether
in good fortune or in adversity and to seek with him a life hallowed by the faith of Israel? (“I do”)
Buddhist Wedding Vows
In the future, happy occasions will come as surely as the morning.
Difficult times will come as surely as the night.
When things go joyously, meditate according to the Buddhist tradition.
When things go badly, meditate.
Meditation in the manner of the Compassionate Buddha will guide your life.
To say the words ‘love and compassion are easy.
But to accept that love and compassion are built upon patience and perseverance is not easy.
Baptist Wedding Vows
Baptist Wedding Vow Sample 1
I, ________, take thee ________, to be my husband/wife,
and before God and these witnesses, I promise to be
a faithful and true husband/wife.
Baptist Wedding Vow Sample 2
“Will you, ________, have ________ to be your husband/wife? Will you love him/her, comfort and keep him/her, and forsaking all others remain true to him/her as long as you both shall live?” (“I will”)
(Repeat) “I, ________, take thee ________, to be my husband/wife, and before God and these witnesses I promise to be a faithful and true husband/wife.”
(Rings) “With this ring, I thee wed, and all my worldly goods I thee endow. In sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, ’til death do us part.”
Related: Personalized Wedding Vows Examples
Other Resources On The Web
Book of Common Prayer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Common_Prayer