Your wedding vows are the most intimate part of your ceremony. In many cases, the vows are the most emotional part of the ceremony, they can also be filled with laughter and humor, as well as other “inside” wording that is special to the couple. The goal with the vows below are to help you get your thought process rolling as to what you might like to say to your fiancé as you become husband and wife.
Below you will find samples of Traditional Vows as well as Faith Based Vows. And if you would like to listen to vows being spoken at a ceremony we have a video at the bottom of the page to enjoy.
There are three basic options for presenting your vows. First, to put your mind at ease, you do not have to memorize anything to implement the perfect wedding vows into your ceremony. With any of the options below, you can select specific pre-written vows I’ve provided or you can combine specific portions of the vows to customize your personalized vows. Remember, your vows are personal; make them yours. In some cases, the groom and bride do not have the exact same vows; each has something specific they want to make sure is stated to the other, so they customize their vows to reflect their preferences. Another option is to use the vows below as a guide to help you begin thinking of exactly what you want to say to your fiancé’. You can add to or take away from any of these vows; you can search online and find thousands of examples of vows. The most important thing to do is to ensure your vows say specifically what you want for this special commitment you are making.
Option 1: Repeat after me – with this option, I generally start with the groom and will provide 3-5 words at a time for the groom to repeat after me. Once the groom has completed his vows, I will ask the bride to repeat after me the vows she has selected, providing 3-5 words at a time. This option can be used with pre-written vows or customized vows.
Option 2: I Do – I Do vows are generally used if one or both of you are shy, find it hard to speak in public, or if you struggle with the English language. With I Do vows, you can select any pre-written vows or write custom vows, and I will state the vows you’ve written and then ask you to affirm by saying I Do at the end of the vows.
Option 3: Reading your vows – Some couples wish to read their vows to one another, instead of repeating after me. Again, you can select any pre-written vows, or write custom vows for this option. I will have a copy of your vows with me (I ask all couples to email me a copy of their vows, I’ve had more than one couple arrive without their vows). I will either hand you your vows, or you can bring your own and use your preferred method to read them (some couples bring them in a “vows book”, I generally use an IPad).
Traditional Vows
Use the below vows to assist you with your options; your vows DO NOT have to be the same, choose or write words that are special to each of you. The below vows are written in various formats, but the wording can be changed to be used in the method you prefer (Repeat after me, I Do, or Reading to one another).
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #1
Groom – Do you (Groom) take (Bride) to be your lawful wedded wife, will you love, respect and honor her all the days of your life? Please affirm by stating I Do.
Bride – Do you (Bride) take (Groom) to be your lawful wedded husband, will you love, respect and honor him all the days of your life? Please affirm by stating I Do.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #2
Groom: I (Groom) affirm my love to you, (Bride) as I invite you to share my life. You are the most beautiful, smart, and generous person I have ever known. I promise always to respect you, be kind to you, treat you as a lady, and defend you at all times. With kindness, unselfishness and trust, I will work by your side to create a wonderful life together. I take you (Bride) to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.
Bride: I (Bride) affirm my love to you, (Groom) as I invite you to share my life. You are the most handsome, witty, funny, and generous person I have ever known. I promise always to respect you, to treat you as the leader of our home, and honor you at all times. With kindness, unselfishness and trust, I will work by your side to create a wonderful life together. I take you (Groom) to be my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #3
(Name), I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. 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. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #4
(Name) do you take (name) to be your lawful wedded wife/husband? Do you promise to love, cherish, and respect her/him, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her/him, for so long as you both shall live? Please affirm by stating I Do.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #5
(Name), I promise to love and care for you, I will always be honest, kind, patient, and forgiving with you. I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you for as long as we both shall live. I love you.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #6
I (name), take you (name), to be my wife/husband, to share the good times and hard times side by side. I humbly give you my hand and my heart as I pledge my faith and love to you. Just as the ring I give you today is a circle without end, so my love for you is eternal. Just as it is made of incorruptible substance, my commitment to you will never fail. I am yours for as long as we both shall live.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #7
(Name), do you pledge to love (name) and throughout your lives to be honest, faithful, and kind to her/him? Do you pledge to give to her/him the same happiness she/he gives to you, and to respect her for who she is, not who you want her to be? Please affirm by stating I Do.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #8
(Name), with all my love, I take you to be my wife/husband. I will love you through good and the bad, through joy and the sorrow. I will try to be understanding, and to trust in you completely. Together we will face all of life’s experiences and share one another’s dreams and goals. I promise I will be your equal partner in a loving, honest relationship, for as long as we both shall live.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #9
(Name), I promise to love you, to be your best friend, to respect and support you, to be patient with you, to work together with you to achieve our goals, to accept you unconditionally, and to share life with you throughout the years. I choose you as my husband/wife for the rest of our lives.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #10
(Name), I take you to be my wife/husband from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to be your faithful husband/wife, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond; a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #11
I (Name) pledge my love to you (Name) as I invite you to share my life. I promise to be kind, unselfish, respectful, and trustworthy so that together, our dreams of a beautiful future can come true. I take you (Name) to be my (husband/wife), to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #12
I (Name), take you, (Name) to be my (husband/wife). I promise to respect and support you, to be patient and loving towards you, to work by your side to achieve the things we value and dream of, and to savor our time together. I pledge to you all of these things from the bottom of my heart for the rest of our lives.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #13
(Name), today I take you for my (husband/wife). Now we will feel no rain, for each of us will be shelter for the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of us will be companion to the other. There is only one life before us, and our seasons will be good and long. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you, no matter what lies before us, for as long as we both shall live.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #14
(Name), I take you to be my (husband/wife), to join with you and to share all that is to come, to be your faithful (husband/wife), to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond. I make this commitment in love, will keep it in faith, and I am yours for the rest of our lives.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #15
I (name), take you (name) to be my (husband/wife), my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #16
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my friend, my lover, the (mother/father) of my children and my (husband/wife). I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and be your for all the days of our lives.
Traditional Wedding Vows Sample #17
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my (husband/wife), 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 (man/woman) 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 for the rest of our lives.
Wedding Vows for a Blended Family
Including children in the exchange of wedding vows is often a sensitive decision. Before choosing how deeply they are involved, it is important that you to talk to the kids about their feelings. If they want to participate, the entire family should decide together which promises they should make to each other.
Vows to Spouse: Today, as we join our lives as husband and wife, we also become a family. Just as I vow to love and support you for the rest of my days, I also pledge to support your children in achieving their dreams, to give them guidance when needed and to freely give them my unconditional love. Together, we will build the foundation of our family.
Vows to Children: I promise, from this day forward, to encourage you, love you, guide you and support you along whatever paths you take in this life. I vow to be honest, fair and respectful, offering you my unwavering affection and friendship.
Vows from Children: I promise to support your marriage, and accept my responsibility as a member of this family.
Christian Wedding Vows
Christian Wedding Vows Sample #1
Groom
I, _____, take you, ______, to be my wedded wife. As is Christ to His body, the church, so I will be to you a loving and faithful husband. 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 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. 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, trusting you, caring for you and being one with you. God has prepared me for you, I promise to strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage you. I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful wife.
Christian Wedding Vows Sample #2
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 the 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 Vows Sample #3
Groom
_____, we read in Genesis, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife,” and in Proverbs “The man that finds a wife finds 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 Vows 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, ______, I thank God for the honor of going through life 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.
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 a faithful and loving wife.
Christian Wedding Vows Sample #5
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. I choose you to be my wife.
Bride
______, I love you. I prayed that God would lead me to his choice. I thank 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. I choose you to be my husband.
Christian Wedding Vows Sample #6
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 power, and to lead you as He leads me, as long as He give us life together, regardless of the circumstances.
Bride
On this special day, _____, I am reminded of the verse James 1:17 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 give me life on this earth.
Christian Wedding Vows Sample #7
Groom
______, I choose you to be my wife, 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 as long as we both shall live. I pledge to you my faithfulness 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 choose you 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 have and to cherish, as long as we both shall live. I pledge you my faithfulness 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.
Christian Wedding Vows Sample #8
Groom
I, ______, take you _____ to be my wife, before God who brought us together; to love and cherish you even as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it, to lead you and share all of life’s experiences with you by following God through them. That through His grace, ____, we might grow together into the likeness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Bride
And with this ring, I, ____, take you, _____. to be my husband, before God who brought us together, to love you, cherish you, to submit myself unto you in all things, and to follow you through all of life’s experiences as you follow God. That through His grace we might grow together into the likeness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Christian Wedding Vows Sample #9
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 life, 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 you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Bride
I love you, ______, and I thank the Lord for the love that has bound our hearts and lives together in spiritual fellowship of marriage. I will love, honor, cherish and obey you always. As we enter upon the privileges and joys of life’s most holy relationship and begin together the great adventure of building a Christian home, I will look to you as head of our home as I have looked to Christ as Head of the Church. I will love you in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, in sorrow and in joy, and will be true to you by God’s grace, trusting in Him, so long as we both shall live.
Christian Wedding Vows Sample #10
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 God’s authority over my life which is exercised from His loving heart . He has chosen me to be one of His own, and has since been my life. I recognize also that He has blessed me, and entrusted to me your life as an unearned gift. In recognition of these things, I, _____, take you, _____, to be my wife. 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 me life, regardless of circumstances. ______, I look forward to establishing a home where Christ is glorified. Toward that end I promise to allow God to use you in my life as He sees best in building me into His person. I thank Him for your love and friendship.
Bride
I ______, take you, ______, to be my husband. With the greatest joy I come into my new life with you. Today I am reminded of James 1:17 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.” Besides the gift of salvation, you are the most precious gift God has given me. I know that along with the new joys God has given me, I face new responsibilities that I cannot fulfill in my own strength. But by God’s grace and power working within me, I desire to be trustworthy as your wife, to serve and love you in all circumstances, to obey you, to allow God to use you to build His qualities in me, as long as God give us life on this earth. I praise God continually for you, ______, and for your love and friendship.
Christian Wedding Vows Sample #11
Groom & Bride
I ____ in faith, honesty and love take you ___ as my wedded husband/wife. To share with you in God’s plan for our lives together united in Christ. To be a loving helpmate to you with God’s help and strength seeking Him always no matter the trial; whether sickness, health; joys or sorrows, till death do us part. I commit to you this day all that I am and all my love; I pledge to you, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Before Him I offer this ring as a symbol and seal of my love for you and a symbol of unity. I pray to faithfully fulfill my place as your helpmate; to be obedient to God’s purpose for me in your life and our lives together. To uphold you in prayer and submit my heart to you; to always be by and on your side, that the presence of the Lord reside in our home, In Jesus Name.