Wedding Vows

Whether you want your wedding vows to be funny or romantic, traditional/non traditional or religious in nature, you will want the meaning behind your wedding vows to be conveyed.

There are an assortment of vows to choose from.

Traditional wedding vows

Traditional wedding vows are usually based on a religious ceremony.
Roman catholic vows are as follows:
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 honour you all the days of my life. I, ____, take you, ____, for my lawful (husband/wife), 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.

Traditional English wedding vows according to the book of common prayer are:

Groom: I,____, take thee,_____, to my lawful wedded 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 us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth. Bride: I,_____, take thee,_____, to my lawful wedded 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, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth

Baptist wedding vows: Will you, _______, have _____ to be your wife/husband? Will you love her/him, comfort and keep her/him, and forsaking all other remain true to him/her as long as you both shall live?” (“I will”)
(Repeat) “I, ________, take thee ______, to be my wife/husband, and before God and these witnesses I promise to be a faithful and true wife/husband.”
(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.”

Methodist wedding vows:

I, ________, take thee ______, to be my wife/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 do us part,
and thereto I pledge thee my faith.

Quaker wedding vows: “In the presence of God and these our Friends, I take thee to be my wife/husband, promising with Divine assistance to be unto thee a loving and faithful wife/husband as long as we both shall live.”

Non Traditional vows

People who want a more unique style of wedding vow may choose something a little more creative.Below are some examples:

All that I am and all that I have, I offer to you in love and in joy.

From this day forward I will love and comfort you, hold you close,
prize you above all others,
and remain faithful to you all the days of our lives.

I commit myself to years of growth and sharing as

I encourage you to move in new direction.
I will strive to achieve my potential as God’s creature
and will celebrate your progress toward the same goal.
I give myself as I am and as I will be, and I do it for all of life.

Writing your own vows

Some registrars will allow you to write your own vows where as others will let you include them in addition to statutory words that legally bind you as husband and wife.

The minimum words that must be said are as follows:

“I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I, [your name], may not be joined in matrimony to [your partner's name].”

followed by these contracting words:
“I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, [your name], do take thee [your partner's name] to be my lawful wedded husband [or wife].” -for England and Wales.

Some examples:

“I, [Bride's Name], take [you/thee], [Groom's Name], to be my [lawfully wedded husband/husband], [knowing/confident] in my heart that you will be a faithful friend, and a [steadfast/true] and loving companion.

On this [appointed/special/wondrous] day, in the presence of God, our relatives, and our friends as witnesses, I give to you my sacred vow that as your wife, I will always be with you and support you in times of sickness and in times of health in times of joy and in times of sorrow. I [promise/further promise] to love you completely to console and comfort you during difficult times to encourage you to achieve your full potential to laugh with you and to grieve with you to share with you life’s simplest but most enduring pleasures to be truthful and honest with you and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live. “

Many people will then choose to add something written by themselves whether it is funny, romantic, poetic, vows about hope or otherwise, it will always be personal and may need lots of practice to get it right for the day itself.

The first step is to consult your minister/registrar to see if you are allowed to include a personal wedding vow. The next step is to speak from the heart, recall the past, make your written vows fairly brief. Then of course to practice practice practice!

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