For many couples, the thought of writing their own wedding vows (and then sharing them in front of loved ones!) can be seriously daunting.
Let’s be honest – summarising your love towards your partner, your marriage and your future together in just a few short paragraphs is no easy feat. But we promise, the end result will ultimately be one of your favourite memories from the entire day!
Writing your wedding vows requires careful thought and reflection, but that doesn’t mean it has to be stressful. If you’re looking for some wording inspiration to get those creative juices flowing, keep reading for a selection of wedding vow examples you can totally swipe for yourself – from traditional to modern and fun.
Traditional Wedding Vow Examples
If you and your partner share an appreciation for tradition, you might want to follow a more classic route when it comes to writing your wedding vows. Traditional wedding vows usually include meaningful sentiments that have stood the test of time – maybe even the same words your parents and grandparents shared for their very own ceremony.
Traditional wedding vows tend to be short and sweet, with a more serious and formal tone. They can also be customised to include any religious or cultural sentiments that are significant to you and your partner.
If you love the idea of sharing classic vows that have been passed down through the generations, check out these traditional wedding vow examples below:
I, (name), take you, (name), 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 health, until death do us part.
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I, (name) take you, (name), to be my (husband/wife). I promise to always be faithful to you, honest with you, and supportive of you. I promise to stand by you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I promise to respect, trust, help and care for you as we share our life together. Today, I give you my hand, my heart, and my eternal love, from this day forward, as long as we both live.
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I, (name), commit myself to you, (name), as your (husband/wife), partner in life, and loving soulmate. Through this commitment, I promise to learn and grow alongside you, to explore and adventure with you, to laugh and cry with you, and to respect you in everything as my equal partner. I promise to always cherish our union, and love you faithfully through good times and bad, from this day forward until eternity.
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I, (name), take you (name), to be my (husband/wife). I promise to be faithful, supportive and loyal, and to give you my companionship and love throughout all the changes of our life. I vow to bring you happiness, and I will treasure you as my companion. I will celebrate the joys of life with you. I promise to support your dreams, and walk beside you offering courage and strength through all endeavors. From this day forward, I will be proud to be your (husband/wife) and your best friend.
Modern Wedding Vow Examples
If you’re the kind of couple looking to deviate from tradition and add a personal feel to your ceremony, these modern wedding vow ideas might be the perfect fit for you.
Modern wedding vows usually have a more light, relaxed and conversational tone, while still remaining romantic and sincere. This vow style is generally longer and more informal than traditional vows, and often includes anecdotes and personal references to your partner.
Check out these modern wedding vow examples below to get the ball rolling:
(Name), my partner in crime, my best friend and my number one supporter. Today I take you to be my (husband/wife), loving everything I already know about you, and looking forward to discovering new things about each other as we embark on the journey of a lifetime together.
I promise to always respect and appreciate you for the person you are, as well as the person you wish to become. I promise to support your goals and ambitions, celebrate your wins, and cheer you on through any obstacles, because we are a team – now and for always.
I promise to keep our lives exciting, spontaneous and full of passion, embarking on adventures together, and creating new memories together. Above all, I promise to show you every day how lucky I am to have you by my side. I can’t wait to start building our life together.
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(Name), from the moment I met you, I just knew we were meant to be in each other’s lives. I love everything about you – your adventurous outlook on life, your ridiculous sense of humour, and your infectious passion for making the world a better place.
I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be standing by your side here today. From this day forward, I promise you these things.
I promise to laugh with you in the good times, and comfort you through the bad. I promise to share in your dreams, and support you as you strive to achieve them. I promise to help you when you need it, and step aside when you don’t.
I promise to listen to you with compassion, to speak to you warmly, and to have patience. I promise to make space for adventure and romance, and to cherish the special bond we both share.
Above all, I promise to always remember the gratitude I feel when I wake up next to you each morning and fall asleep with you each night. You are my best friend, and I will love and respect you always.
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(Name), it seems like only yesterday we were making awkward small talk on our very first Tinder date. I remember being so captivated by your quiet confidence, witty banter and rugged good looks, and feeling the same butterflies that I feel standing here with you today.
There are so many things I love about you, but here are a few of my favourites. I love the way you talk to people, the way you treat your friends and family, and most of all, the way you care for me. I love knowing that you have my back, and I want you to know that I will always have yours. I love how ambitious you are, and I promise to always support your goals and dreams (even the crazy ones).
I promise to always put our relationship first, to keep sharing experiences and adventures together, to laugh and cry together, and to keep our sacred Friday dinner dates alive until we grow old and grey together. I feel so grateful to have you as my partner in life, and I wouldn’t want to embark on this crazy ride with anyone else.
Fun Wedding Vow Examples
If getting deep and meaningful with your wedding vows just isn’t your style, why not inject some humour? This is a celebration of you and your partner, so have some fun with it if that feels more natural to you.
Fun wedding vows can help to ease the tension, calm your nerves and showcase your personality. If you want to take a more playful and authentic approach to your wedding vows, don’t be afraid to insert some funny anecdotes, witty jokes or banter if that reflects the relationship you both share.
Pro tip: The key to injecting humour into your wedding vows is to find the right balance between silly and serious. Remember, you’re making a pretty special commitment to one another, so try to include some more sincere sentiments amongst the jokes.
A great way to do this is by inserting some “realistic” promises to break up the serious stuff, like:
- I promise to never secretly watch an episode of (tv show) without you. I swear, it was just the one time!
- I vow to protect you from spiders, insects, and everything else you deem creepy or gross
- I promise to always remind you of our anniversary 2 days beforehand
- I promise to always love you, even when you (insert bad habit – eg, steal the covers every night)
- I promise to always comfort you when (favourite sports team) loses…again.
- I promise to like your Facebook photos within a reasonable time frame
- I promise to never keep score – even when I’m clearly winning
You can also share some of your favourite memories from your relationship journey, your partner’s little quirks and mannerisms, or simply poke fun at each other in a loving way.
Take some inspiration from these fun wedding vow examples below:
7 years ago, I went on a blind date with a guy who rocked up 20 minutes late, forgot his wallet, and took 2 weeks to call me back. Today, I’m here to marry him.
(Name), in all honesty, you’re the best person I know, and I feel pretty damn lucky to be standing here by your side today. You make me laugh until I cry, you pick me up when I’m down, and you inspire me to be a better person.
I promise to always be your biggest fan and number one supporter. I promise to put up with your bad habits, if you promise to put up with mine. Yes – this means I’ll be okay with you stealing the blankets each night, as long as you remain cool with my poor sense of direction and navigation skills.
I promise to love you, support you, respect you, and above all, make sure I’m not just yelling at you because I’m hungry. I promise to encourage and appreciate you, and to frustrate and challenge you. And one day, if the stars align, I might even let you win an argument.
Most importantly, I promise to never forget that this is a once in a lifetime kind of love. I can’t wait to make new memories, tick off our bucket list together, and build an awesome life with you.
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(Name), today, in front of our friends and family, I promise to love and support you as your (husband/wife) as we begin this new chapter together. I know, right – who would have thought that the (guy/girl) who spilled an entire glass of red wine on me during our first date would end up becoming the (man/woman) of my dreams?
From this day forward, I vow to love you through everything – including your obsession with trashy reality tv, your questionable taste in music, and your bad dad jokes. If I’m honest, these things somehow make me love you even more.
I promise to always stand by you – when it’s easy, and when it’s not. I promise to be your biggest cheerleader, your best friend and your number one supporter. I promise to try my hardest to keep my makeup in its designated drawer – as long as you promise to pick your wet towel off the floor.
I promise to cherish those everyday moments that make me smile – walking down to the beach together each morning, attempting (and failing) to impress each other with new recipes, and sitting down to watch a movie knowing we’ll both fall asleep within 10 minutes. I still get excited to see you at the end of each day, and miss you whenever we’re apart. (Name), I love everything about you, and I can’t wait to live a long and happy life with you.
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(Name), the thing I love most about you is how you inspire me to be a better person. You’ve taught me to stand up for the things I believe in. You’ve taught me to have confidence and to always back myself. You’ve taught me to treat people with kindness, patience and generosity. And of course, you’ve taught me the many virtues of watching football. Wait, no, I think we’re still working on that one.
(Name), you are my best friend and my favourite person in the whole world. I love that we share an appreciation for Italian food, bad puns and funny cat videos. I love that we can spend our weekends together doing nothing at all, but somehow having the best time ever.
From this day forward, I promise to love and support you through everything, and to care for you the way you care for me. I promise to kill the spiders, share my food, and eat the pineapple off your pizza. I choose you as my (husband/wife), best friend and equal partner. I can’t wait to spend forever with you.
Wedding Vow Wording 101
When it comes to crafting the perfect wedding vows, all you need to do is speak from the heart and you can never go wrong. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just take a step back and simply think about the things you love most about your partner, your relationship, and your dreams for the future. Because ultimately, that’s what this day is all about.
Need some extra help pulling your vows together? We’ve got you. Check out our list of brainstorming prompts and bonus wedding vow tips right here!