Nothing is sweeter than when two people decide to spend the rest of their lives together forever! After the romantic “Will you marry me?” comes the wedding planning time, which, unfortunately, can be a time of much stress and pressure.
In the midst of all the cake tasting and event planning and logistics coordinating, the bride and groom may also want to write their own wedding vows.
Granted, it can be one of the most important aspects of the wedding ceremony, which can sometimes get bogged down by all the other details for the wedding day. We hope this post can help you take some time out to write a heartfelt piece that will commence your new life together.
Traditional Wedding Vows
In the past, the vows in the wedding ceremony followed traditional church liturgy. You’ve probably heard it a million times in weddings and even movies and TV shows. It usually sounds like some variation of the following:
“I, _____, take thee, _____, to be my lawfully wedded 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…”
In more recent years, it has become normal for the bride and groom to write their own, original wedding vows to recite to each other during the ceremony.
4 Tips for Writing Moving Wedding Vows
Here are some tips to help you write your own memorable and moving wedding vows:
1. Be yourself.
While it may be tempting to find a way to sound sophisticated and elegant, wedding vows are deeply personal, and should reflect who you and your partner really are.
If you are both serious and formal, then it’s OK to sound that way, but if you are normally goofy and casual, it would be better to write vows that reflect your personality. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should treat the vows with irreverence, but you can at least let go of the pressure of trying to be somebody you’re not!
2. Think in themes.
A wedding vow can include a few themes. Here are some basic elements you might include:
- what you love most about your partner, or what made you fall in love
- what you look forward to in your marriage
- what you promise to be and do as a wife or husband
In reality, vows refer to promises, but in many modern weddings, some of the most touching wedding vows are those that give us a glimpse of the couple’s relationship. It doesn’t have to be a whole book; even just a little bit can go a long way.
3. Honor your spouse-to-be with your wedding vows.
Your wedding vow is one chance to honor your partner before all your guests, so make the most of it. Use it as a way that highlights his or her strengths.
You don’t need to make it very long, but perhaps pick two or three that you would like to appreciate in front of everyone.
4. Make promises while acknowledging human weakness.
More than signing a marriage contract, marriage is a covenant between two people. A covenant means that even if the other party fails to keep his or her part of the agreement, the other party will still do what they promised.
This is an important principle to bear in mind when writing down your promises in your wedding vows. What happens if your partner isn’t being very lovable? Or what happens when you don’t see eye to eye on things, or if he or she fails your expectations?
Obviously, before marriage, it’s easy to think that everything will be sunshine and roses. But when you go into the union with eyes wide open, it can form a stronger foundation for your marriage. This is why your vows shouldn’t be all sweet; a little spice is needed too!
Examples of Wedding Vows
To give you some inspiration, here are some examples of originally-written wedding vows:
A bride’s wedding vow
My Dearest ______,
Ever since I met you, my life has never been the same. You have challenged me to be more than what I thought I could ever be, and for that I’m eternally grateful.
As we start our new life together, I’m excited for all the adventures up ahead. I promise to be your number one fan, even when what you’re doing is not popular. I’ll always support you in all your endeavors, and I know you’ll do the same for me. And I promise to do all that I can to be the best mother for our future children.
A groom’s wedding vow
My Sweet _______,
I love your transparency, tenacity, and especially your commitment to fight for the downtrodden! I remember the first time we met, you were comforting that little girl who had been bullied by all her friends. I knew right then and there that you were someone I wanted to know. Little did I know it would lead to this, the happiest day of my life!
I am happy beyond words that you will now be my wife, to wake up to every morning and fall asleep next to every night. I promise to cherish you, take care of you, and fight for you. No matter what problems come our way, I will be your shoulder to lean on. I promise to listen when you need an ear, and not offer advice right away! I want to be your best friend until the end of time, and that means I will be with you through thick and thin, no matter what happens.
I love you, and I will always love you.
A single parent’s wedding vow
When we were first dating, I was afraid it wouldn’t amount to much. But when I saw how well you bonded with Katrina, it got me thinking that you were someone I could imagine spending the rest of my life with.
And now, here we are. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me and Katrina! You have taught me what true partnership could look like. I believe we will continue to laugh together, cry together, grow together. I promise to be a wife who honors you, respects you, believes the best in you, and supports you in everything you do. Thank you for choosing us, and I’m happy I chose you.
Writing Wedding Vows
Writing wedding vows can feel like a daunting task, especially if it’s done so close to the wedding day. As such, make sure you find time for it before all the pressure of the wedding day rush falls upon you!
Even if you’re in panic mode, use your vow-writing time to meditate on your loved one, and write from the heart. This will help you speak transparently and in a heartfelt way, which will speak more deeply to your partner and be a source of loving memories for both of you!
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- Wedding Poems: The Best Poems About Love and Marriage
- The Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist: Your 12-Month Guide
- 10 Friends to Lovers Books That Will Steal Your Heart
- 12 Must-Read Family Saga Books
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
