It’s easy to get lost in the reason for the wedding: your commitment to one another. This is why it’s sometimes important to remember that there is nothing wrong with traditional wedding vows.
When Well Intentioned Vows Go Bad
Selecting the perfect words is important to set the tone you want for your ceremony. And, while sometimes funny and personal vows are trendy, traditional vows may be a better choice for you.
When done well, these one-of-a-kind vows can add a lightness to a serious occasion and create memories that last a lifetime. When done wrong, these “funny” and personalized vows can be a choice you’d like to delete from your memory. But, with wedding videos and friends to remind you, bad vows cannot be unsaid.
Another concern with personalized vows is that many couples choose to keep the vows they’ve written secret until the wedding day. While a surprise can be nice, some surprises lead to hurt feelings and embarrassment. If one partner chooses embarrassing memories about the other partner it can lead to a rocky start into married life. If intimate personal details are shared, sensitive family members may be offended. Does elderly Uncle Henry really want to know how your “sexy toes” are the things that turn your partner on the most? Probably not unless Uncle Henry has a special freaky side.
Why Safe Vows May Be Better Than Being Sorry
Have you ever sat through a bad comedian’s act? The uncomfortable, insincere laughter, or awful dead silence featuring crickets, is the worst. The possibility of bad humor in your vows obviously makes traditional vows safer.
Other than the chance that your sense of humor might flop, there are other reasons to select traditional wedding vows over funny, personalized vows. Some reasons to consider are:
- Honor family traditions and religious norms
- Maintain a sense of decorum on a serious occasion
- Avoid awkward or offensive content
- Avoid the stress, practice, writing, and memorizing of non-traditional vows
Creating strong, entertaining, and humorous but romantic vows takes commitment and some talent. Not everyone has extra time or the gift of comedy. With everything you have to do for the wedding, are you willing and able to devote the time and energy to this additional task?
A Twist on Traditional Wedding Vows
If you find that writing your own vows is just too much extra work, or simply not right for your wedding, traditional vows or beautiful Bible verses can be equally as beautiful and memorable. Bible verses can be used during the renewal of vows, too..
Traditional vows include language similar to:
[Groom’s/Bride’s name], do you take [Bride’s/Groom’s name] to be your lawfully wedded wife/husband, to join together in marriage? Do you promise to love her/him, comfort her/him, honor her/him, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live? “I Do.”
While these may seem like plain, boring vanilla in the midst of today’s colorful trends, they sum up the true spirit of a sincere marriage union. And, if you want to personalize, inquiring of your officiant if small changes can be made might be better. For example, updating and modernizing the words or adding phrases about friendship, mutual respect, or compassion might be acceptable.
Maybe it’s better to leave the humor to the toasts at your reception rather than in the wedding vows? The reception is where you can feel more casual. And, at the reception, Uncle Henry will probably be too toasted on champagne to remember any mention of your sexy toes.
Religious Wedding Vows
Some wedding traditions do not include spoken wedding vows. Whether or not you wish to recite traditional wedding vows or the wedding vows of any particular faith, you may find this collection of traditional religious wedding vows useful. However, take care when adapting traditional wedding vows to ensure that you don’t unwittingly show disrespect for the traditions from which you are borrowing.
Here are examples of traditional wedding vows for several major religions, denominations, and sects.
Baptist Wedding Vows
I, ________, take thee ________, to be my husband/wife, and before God and these witnesses I promise to be a faithful and true husband/wife.
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Will you, ________, have ________ to be your husband/wife? Will you love him/her, comfort and keephim/her, 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 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.”
Buddhist Wedding Vows
Catholic Wedding Vows
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 health, until death do us part.
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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 and honor you all the days of my life.
Christian Traditional Wedding Vows
Groom
I, ________, take you, ________, to be my wedded wife. With 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 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.
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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.
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I ________, take you ________, 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 ’till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.
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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.
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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 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.
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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.
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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 give 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 give me life on this earth.
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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 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
Episcopal Wedding Vows
I, ________, take thee ________, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have an to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, ’til death do us part, according to God’s ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my troth.
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I vow to be your faithful husband/wife, understanding that marriage is a lifelong union, and not to be entered into lightly, for the purpose of mutual fellowship, encouragement and understanding; for the procreation of children and their physical and spiritual nurture. I hereby give myself to you in this cause with my sacred vow before God.
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Groom
In the name of God, I, ________, take you, ________, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
Bride
In the name of God, I, ________, take you, ________, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
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Groom
In the name of God, I, ________, take you, ________, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
Bride
In the name of God, I, ________, take you, ________, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
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“________, 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, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto him/her as long as you both shall live?” (“I will”)
(Repeat) “I, ________, take thee ________, to be my wedding husband/wife, to have an to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, ’til death do us part, according to God’s ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my troth.”
(Rings) “,With this ring I thee wed; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”
Hindu Wedding Vows – Seven Steps
With God as our guide, let us take: The first step to nourish each other. The second step to grow together in strength. The third step to preserve our wealth. The fourth step to share our joys and sorrows. The fifth step to care for our children. The sixth step to be together forever. The seventh step to remain lifelong friends, the perfect halves to make a perfect whole. After the seventh step he makes her remain where she is and says: “With seven steps we become friends. Let me reach your friendship. Let me not be severed from your friendship. Let your friendship not be severed from me.”
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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”)
Lutheran Wedding Vows
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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.
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________, 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.
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Methodist Wedding Vows
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.
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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.
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“________, 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.”
Muslim Wedding Vows
Groom
I pledge, in honesty and sincerity, to be for you a faithful and helpful husband.
Bride
I, ________, offer you in myself in marriage in accordance with the instructions of the Holy Quar‘an and the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon Him. I pledge, in honesty and with sincerity, to be for you an obedient and faithful wife.
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.
Presbyterian Wedding Vows
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.
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“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.”
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.”
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On this (Day), (Month), in the year of our Lord, (Year) (Name) and (Bride’s name), appeared together, and (Husband Name) taking (Wife Name) by the hand, did, on this solemn and joyous occasion, declare that he took (Wife Name) to be his wife, promising with Divine assistance to be unto her a loving and faithful husband; and then, in the same assembly, (Wife Name), did in like manner declare that she took (Husband Name) to be her husband, promising with Divine assistance, to be unto him a loving and faithful wife. And moreover they, (Husband Name) and (Wife Name), did, as further confirmation thereof, then and there, to this certificate set their hands. (Husband Name) (Wife Name) And we, having been present at the marriage, have as witnesses hereunto set our hands.
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Whereas (Husband Name) of (Home City and State), son of (Father Name) and (Mother Name), and (Wife Name) of (Home City and State), daughter of (Father Name) and (Mother Name), having declared their intentions of marriage with each other to the (Meeting House Name) monthly meeting of the Religious Society of Friends held at (Town and State of Meetinghouse), their proposed marriage was allowed by that Meeting. Now this is to certify to whom it may concern, that for the accomplishment of their intentions, this (Day of the Month), in the year of our Lord (Year), they, (Husband Name) and (Wife Name), appeared in a meeting for worship of the Religious Society of Friends, held at (City, State), and (Husband Name), taking (Wife Name) by the hand, did on this solemn occasion, declare that he took her, (Wife Name), to be his wife, promising with Divine assistance to be unto her a loving and faithful husband so long as they both shall live, and then, in the same assemble (Wife Name) did in like manner declare that she took him, (Husband Name), to be her husband, promising with Divine assistance to be unto him a loving and faithful wife so long as they both shall live. And moreover, they, (Husband and Wife Names), did as further confirmation thereof, then and there, to this certificate set their hands. (Name) (Name) And we having been present at the marriage have hereunto set our hands.
Non-Denomination Wedding Vows
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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 forevermore.
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I ________, take you ________, to be my husband/wife. To share the good times and hard times side by side. I humbly give you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace, and pledge my faith and love to you. Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal. Just as it is made of incorruptible substance, my commitment to you will never fail. With this ring, I thee wed.
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Before our friends and those so special to us here, on this wonderful day of gladness and good fortune, I ________ take you ________ as my husband/wife, in friendship and in love, in strength and weakness, to share the good times and misfortune, in achievement and failure, to celebrate life with you forevermore.