Below is a sampling of 21 different variations of vows. Each one contains the elements of promise which is the core value of each of them.
Go through them slowly with your fiancee and find the ones that speak to you. If you want to borrow from each or make up your own personal vows, go ahead; this could be a nice experience also. You decide. Feel free to email or call me with any questions.
G=groom, B=bride, O=officiate, N=name
#1 – G: I take thee, N, to be my 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 pledge thee my faith.
B: I take thee, N, to be my 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 and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith.
#2 – N: In the name of God, I take you to be my husband (wife) from this time onward, to join with you and to share in all that is to come, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond, and in all of our life together to be loyal to you with my whole being, as long as we both shall live.
#3 – I: (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), 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 and in health, to love and to understand, till death shall part us, according to the design of God’s creation, and commit myself completely to you.
#4 – G: I, N, take you, N, to be my wife, and I promise to love and sustain you in the bonds of marriage from this day forward, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, till death shall part us, according to God’s holy ordinance.
B: I, N, take you, N, to be my husband, and I promise to love and sustain you in the bonds of marriage from this day forward, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, till death shall part us, according to God’s holy ordinance.
#5 – G: I, N, take you, N, to be my wife, according to God’s holy will. I will love you, and share my life with you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in prosperity, in conflict and in harmony, as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow.
B: I, N, take you, N, to be my husband, according to God’s holy will. I will love you, and share my life with you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in prosperity, in conflict and in harmony, as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow.
#6 – G: N, I take you to be my wife; to laugh with you in joy; to grieve with you in sorrow; to grow with you in love; serving humanity in peace and hope as long as we both shall live.
B: N, I take you to be my husband; to laugh with you in joy; to grieve with you in sorrow; to grow with you in love; serving humanity in peace and hope as long as we both shall live.
#7 – G: N, I commit myself to be with you in joy and adversity, in wholeness and brokenness, in peace and trouble, living with you in fidelity and love all our days.
B:N, I commit myself to be with you in joy and adversity, in wholeness and brokenness, in peace and trouble, living with you in fidelity and love all our days.
#8 – G: N, I give myself to you in marriage and vow to be your husband all the days of our lives. I give you my hands as a symbol and pledge of our uniting in one flesh. I give you my love, the outpouring of my heart, as a symbol and pledge of our uniting in one spirit. I give you this ring from out of my worldly goods as a symbol and pledge of our uniting as one family.
B: N, I give myself to you in marriage and vow to be your wife all the days of our lives. I give you my hands as a symbol and pledge of our uniting in one flesh. I give you my love, the outpouring of my heart, as a symbol and pledge of our uniting in one spirit. I give you this ring from out of my worldly goods as a symbol and pledge of our uniting as one family.
#9 – G: I take you, N, to be my wife from this day forward, to join with you and share all that is to come, and with the help of God I promise to be faithful to you as God gives us life together.
B: I take you, N, to be my husband from this day forward, to join with you and share all that is to come, and with the help of God I promise to be faithful to you as God gives us life together.
#10 – G: N, I covenant with you to be your husband. I offer you my love and my support throughout our lives. I commit myself to years of growth and sharing as I encourage you to move in new directions. 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.
B: N, I covenant with you to be your wife. I offer you my love and my support throughout our lives. I commit myself to years of growth and sharing as I encourage you to move in new directions. 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.
#11 – G: I, N, promise you, N, to be your husband as long as I live. I promise to love you and to support your growing toward full maturity. I promise to seek peace for ourselves, our children, and for the world which encircles us. As I commit myself to care for you, I also offer myself into your loving care, now and throughout our lives.
B: I, N, promise you, N, to be your wife as long as I live. I promise to love you and to support your growing toward full maturity. I promise to seek peace for ourselves, our children, and for the world which encircles us. As I commit myself to care for you, I also offer myself into your loving care, now and throughout our lives.
#12 – O: If it is your desire to become husband and wife, then repeat after me:
G: I, N, take you, N, to be my wife. In this moment, I promise before these witnesses to love you and care for you all of our days. I accept you with your faults and strengths, even as I offer myself with my faults and strengths. I promise to support you when you need support and to turn to you when I need support. I choose you as the one with whom I will spend my life.
B: 1, N, take you, N, to be my husband. In this moment, I promise before these witnesses to love you and care for you all of our days. I accept you with your faults and strengths, even as I offer myself with my faults and strengths. I promise to support you when you need support and to turn to you when I need support. I choose you as the one with whom I will spend my life.
#13 – G: N, we have come together late in our lives. I wish it could have been earlier, much earlier. But today, as I become your husband, I thank God for bringing us together. And I promise to make up for lost time by loving you with all my heart and soul. I promise to not sweat the small stuff, to not be set in my ways, to get out of my ruts, to live life earnestly and passionately. I promise, as your husband, to be your friend and companion for all of our days.
B: N, we have come together late in our lives. I wish it could have been earlier, much earlier. But today, as I become your wife, I thank God for bringing us together. And I promise to make up for lost time by loving you with all my heart and soul. I promise to not sweat the small stuff, to not be set in my ways, to get out of my ruts, live life earnestly and passionately. I promise, as your wife, to be your friend and companion for all of our days.
#14 – G: N, you and I are in our youth as we begin our life together. As husband and wife, I want us to enjoy our youth together, to experience what life has to offer, to drink deeply at the fountain of love. But I also want us to grow old together, to gather wisdom from all of our shared experiences, to discover the joy of loving more deeply as the years pass. I want us to be inseparably bound by the thousands of events we will live together. I want us to build a past rich with laughter, love and adventure – a past we can always appreciate with fondness, while bravely and enthusiastically facing our future. Today, I take you as my wife. I offer my life to you as your husband. I love you, and I want to spend my days with you.
B: N, you and I are in our youth as we begin our life together. As husband and wife, I want us to enjoy our youth together, to experience what life has to offer, to drink deeply at the fountain of love. But I also want us to grow old together, to gather wisdom from all of our shared experiences, to discover the joy of loving more deeply as the years pass. I want us to be inseparably bound by the thousands of events we will live together. I want us to build a past rich with laughter, love and adventure – a past we can always appreciate with fondness, while bravely and enthusiastically facing our future. Today, I take you as my husband. I offer my life to you as your wife. I love you, and I want to spend my days with you.
#15 – G: Today we cross an invisible line.
B: We leave behind our yesterdays and start our lives anew.
G: The past is over. We will concern ourselves only with the future.
B: It is a new day, a new commitment and a new life.
G: The vows we take today will change us forever.
B: I take them gladly.
G: I take them gladly, too.
B: N, I promise to love you, to protect you and to be faithful to you all the days of my life. I will soothe your hurts and share your delights. I will do all in my power to make you as happy as I am today.
G: N, I promise to love you, to protect you and to be faithful to you all the days of my life. I will soothe your hurts and share your delights. I will do all in my power to make you as happy as I am today.
B: Today is the beginning of the rest of my life. I choose to spend today, and all of my tomorrows with you.
G: Today is the beginning of the rest of my life. I choose to spend today, and all of my tomorrows with you.
#16 – G: I love you, N.
B: I love you, N.
G: I want you for my wife, that we may share our lives with each other.
B: I want you for my husband, that our lives may be sanctified by this ceremony.
G: I promise to put you first in my life, knowing that our love is my most precious possession,
B: I promise to put you first in my life, believing that all other achievements pale beside a happy marriage.
G: I will share with you my joys, my sorrows, my hopes and my dreams.
B: I will bring to you my accomplishments and my failures.
G: I will always be faithful to you.
#17 – B: And I will be faithful to you.
G: From this day forward, I will walk beside you. When we are apart, my thoughts will be with you.
B: From this day forward, we will stand together. Whatever happens to either of us will be confronted by
both.
G: I gladly make these promises. I am proud to be your husband.
B: I gladly make these promises. I am proud to be your wife.
G: Our vows are ended; our marriage has begun.
B: Let us go with joy into our new life together.
#18 – G: This is a day of rejoicing.
B: We rejoice in the goodness of love.
G: Because I love you, I promise to respect your wishes and promises.
B: Because I love you, I promise to put our marriage above all else.
G: I will share with you my material goods, my thoughts and my feelings.
B: I will share with you my material goods, my thoughts and my feelings.
G: I promise to do all that I can to keep our relationship special to both of us.
B: I will cherish our time together. I will try to keep our home peaceful and harmonious.
G: I will encourage you to grow and to become all that you are capable of becoming.
B: I will urge you to meet whatever challenges you may face.
G: I promise to be faithful to you in thought, word and act.
B: I promise to be faithful to you in thought, word and act. This is a day of rejoicing.
G: We rejoice in the goodness of life.
#19 – G: Today is a new beginning. It is the start of a new way of life.
B: We don’t know what challenges lie ahead. We know only that we will face them together.
G: Because of you, I am a better person than I once was.
B: I promise always to see the good in you.
G: I will try to be worthy of your love and trust.
B: Because of you, I am a better person than I once was.
G: I promise always to see the good in you.
B: I will try to be worthy of your love and trust.
G: Before God and these witnesses, I vow to be loyal to you in every way, to comfort you, to cherish you, and always to love you.
B: Before God and these witnesses, I vow to be loyal to you in every way, to comfort you, to
cherish you, and always to love you.
G: Today is a new beginning.
B: Our new life together has begun.
#20 – B: 1, N, take you, N, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you always, in sickness and in health, in poverty or wealth, in my thoughts and in my speaking. I will be your dearest friend, your lover and the mother of your children. With these vows, I commit myself to you.
G: I, N, take you, N, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you always, in sickness and in health, in poverty or wealth, in my thoughts and in my speaking. I will be your dearest friend, your lover and the father of your children. With these vows, I commit myself to you.
# 21 – O: Marriage is an act of faith. It requires great trust to pledge oneself to a lifetime with another person. Today N and N demonstrate their faith and trust by pledging their love to each other. (Bride’s name), what promises do you make to (Groom’s name)?
B: N, I affirm you as my life partner. I promise to stay with you in times of celebration and times of mourning. I promise to love you honor you and be faithful to you. I accept you, without reservation, as my husband.
O: (Groom’s name), what promises do you make to (Bride’s name)?
G: N, I affirm you as my life partner. I promise to stay with you in times of celebration and times of mourning. I promise to love you, honor you and be faithful to you. I accept you, without reservation, as my wife.
O: By the promises they’ve made, N and N have demonstrated their belief in love, in marriage and in each other. They ask now for the blessing of all who have witnessed their vows. If you believe in their love and approve their marriage, please applaud.