Can we talk about vows for a sec? Those sweet, heartfelt promises you’ll share on your big day? I don’t know about you, but wedding vows get me every single time – that special moment when you see a couple’s relationship packed into these perfect little promises that show exactly who they are together.
After helping so many couples create their perfect vows over the years, I’ve pulled together 20 examples that might be just what you’re looking for. These aren’t just pretty words – they’re the kind of real promises that guests still talk about years later. Whether you like old-school traditions, modern takes, or something that’s 100% you as a couple, you’ll find ideas here to help you find your voice.
Let’s dive into these examples, and remember – the best wedding vows sound exactly like you two. Don’t worry about sounding poetic or profound if that’s not your style. The most meaningful vows are the ones that feel authentic when you say them.
Heart of Tradition
1. Faith-Based Vows
“With God as our witness and foundation, I take you as my partner in all of life’s journeys. I promise to walk with you in faith, to look for wisdom in scripture during our hard times, and to remember that our love shows something greater than ourselves. In the quiet moments of prayer and in the happy times of blessing, I will honor the promise we make today. When times get cold in our hearts, I will remember the warmth that faith promises. I vow to love you not just with the love I feel today, but with the love that grows through caring, giving, and kindness.”
What I love about faith-centered vows is how they connect your marriage to something bigger than yourselves. They show that love isn’t just about feelings – it’s about a promise backed by faith that helps you through those tough spots that every couple faces.
2. Time-Honored Promises
“I stand before you today, as many lovers have stood before their loved ones throughout time. I promise to be faithful and true, in sickness and in health, when we have plenty and when we don’t, in happy times and in sad ones. I will treasure you through all the seasons of our lives – when our hair turns gray and our steps grow slower, when memories become our greatest treasure. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live. These words, spoken across generations, I now make my own, with all my heart.”
There’s something really powerful about saying words that connect you to countless couples throughout history. These traditional promises have stuck around for a reason – they cover all the ups and downs of what marriage really means.
3. Cultural Classics
“As my ancestors have done for generations, I tie my life to yours with these sacred words. Like the red thread of fate, our lives are now joined. I promise to honor not just you, but the traditions that brought us to this moment – to remember that we carry the hopes of those who came before us and the dreams of those who will follow. I vow to create a home where our heritage is celebrated, where old customs meet new beginnings. I will respect your family as my own, care for the values we share, and build with you a legacy worthy of our families’ hopes.”
I’ve seen how adding cultural touches to vows creates this beautiful thread linking past, present, and future. These kinds of promises honor where you come from while looking ahead to your shared future – it’s like your ancestors are right there giving you their blessing.
Modern Love
4. Short & Sweet
“You are my harbor in storms, my sunshine in winter. I choose you today and every day that follows. I promise honesty, partnership, and a love that grows wilder, deeper, and more real with time. With you, I’ve found my home – not in a place, but in a person. I love you more than words can say, but I promise to spend a lifetime showing you.”
Don’t let anyone tell you vows need to be long to matter! Sometimes the most touching promises come in small packages. These short vows pack an emotional punch while getting right to what matters most.
5. In Your Own Words
“The day we met at that rainy bus stop, sharing your umbrella with a stranger, I never imagined you’d become the center of my universe. You’ve seen me with bedhead and tear-streaked cheeks, during midnight anxiety and morning grumpiness. You know I can’t function without coffee and that I sing off-key to every song. And still, you look at me like I’m magic. I promise to be the person you believe I am – to be brave when you’re scared, steady when you waver, and always, always your biggest champion. I promise to keep making that weird pasta dish you inexplicably love, to never take the last cookie without asking, and to always find reasons to laugh with you, even when life isn’t funny.”
There’s nothing quite like vows that could only come from one person to one person. The little details – that weird pasta dish, the off-key singing – these are the things that make your relationship uniquely yours. This kind of personal touch turns your vows from nice words into a real-life celebration of your actual, everyday love.
6. No Religion Needed
“I choose you freely and happily, guided by nothing but the pull of my own heart. I promise to build with you a life shaped by kindness, honesty, and wonder. When the universe seems random and messy, I’ll find meaning in the love we share. I vow to face reality together – celebrating scientific discovery, embracing clear thinking, and finding deep beauty in the natural world. Our sense of right and wrong will be rooted in kindness, our decisions in good sense, and our partnership in fairness. Under the same stars that have watched over billions of lives before ours, I pledge mine to you – not forever, which no one can truly promise, but for all the days we are lucky enough to share.”
For couples who connect more with the natural world than religious traditions, these vows link your promise to values that match how you see the world. They’re honest, thoughtful, and just as meaningful as any traditional promise.
7. Love is Love Vows
“In a world that hasn’t always made space for love like ours, we’ve created our own space – brave, beautiful, and true. I promise to stand beside you with pride, to fight for our joy when others question it, and to never take for granted the right to call you mine. I vow to treasure the special shape our love takes, to honor the path it took to reach this day, and to remember those who cleared the way for us to stand here now. When others try to define us, we’ll define ourselves. When the path grows hard, we’ll walk it together. Our love isn’t just personal – it’s groundbreaking. And I promise to keep that spirit alive in our home, in our hearts, and in how we move through the world, every single day.”
These vows recognize both the personal and the bigger picture of some relationships – they know the journey and the courage it sometimes takes just to stand together. They celebrate your unique love story while giving a nod to the larger community that helped make your day possible.
Your Personal Style
8. Deeply Romantic
“From across crowded rooms, my eyes still search for yours. After all this time, the sound of your laughter still makes my heart skip a beat. I vow to love you with the excitement of new beginnings and the depth of well-worn paths. I promise to hold your hands when you’re nervous, to know every line and curve of your body as years pass, to whisper your name like a prayer when darkness falls. People talk of souls finding each other, of love that goes beyond understanding. In you, I’ve found that rare magic – the feeling of coming home to a place I’ve always been meant to be. I promise to be worthy of such a gift, to care for our love with respect, to choose you again with each new day for all my remaining days.”
If you’re the couple who leaves love notes around the house or still gets butterflies after years together, these romantic vows might be your style. They’re not about big gestures – they’re about that everyday magic that makes your connection special.
9. Making Them Laugh
“I promise to love you even when you steal all the blankets, finish the last bit of ice cream, or use your ‘I’m definitely listening’ face when you’re thinking about pizza instead. I vow to be your personal bug-killer, spider-remover, and horror movie pre-screener. I promise to accept that your socks will never actually make it to the hamper – they’ll just get weirdly close, like they’re afraid of commitment. I’ll pretend to be impressed when you assemble furniture without reading the instructions, even when we end up with mysterious ‘extra parts.’ Most importantly, I promise that no matter how old and wrinkly we get, I’ll always check you out when you bend over to pick something up. Because that view? Still my favorite after all these years.”
I’ve seen how humor in vows can totally break the tension and show guests the real you. The couples who laugh together stay together, and these vows celebrate the everyday silliness that makes life together fun. Just remember to mix in some heartfelt stuff too – you want a few happy tears along with those laughs.
10. Poetry & Prose
“You are the verse I never knew how to write,
The melody that lingered just beyond recall.
I found you in ordinary light
– Morning coffee, evening rainfall,
The space between heartbeats,
Where truth resides.
I vow to be the shelter of your winters,
The celebration of your springs.
To trace constellations across your scars,
To hold your dreams like delicate birds,
Their wings against my palm.
Time will bend us, age will find us,
Grief will test the boundaries we’ve drawn.
Yet I promise this: in the geography of us,
I will always find my way home.
Like paper to ink, like river to sea,
Like breath to life – I am yours,
And you are the poem I choose
To read each day anew.”
For the word lovers and the dreamers, poetic vows take everyone to a different place. They paint pictures with words and turn promises into art. The best part about poetic vows is that they don’t have to follow rules – they just need to speak your truth in a way that moves you both.
11. Our Love Story
“Remember the night we got lost driving to that concert, ended up in that small-town diner with the flickering lights, and talked until they had to ask us to leave? Or how about our third date when it poured rain and you showed up at my door soaking wet because you’d forgotten your umbrella but didn’t want to be late? These are the moments that wrote our beginning. I promise to keep collecting these stories with you – the amazing and the everyday, the heartbreaks and wins. I vow to remember the chapters we’ve written so far and to face each new page with the same wonder and bravery that brought us here. Our love story isn’t perfect, but it’s perfectly ours. And whether the next chapters bring adventure or quiet, challenge or ease, I promise to be your faithful co-writer until our tale reaches its natural end.”
Story-based vows let guests peek into the special moments that built your relationship. They’re like a highlight reel of your love with a promise to keep adding to that collection. I’ve noticed these vows often get the biggest tears from family members who’ve watched your journey.
Special Moments
12. Second Time Around
“I stand before you with eyes wide open, with scars that have healed and lessons hard-won. This love feels different – steadier, wiser, more thought-out. I promise to bring to this marriage not just my hopes, but my past; not just my dreams, but my deep understanding of what commitment truly means. I’ve learned that love isn’t just about finding the right person, but being the right person. I vow to treasure the gift of this second chance, to never take for granted the blessing of beginning again. The path that brought us here wasn’t straight or simple, but every twist and turn led me to you. And for that, I am deeply thankful. Today, I choose you with a heart that knows exactly what it’s doing.”
There’s a special kind of beauty in second-marriage vows – they come with real-life experience and often a deeper sense of what matters. These vows recognize the journey it took to get here and celebrate the wisdom that comes from starting fresh with open eyes.
13. Family Vows (With Kids)
“Today I make promises not just to you, but to the beautiful family we’re creating together. To Emma and Noah: I vow to love your parent with all my heart, to create a home filled with laughter and honesty, to respect the special bond you share, and to earn your trust one day at a time. I will never try to replace the parent you have, but I promise to be a steady, loving presence in your lives – cheering at your games, helping with homework, and providing an extra shoulder to cry on when needed. To you, my love: I promise to partner with you in this magnificent journey of blended family life – to navigate the complicated schedules, the big emotions, and the beautiful chaos with patience and humor. I vow to be not just your spouse, but your co-captain in raising these amazing children. We may not have started as a family, but I promise to pour everything I have into making sure we thrive as one.”
When kids are part of your wedding day, including them in your vows creates an amazing family moment. It shows that your marriage isn’t just joining two people – it’s making a new family. I’ve seen these moments firsthand, and trust me, there’s rarely a dry eye in the house when you honor the children this way.
14. Just Us Two (Elopement)
“Here, with only the mountains as our witnesses and the sky as our roof, I make these promises to you. There is deep meaning in choosing this simple way – in stripping away the big show to reveal what matters most: just us, our words, our promise. I vow to carry the spirit of this moment throughout our marriage – to remember that we need no crowd for our love to be real, no approval for our choices to be right. I promise to honor the bravery it took to follow our hearts, to create a wedding that truly shows who we are. Just as we’ve chosen our own path today, I vow to build a life with you that follows no one’s plan but our own. In quiet moments like this one, away from the world’s noise, I will always find the truest way to show my love for you.”
Elopement vows often have this lovely feeling of closeness and purpose. There’s something special about promises made in a beautiful place with just the two of you – they celebrate not just your love but your courage to do things your way.
15. Saying It Again (Renewals)
“Twenty years ago, I stood before you making promises I didn’t fully understand. I knew I loved you, but I couldn’t comprehend how that love would be tested, strengthened, and transformed. Today, I renew those vows with the wisdom of thousands of shared sunrises, countless challenges weathered together, and a love that has deepened beyond what I once thought possible. I have seen you at your worst, and you have carried me through mine. The map of our life together now shows mountain peaks of joy, valleys of heartbreak, and the steady, sacred ground of daily commitment. I vow to love you with greater patience than before, with deeper understanding of your heart, and with immense gratitude for every year we’ve been granted. Growing older with you remains the greatest privilege of my life.”
Vow renewal promises have this lovely weight of experience behind them. They’re not about what you hope for – they’re about what you’ve already lived through together and choosing each other again knowing exactly what that means. Often, these renewals can be even more touching than first-time vows.
16. Destination I Do’s
“Under this unfamiliar sky, surrounded by waters we’ve traveled so far to reach, I make these promises to you. There is something perfect about pledging our lives to each other in a place where we are both visitors – it reminds us that home isn’t a location but the love we create together. I vow to bring the spirit of this trip into our marriage – to welcome adventure, to adjust to surprise turns, to find beauty in new places. Just as we planned this day with care but left room for the unexpected, I promise to handle our life together with both planning and openness. The sand beneath our feet will wash away, but the promise we make here will travel with us to every shore. Wherever in the world we find ourselves, I promise that my heart will always find its true home in you.”
Destination wedding vows work really well when they link your special location to the promises you’re making. They talk about the journey you took to get there and use the setting as a meaningful stand-in for your relationship.
Creative Formats
17. Question & Answer
“Do I promise to stand by you when life feels impossible? When doubt creeps in and certainty falters, when the path ahead seems too steep to climb? Yes, with every beat of my stubborn heart.
Will I cherish your victories as my own, celebrate your growth even when it challenges me, and see your evolution as the gift that it is? Yes, with pride that knows no bounds.
Can I vow to fight fairly, to listen fully, to apologize sincerely, and to forgive completely? Yes, though it may sometimes take time and courage.
When age transforms our bodies and time tests our resolve, will I still choose you, still desire you, still see the soul that first captured mine? Yes, a thousand times yes.
In sickness, in health, in confusion, in clarity, in all the complex seasons of a life fully lived, do I commit myself to you and only you? Yes. This is my solemn vow, my complete truth, my absolute promise.”
I love how this Q&A format creates a natural rhythm and builds to that final, powerful “yes.” It’s like you’re having this heart-to-heart with yourself about how deep your commitment goes, and everyone gets to listen in. The back-and-forth makes it easier to say emotionally loaded promises without getting overwhelmed.
18. Our Promises
“I promise to respect your independence while celebrating our partnership. I promise to listen not just with my ears, but with my heart. I promise to remember that sometimes you need solutions, and sometimes you just need me to witness your struggle. I promise to support your dreams, even when they evolve in unexpected directions. I promise to forgive quickly and hold grudges briefly. I promise to make our home a haven from the world’s demands. I promise to never stop learning the changing language of your love. I promise to notice when you get a haircut, even the subtle ones. I promise to choose gratitude over criticism, especially on ordinary days. I promise to be the safe place where you can always bring your truest self. Above all, I promise to grow alongside you – neither behind nor ahead – but together, hand in hand, heart with heart, for all our days.”
The repetition in these vows creates a strong rhythm while covering all parts of your life together. I especially love how they mix big, meaningful promises with small, everyday ones – because marriage needs both kinds to work.
19. Love Letters
“My Beloved,
As we stand here today, I am reminded of all the letters we’ve exchanged – from those early emails when we were just getting to know each other, to the sticky notes left on bathroom mirrors, to the long messages sent across time zones when we were apart. In each word written, I found pieces of my heart responding to yours.
Today, I write the most important letter of all – not on paper that can fade or screens that can fail, but on the permanent record of our shared history. I write my promise to continue this correspondence of souls for all our days. I vow to remain open like a letter waiting to be read, honest like words penned in solitude, and constant like the signature that closes every message I send.
In a world of fleeting communication, I promise you letters of love that never end – written in my actions, spoken in my words, and evident in the life we build together.
Forever yours, [Name]”
This format works really well for couples who’ve kept up writing to each other, especially during long-distance times. It turns your vows into one more love letter in your ongoing story. The letter style also creates this close, personal feeling, like everyone else has faded away and you’re talking straight to your person’s heart.
20. Together We Say
“Together, we say: We will face the sunrise side by side, neither one standing in the other’s shadow.
Together, we say: We will make room for silence and for noise, for togetherness and solitude, understanding that love requires both connection and space.
Together, we say: We will maintain three entities in this marriage – you, me, and the relationship itself – tending to each with equal care.
Together, we say: We will honor the changing seasons of our love, accepting that passion may sometimes quiet into companionship before blooming again unexpectedly.
Together, we say: We will create traditions that sustain us, rituals that ground us, and memories that define us.
Together, we say: We will choose each other anew each morning, making our commitment not a single vow spoken today, but a daily decision to love with intention.
Together, we say, now and always: We are home.”
I really love joint vows like these – they show that marriage is about teamwork from day one. Saying “Together, we say” over and over makes it clear you’re entering this commitment as partners. It’s less about what “I” promise you and more about what “we” promise to build together.
Finding Your Perfect Wedding Vows
Now that you’ve seen all these different styles and approaches, which one feels most like you as a couple? Remember, your perfect vows might not be any single example from above – maybe you like the funny parts from one, the poetic bits from another, and the structure of a third.
The most important thing is that when you say your vows, they sound like you. Whether that’s formal or casual, flowery or straight-to-the-point, long or short – the best vows are the ones that express your real commitment in a way that feels natural coming from your heart.
I’d love to hear which of these examples clicked with you the most! Or maybe you’re working on something completely your own? Either way, finding the right words to express your love is one of the most special parts of planning your wedding day.
