As far as weddings go, there will always be an acceptable way of doing things, but in today’s modern world many couples are making small changes to their vows, to show their uniqueness and bring something extra special to their marriage.

Marriage vows are binding promises that each partner makes to eachother in a wedding ceremony.

Many couples today opt to write their own vows. Inspiration is often taken from poems, movies, or music. Vows are usually made up of what characteristics each partner brings out in each other, what they look forward to in life, how their lives changed once they met etc.

Below is the most traditional vows used at a ceremony:

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 you and honour you all the days of my life. 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 in health, until death do us part.

Something a little bit different:

______, 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, for today, ______, you as my joy become my crown.  Thank you for being what you are to me. With our future as bright as the promises of God, I will care for you, honour and protect you. I lay down my life for you, _____, my friend and my love. Today I give to you me.

Here are a few wedding poems to use as your vows or to help you write your own vows:

Poem 1

I love you.
You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you
in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you,
and to always hold you in highest regard.
These things I give to you today,
and all the days of our life.

Poem 2

We pledge to each other to be loving friends and partners in marriage.
To talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate one another;
to respect and cherish each other’s uniqueness; and to
support, comfort and strengthen each other through life’s joys and sorrows.
We promise to share hopes, thoughts and dreams as we build our lives together.
May our lives be ever intertwined, our love keeping us together.
We will build a home that is compassionate to all,
full of respect and honour for others and each other.
May our home be forever filled with peace, happiness and love.

Poem 3

I promise to give you the best of myself
and to ask of you no more than you can give.
I promise to respect you as your own person
and to realize that your interests, desires and needs
are no less important than my own.
I promise to share with you my time and my attention
and to bring joy, strength, and imagination to our relationship.
I promise to keep myself open to you,
to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost
fears and feelings, secrets and dreams.
I promise to grow along with you,
to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship
alive and exciting.
I promise to love you in good times and bad,
with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how.
Completely and forever.