Writing your wedding vows is one of the most meaningful things you’ll do before your wedding day. But staring at a blank page when you’re trying to express the most important promise of your life? That’s hard.
This page gives you 30 sample wedding vows — traditional, modern, funny, religious, short, and everything in between — so you can find the words that feel right, copy them, adapt them, or use them as a starting point.
Want vows written specifically for you? Use our free wedding vows generator to get personalized vows in 60 seconds based on your story, your partner, and your tone.
How to Use These Sample Vows
You have three options:
- Copy and use as-is — Many of these vows are timeless. If one resonates, use it.
- Adapt them — Swap in your partner’s name, add a personal memory, change the tone slightly.
- Use them as inspiration — Read through all of them to get a feel for what resonates, then write your own.
There’s no wrong approach. The best vows are the ones that feel true to you.
Traditional Wedding Vows
Traditional vows have endured for centuries because they cover everything that matters — love, commitment, and the full arc of life together.
Traditional Christian Vows
I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my 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. This is my solemn vow.
Classic Traditional Vows
I, [Name], do take you, [Name], to be my wedded wife/husband, in the holy estate of marriage. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, I will love you and cherish you all the days of my life. In the presence of these loved ones, I give you this promise.
Standard Traditional Vows (Simple Version)
I take you to be my husband/wife, to have and to hold from this day forward. For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as we both shall live.
Modern Wedding Vows
Modern vows feel personal, warm, and real. They’re the most popular choice for couples today.
Modern Vows — Romantic
I, [Name], choose you, [Name], to be my partner and my love. To join my life with yours, to laugh with you in joy, to comfort you in sorrow, to grow with you in love. I will honor you and be faithful to you all the days of my life. This is my vow.
Modern Vows — Personal and Direct
[Name], you are my best friend and the love of my life. Today I choose you — and I will choose you again every day. I promise to love you completely, to support your dreams, to be honest with you always, and to build a life with you that we’re both proud of. All the days of my life, I am yours.
Modern Vows — Poetic
With all that I am, I take you to be my wife/husband. I promise to be your lover, your companion, your friend. Your ally in conflict, your partner in peace, your comfort in disappointment, your strength in times of need. I will listen with understanding and trust you completely, all the days of my life. This is my vow.
Modern Vows — Heartfelt and Simple
[Name], I love you. Not just for who you are today, but for who you help me become. I promise to love you completely, to fight for us when things are hard, to celebrate you in your victories, and to hold your hand through everything else. You are my home. This is my promise to you.
Short Wedding Vows
Sometimes less is more. These short vows are powerful precisely because they’re simple.
Short Vows — Classic
I choose you today, and every day. I promise to love you, to cherish you, and to be by your side for all the days of my life.
Short Vows — Simple and Direct
You are my person. I promise to love you, to support you, and to choose you — every single day. This is my vow.
Short Vows — Poetic
You are my lover and my teacher, my model and my partner, my true counterpart. I will love you, hold you, and honor you, in sickness and in health, through sorrow and success, for all the days of my life.
Short Vows — One Paragraph
I take you to be my husband/wife. I promise to love you faithfully, to support your dreams, to laugh with you, cry with you, and grow old beside you. From this day forward, I am yours.
Romantic Wedding Vows
These vows are written for couples who want to wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Romantic Vows — Deeply Emotional
[Name], from the moment I met you, I knew my life had changed. You are everything I didn’t know I needed and everything I could ever want. I promise to love you fiercely, to protect what we have, to never stop choosing you, and to spend the rest of my life making sure you never doubt how loved you are. You are my greatest adventure. I am yours completely.
Romantic Vows — Gentle and Tender
I love the way you see the world. I love the way you make me feel in it. Today I promise you all of me — the easy parts and the hard ones too. I will be your safe place, your biggest fan, and your constant. Forever and always, I choose you.
Romantic Vows — For the Hopeless Romantic
[Name], you are my favorite story, my favorite place to be, my favorite everything. I promise to love you in the quiet ordinary moments as fiercely as I do right now. I promise to never take for granted what we have built and what we are about to build. All of me, for all of you. Always.
Funny Wedding Vows
Humor belongs in wedding vows. If laughter is part of your relationship, it belongs in your vows too.
Funny Vows — Lighthearted
[Name], I promise to love you, even when you steal the blankets. I promise to support you, even when your ideas involve me waking up early. I promise to be patient with you, even when you can’t decide what to eat for dinner. But most of all, I promise to choose you — every single day, without question, for the rest of my life. Even on the blanket days.
Funny Vows — Self-Aware
I’ll be honest — I practiced this speech about a hundred times in the mirror. It was very moving. But standing here looking at you, I only need to say one thing: I love you. I choose you. And I can’t wait to annoy you for the rest of our lives.
Funny Vows — Honest and Warm
[Name], I promise to always let you win arguments that don’t really matter — and to fight hard for the ones that do. I promise to make you laugh, to make you coffee, and to pretend I don’t know what you’re getting me for my birthday. More than anything, I promise to love you completely and to never stop trying to deserve you.
Religious Wedding Vows
Christian Vows
I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my husband/wife, in righteousness and love, before God and everyone present. I commit to love you and serve you, respect you and encourage you, in all circumstances, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.
Catholic Wedding Vows
I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my wife/husband. I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.
Non-Religious / Spiritual Vows
I, [Name], take you, [Name], to be my spouse. I promise to choose you every day, to love you in word and deed, to do the hard work of making now into always. To laugh with you and cry with you, to grow with you and create with you. To be your partner in all of life’s adventures, loving what I know of you and trusting what I don’t yet know. I give you my hand. I give you my love. I give you myself.
Jewish-Inspired Vows
Today I ask that you be a companion and a spouse to me. May this marriage be a covenant of partnership and trust as we work to build a life together. I bind myself to you with respect, with love, with friendship and with joy, so that we may be companions and lovers until the end of our days.
Wedding Vows for Him (Groom to Bride)
Groom’s Vows — Classic
[Name], you are the person I want by my side through everything. I promise to love you and protect you, to be your partner and your safe place, to make you laugh as often as I can, and to be the man you deserve every single day. From this moment forward, I am yours.
Groom’s Vows — Emotional
I never understood what people meant when they said they found their person — until I found you. [Name], you are my person. I promise to love you completely, to support your dreams as fiercely as my own, to be honest with you always, and to never stop showing you how grateful I am that you said yes. All the days of my life, I am yours.
Wedding Vows for Her (Bride to Groom)
Bride’s Vows — Romantic
[Name], you are my home. Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be. I promise to love you deeply, to stand beside you in every season, to be your partner, your confidant, and your biggest supporter. I choose you today, and I will choose you every day after this.
Bride’s Vows — Modern and Personal
I knew I wanted to marry you long before today. Today just makes it official. [Name], I promise to love you fiercely, to fight for us when things are hard, to celebrate you in your wins, and to hold your hand through everything else. You are my favorite person. I am so glad you’re mine.
Vow Renewal Vows
Vow Renewal — Simple
[Name], I chose you then, and I choose you now. Every year with you has only deepened my love and my certainty that you are my person. Today I renew my promise to you — to love you, to cherish you, and to choose you every day for all the days still to come.
Vow Renewal — Reflective
When I made these promises to you, I meant every word. Today, having lived them, I mean them even more. [Name], I would choose you again — a thousand times over. I love you more today than I did then. And I can’t wait to see what comes next.
How Long Should Wedding Vows Be?
Most wedding vows are 1 to 2 minutes when spoken aloud — roughly 150 to 250 words. That’s the sweet spot.
Too short and they can feel rushed. Too long and you risk losing the moment — and the crowd.
A simple rule: Say what’s true. Then stop.
Tips for Writing Your Own Vows
If you want to write vows from scratch — or personalize one of the samples above — here’s what works:
- Start with a specific memory — The moment you knew, a first date, something only you two would remember
- Make real promises — Not just “I’ll love you forever” but specific, personal commitments that reflect your actual relationship
- Speak directly to your partner — Write it as if you’re talking to them, not performing for the room
- Read it aloud — If it sounds weird spoken, rewrite it
- Aim for 150–250 words — That’s about 1.5–2 minutes at a normal speaking pace
Get Your Vows Written for You
If you’d rather have personalized vows written based on your story, our AI vows generator can do it in 60 seconds.
You tell us about your partner, your relationship, your tone — and we write vows that sound like you, not like a template.
Generate My Wedding Vows — Free →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use sample wedding vows as-is? Yes. There’s no rule that says your vows have to be 100% original. If a set of vows expresses exactly what you feel, use them. Personalize with your partner’s name and any specific details that matter to you.
What’s the difference between traditional and modern vows? Traditional vows follow a set script — usually religious in nature — and have been used for generations. Modern vows are more personal and flexible, written to reflect the individual couple.
Do both partners say the same vows? It’s completely up to you. Some couples say identical vows, others write their own separately. There’s no right answer.
Can I mix and match from different vow styles? Absolutely. Take the opening from one, the promises from another, and the closing from a third. Make it yours.
How do I memorize my vows? You don’t have to. Print them out in a large font, double-spaced. Hold the paper. It’s completely normal and expected.
What if I cry during my vows? Pause. Breathe. Take your time. Nobody in that room will mind. It’s one of the most beautiful things that can happen.