Your Sample Wedding Vows

The first kind of vow, very traditional, is for the wedding officiant (minister, priest, judge, etc.) to ask a question of the Groom, and then the Bride, to which each responds, "I do." The most basic form would be something like this:

(Officiant) "Do you, (Name), take (Name), to be your (wife/husband)?"

(Groom/Bride Response) "I do."

The main advantage of this vow is that it is "quick and easy", and preferred by couples who may be a bit shy or self-conscious, or are more private and not overly romantic. The main disadvantage for this kind of vow is that it may not seem very serious. It is quite commonly used by judges at a courthouse wedding, and in Las Vegas-style wedding chapels.

The most common form of vows is for the wedding officiant to state each vow, in short fragments, each of which is repeated by the Groom, and then in turn by the Bride.

Here is a classic one:

"I, (Name),
Take you, (Name),
To be my (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 and serve,
Till death do us part." (or, "as long as we both shall live.")

The main criticism of this style of wedding vow is that it can "sound like everyone else's." However, additional words and sentences can be added or inserted into this kind of wedding vow to make it more personal and customized. And we have numerous options for responsive wedding vows for your personal review, if you would like to consider something different than the traditional vows, but still have vows that embrace the importance and depth of your commitment to each other.

The third kind of wedding vow, the custom wedding vow (write your own) is actually prepared and spoken by the Groom and Bride as they express their feelings for the other, along with promises to do (and/or not to do) certain things. Most couples write them out and read them to the other during the ceremony. A few brave souls have tried to memorize them, usually needing to sneak a look at their written vows at some point.

The main advantage, and challenge, of this type of wedding vow is the opportunity for the Groom and Bride to put their deepest thoughts and feelings for each other into words.