Inspiration for Writing Your Wedding Vows

So, you have found the life partner of your dreams and now you are ready to vow… but vow what exactly? Your vows have to be personal, elegant (not mushy — don’t want to make them sound like a poem from a greeting card) and accurately reflect your ideas of what your commitment entails. Given all this, it’s understandable if you’ve come down with a little bit of writers block.

Heidi Malott: Bride & Groom Summer Wedding. Used by permission.

Here are four beginnings to inspire you. Each is linked to a Web site that features many more vows, from fully written religious ceremonies to non-traditional ideas. Start by picking and choosing the lines and paragraphs that most reflect how you feel about your upcoming nuptials. With that list in hand, you’re ready to discuss your vows with your fiance and to, together, write a ceremony that will bring your guests to tears.

• Vow to love, comfort and encourage

  I, (Bride’s Name), take you, (Groom’s Name), to be my (lawfully wedded) husband, secure in the knowledge that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love. I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve all of your goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

• Vow to cherish and respect

  I, (name), take you, (name), to be my friend, my lover, the (mother/father) of my children and my (husband/wife). I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you for all eternity.

• Vow to share your hopes and dreams

  I affirm the special bond and unique relationship that exists between us, and promise to keep it always alive. I promise to love, respect and honor you, sharing your plans and interests, ideals and emotions, through all the trials and tribulations of life, as well as the joyous times, caring for you in lifelong commitment. I promise to be your confidante, always ready to share your hopes, dreams and secrets.

• Re-marriage: Dare to dream again

  Because of you, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream again. I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my life with you, caring for you, nurturing you, being there for you in all life has for us. We will be changed forever. Without reservation. I promise to honor you, believe in you, protect you, and do everything in my power to make your life happy and fulfilled.

Got any tips to share? If so, we’d love to hear them. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!