The Simple, Uncomplicated Approach to Writing Your Wedding Vows

Choosing to write your own vows is a beautiful way to personalize your wedding. However, when the time comes to put pen to paper, you might find yourself stumped. There are so many ways you can go about this task that you might not know where to start. Luckily, we have the answer.

In this guide, we'll show you a simple approach to writing your own wedding vows. You can expect real-life examples, tips, and all the advice you need.

Simple Wedding Vow Template

When you’re penning your own promises, you have the chance to be more creative. Unsure where to begin? To get you started, take a look at this simple template.

1. Start with ‘I love you.’ Let’s start with the basics. Before you delve into the vows, you need to tell your partner that you love them and show how much you care. This part of your wedding vows may be somewhat emotional. Don’t forget those three little words.
2. Explain how your partner has changed you. When someone special comes into your life, they change you. They might teach you things you never knew about yourself or, on a more practical level, share a new skill with you. Take a moment to consider what your partner has done for you and thank them for it. Draw upon your differences and state them as strengths you will both use to move forward as a newly wedded couple.
3. Give a personal anecdote. Your wedding vows should be as unique as your romantic relationship, so make things personal. You might want to tell a short and sweet story about how you met or simply speak about what makes your relationship special. You don’t have to talk about the big things here. Instead, you can draw upon small, everyday quirks that you love. Show that you notice the small idiosyncrasies that make your partner unique.
4. Make realistic promises. The heart of this speech is the promises or vows you make to your partner. While you should vow to love, honor, and cherish them, there’s room to make these promises more down-to-earth, too. For example, you might want to say that you will always watch a certain TV show with them or that you will always support their favorite team. Adding a sense of realism to your vows makes them more meaningful.
5. Thank them and look to the future. Finally, you’re going to want to thank your partner for being who they are and loving you. You may also want to close your vows with a look toward the future. Consider how your wedded life may look and talk about any hopes or dreams that you have for the two of you. Be optimistic, caring, and honest here.

Simple Wedding Vow Tips

Now that you’ve got a wedding vows template, let’s talk about how you’re going to write them. This task doesn’t have to be as complicated as it may sound. Here are some expert tips that will help you perfect the art of writing.

1. Start writing early. If you think you have all the time in the world to write your vows, you may want to think again. This sentimental task will take longer than you expect. Give yourself as much time as possible by starting early. Remember, you don’t have to write the whole thing in one go. You can keep coming back to your vows until you get them right.
2. Start with some bullet points. Before you start writing your vows, consider what you’re trying to say. It’s helpful to make some bullet points. Put everything down on paper so you know what you’re working with. That way, it will be much easier when you start.
3. Make a full-length draft. Next, it’s time to draft your vows. Avoid editing yourself as you go along and simply write. Allow all your feelings to come out and be honest. At this point, you don’t need to worry about length. It’s more important to get it all out there.
4. Edit, edit, and edit some more. When you have completed your draft, you can get started on editing. While every aside and anecdote may feel essential, try to stick to the most meaningful ones. It’s extremely hard to edit your own words, especially when the topic is sentimental. However, you need to cut back where you can.
5. Let your personality shine. Each wedding guest knows you well, so you should let your personality shine through your writing. Don’t attempt to write in someone else’s voice. Simply be yourself. Write things the way you would naturally say them.
6. Feel free to be a bit cheesy. Romance should be at the heart of your wedding vows. Don’t worry about being cheesy or overly romantic. That’s to be expected! You should feel free to wear your heart on your sleeve and be honest about how you feel.
7. Get a second opinion. Almost done? It’s time to get a second opinion on your wedding vows. While you may want to keep them a surprise for most people, you should call upon a trusted friend.
8. Practice your vows! Finally, it’s time to get practicing. The first time you read your vows shouldn’t be at your wedding. You can recite the vows in front of the mirror or record yourself saying them. Keep going until you know them by heart!

Answer These Questions to Get Started

If you’re about ready to start writing your wedding vows, take a moment to answer the following questions. You want to make sure that your speech is on point, which means that you need to put some real thought into how people may react. Here’s what to consider:

• How long will your vows be?
• Should you incorporate religion into your vows?
• How can you make your vows unique to you?
• Are some anecdotes too personal to share?
• How sentimental do you want your vows to be?
• How will specific guests react to your vows?

Simple Wedding Vow Examples to Make Your Own

Example 1: Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve

“First I vow to always respect you, both in name and faith. Second, I vow to be your support and encouragement in times of despair and times of prosper. Finally, as the glamour and excitement of today fades away and our lives take different forms, I vow to love you just as much tomorrow as I do today.” – Lauren Corna (via YouTube)

Example 2: Crack a Few Personal Jokes

“I promise to feign an interest in cricket for the rest of our days; to know that three bottles of Sriracha is never enough; that toothpaste must be bought in bulk; and that FIFA is not just a game. But, most importantly, in a thousand lifetimes, if I had a thousand choices, I would still choose you.” – Nakita (via YouTube)

Example 3: Make a Touching Promise

“I promise to be there when your hair turns gray, your face wrinkles, and life around us looks different. And I cannot promise that life will be perfect because it won’t. But it will be a perfect life lived with you, pursuing the Lord until the end of our days.” – Bailey (via YouTube)

Example 4: Recite a Poem

“I cannot promise you a life full of sunshine. I cannot promise you riches, wealth, or gold. I cannot promise you an easy pathway that leads from growing old. But I can promise you all of my heart’s devotion. A smile to chase away our tears, our sorrow. A love that’s ever true and ever growing. My hand to hold in yours for each tomorrow.” – Austin (via YouTube)

Example 5: Share How You Make Each Other Better

“You’ve done nothing but make me a better man. You were so patient with my 18-year-old self back then. You challenged me with unfamiliar beliefs and taught me about new interests. You tamed my judgmental high ego and stubborn self and you continue to do that to this day when it’s not going to stop. Every day I feel truly blessed to bear witness to you.” – Neja (via YouTube)

Example 6: Share Some Personal Anecdotes

“I’ll always be by your side, even when I’m 80 and you still want to go on a morning walk. I promise I’ll have my sand shoes on even though they’re actually called runners and be ready to go. I’ll get out of bed when you’re tired just to plug your phone charger in or pull the blankets up to tuck you in. I’ll turn the heater on when you’re cold even when I’m already sweating. When we’re out for dinner I’ll always shuffle forward when you pull the table closer to you.” – Rob (via YouTube) 

Example 7: Unconditional Love of Everything

“I promise to love you unconditionally every day for the rest of your life. Encourage you to achieve greatness and to tell you I love you each night before we go to sleep. I also promise to continue to annoy you every day for the rest of time and pretend I’m interested in whatever PlayStation game you’re playing even though I have no idea what you are talking about.” – Bec (via YouTube)

Example 8: Being a Supportive Partner

“I promise to always laugh with you and never go to bed angry. I promise to make you laugh and giggle the cute way that you do. I promise to comfort you in times of sorrow and pick you up when all seems far gone. I promise to always listen to what you have to say even when we don’t agree and to remember that love is saying 'I feel differently' instead of 'you’re wrong.'” – Ryan (via YouTube)

Example 9: Make the Most of Every Moment

“I promise to try my best to never stop listening to the things you say. To celebrate small accomplishments. To apologize to you when I need to. To panic at the sight of bugs and call for your help. To sneak in hugs when you’re brushing your teeth.” – Lisa (via YouTube)

Example 10: Love Overcomes Adversity

“We’ve seen each other grow as people, as lovers, and as partners. And we’ve been through some of our highest highs and our lowest lows and we’ve come out the other side together. Whether it’s walking down the street in a place we’ve never been to before or just on the couch watching Bravo, every moment with you is the most wonderful adventure yet and we have so many more in us.” – Jackie (via YouTube)

Example 11: Devote Your Life to Your Partner

“I promise to fight for you and to put you first as this family is the most important family now. I promise to be your biggest fan and supporter in every aspect of life. I promise to laugh with you and to cry with you and to hold you. I promise to listen, I promise to be patient, and I promise to treat you with nothing but respect and kindness.” – Brett (via YouTube)

Example 12: Proclaim Your Love Every Day

“My final vow is that I will never stop expressing my love for you. I will never stop pursuing you with every breath that I take. I will pray for you, help guide you, support you, and protect you. I will love you fiercely every day that I live and every day after.” – Jeff (via YouTube)

Example 13: There for You in Many Ways

“The confidence I have in our love is unshakable. From this day forward I promise to be your strongest advocate, your personal chef, your chauffeur, your shoulder to cry on, and your comic relief.” – Craig (via YouTube)