Wedding vows are typically made during the ceremony and can be so beautiful. Traditional vows include the standard “… to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer, etc… ’til death do us part.” However, writing your own personal vows (starting from scratch completely) can mean SO much to your partner, and can help inaugurate the vows in your own heart as well. This is something you do once-in-a-lifetime, and we think a few vow writing tips can help get the words flowing!
Wedding vow tips from experts
Complete Weddings + Events’ wedding experts, each attending over 25 weddings a year (some over double that!), have the best advice to help you get started in the vow writing process, plus tips on what to include in these declarations. Get all our vow writing tips from wedding experts below!
Where to start
Complete Weddings + Events’ Lisa and Eric Raftery have a great technique to help you get started on the personal vow writing process. Write one line about the past, one line about the present, and one line about the future. Here’s an example using three sentences and the past, present, and future method to get you thinking.
- Past: “I remember when I first met you and was so impressed by not only your gorgeous smile, but by how thoughtful and kind you were.”
- Present: “Now we are best friends, and I still love your smile and am impressed by who you are, every single day.”
- Future: “As we get married today, I am so excited for this beautiful season together, to spend the rest of my life, loving you and discovering new ways that you are the most amazing man I have ever known.”
The Knot has nine wedding vow examples from real couples, some with both partners’ vows included, to give you many variations of vows, from one sentence to full-on emotional!
Practice out loud
Once you accomplished writing your lines, you’ll definitely want to read them out loud a few times for the big day! Complete’s Alex Antoine explains you should “plan out what you’re going to say and stick to it.” Once you’ve completed the process, trust yourself that what you’ve written is enough, and practice memorizing (or preparing a neatly written note) for the special moment!
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