Wedding Vows or Renewal Vows

Wedding vows or vow renewals are not one size fit all. I’ve worked with couples who have written their own beautiful vows and have also helped many couples come up with their own. Below are a few examples to get help you come up with wedding vows or vow renewals that are personal to you.

First, the “I do….” wedding vows

John, do you take Sue to be your wife, to love, nourish and support her? And will you remain wholehearted in your commitment to do whatever is necessary to maintain open honest communication, trust, passion, and a sense of humor through all the changes of your lives? “I do”

Sally, do you whole-heartedly accept Joe to be your partner, your lover, and your friend in marriage and in life? Do you promise to laugh with him and cry with him, to stand by his side and sleep in his arms, to respect who he is and encourage what he can become? Do you promise to walk with him through life’s journey, wherever it may lead? “I do”

Don, do you take Joyce as your wife? Do you pledge to share your life openly with her, & to speak the truth to her in love? Do you promise to honor and tenderly care for her, to cherish her, and to empower her & encourage her own fulfillment as an individual? “I do”

Steve, as your solemn and joyous vow, do you take Sherry to be your wife; 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, as long as you both shall live upon this earth? “I do”

Then – repeat after (or read) wedding vows or vow renewals as you exchange rings:

Any of the above could be used by changing pronouns – such as …

Sue, I take you as my wife. I pledge to share my life openly with you, & to speak the truth to you in love. I promise to honor and tenderly care for you, to cherish you, and to empower you & encourage your own fulfillment as an individual. I am honored to be your husband and share my life with you.

Beloved, I give you this ring as a symbol of my steadfastness and joy in loving you with my heart, with my body and with all the syllables of my soul. I pledge to honor you with all that I am, and all I shall become for the whole of my life.

I choose now to take this journey with you.

John, you may place your ring on Sue’s finger to the first knuckle and read your chosen vows to her now: Sue, I take you to be my wife. I joyfully promise to share my life and my laughter with you; to speak the truth to you in love – and to listen to yours from my heart; to deepen my capacity to be present, and to encourage the fulfillment of your soul; to hold you with the support of an open hand, remembering always to accept you as you are, to meet you with patience, and to persevere with you when times are hard; to let go of the attachment to being right or wrong and look only to what can be learned from any given moment. I promise to open my heart to all that life with you can be.

Sue: In acceptance, slip it on the rest of the way. “You are my beloved and my friend..”

Beloved Sally, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vows. With all that I am and all that I have, I honor you in the name of God.

Jeff, place your ring on Carol’s finger to the first knuckle, and repeat your chosen vows after me:

From this day on I choose you, my beloved Carol, to be my wife, to live with you and laugh with you;
to stand by your side and sleep in your arms;
to be joy to your heart and food to your soul;
to bring out the best in you always;
and, for you, to be the most that I can.

To rejoice with you in the good times;
to work with you in the bad;
to solace you when you are downhearted;
to wipe your tears with my hands;
to comfort you with my body;
to mirror you with my soul;
to play with you as we grow old;
and deliciously love you until the sweet end.

Carol, in acceptance, you may slip the ring on the rest of the way and repeat after me:

Thank you, my love. I will wear forever this ring as the sign of my joy and the depth of your love.

Or, if you did not exchange rings:

May your life together come ever closer to a growing unity of love, spirit, and purpose. I invite you to allow this ring serve as a reminder of the natural cycles and seasons of your relationship. . . of your spiritual unity.

Do you John, promise your Beloved Susan to love her with all your heart, with your body and your soul? Do you pledge to honor her with all that you are and all that you shall become for the whole of your life? “I do.”

Sample weddings vows or vow renewals you may ask your guests to make:

And now we ask you, the friends and family they have chosen to bear high witness to their commitment of love, to make your own vows to this marriage if you choose. We would ask one another to watch over them, to listen carefully to them, and remain aware of their well being; to nourish and care for their union in times of need and adversity; to protect and defend their marriage from those who might consciously or unconsciously erode its strength; and remember to honor & celebrate their union as an essential part of the richness of our community.

This one is similar with a slightly different feel…

And now we ask you, the friends and family Rob and Kerstin have chosen to bear high witness to their commitment of love, to make your own vows to this marriage. We ask you to watch over them, to listen carefully to them, and remain aware of their well being; to nourish and care for their union in times of need and adversity; to protect and defend their marriage from those who might consciously or unconsciously erode its strength; and to remember to honor & celebrate their union as an essential part of the richness in their lives.

Do you, friends and family of Rob and Kerstin, take this vow?

Audience responds “Yes”

Marriage is a communal undertaking. Your love and example has guided Karen and James to this moment. They now respectfully request your vow of support for them and their marriage. If you choose, please say the words “I do” after this sincere vow… “As dear friends and family members of James and Karen, do you pledge to uphold this couple with your continued love, assistance, wisdom, comfort, and encouragement?”

Response: “I do.”

Family uniting examples:

This marriage is special in that it is not just a union of two people, it is a joining of two families. Jeff and Toni are each blessed with children of their own who join them in this ceremony. Jeff’s son, Bryan, and daughter, Jamie. Toni’s two sons, Kevin and Brian. In addition to their decision to accept each other, Jeff and Toni also accept the responsibility of guiding, supporting, and loving their children together. They would like to honor their families at this time – especially their mothers, Betty and Shirley, who have provided unending love and support throughout their lives. (Give roses to moms)

Also here today are Toni’s stepfather, Rich and her brothers Marc and Eric. Jeff and Toni would like all members of their extended families to know that they value the richness that you bring to this union.

We are also here to give social recognition to their decision to accept each other totally and permanently, as well as accepting the responsibility of guiding, supporting and loving their children – Derrick, Courtney, Vanessa & Ryan.