Crafting Creative Wedding Vows: An Offbeat Bride's Guide

Writing your own wedding vows can be a daunting task, but Offbeat Bride is here to help! From funny and quirky to sweet and sniffle-inducing, they have a ton of examples of real wedding vows from alternative weddings to inspire you. You can borrow from other people's weddings and adapt the vows to your own relationship, or write them from scratch. Offbeat Bride also provides templates and guidance on how to write wedding vows, as well as ideas for unique, non-religious vows.

How to write non-religious vows

Writing your own wedding vows can be a daunting task, but it's a great opportunity to make your ceremony unique and personalised. Here are some tips for writing non-religious vows:

Use Catchphrases and Inside Jokes

You and your partner likely share many inside jokes, pop culture references, and catchphrases. These can be great material for your vows. For example, if you have a favourite movie or TV show, you can include a quote or reference that holds a special meaning for both of you.

Find Shared Philosophies

Discuss with your partner your philosophies on love, marriage, and building a life together. Talk about how you will adapt to changes, what your priorities are, and what realistic promises you can make to each other. This will help you identify areas of overlap and common ground, from which you can draw inspiration for your vows.

Steal from Songs, Movies, and Books

Song lyrics, movie scenes, and literary excerpts can be a great source of inspiration for your vows. If you have a favourite song that holds a special meaning for both of you, consider incorporating some of the lyrics into your vows. Similarly, you can draw inspiration from romantic scenes in movies or books that resonate with you.

Personalise Traditional Vows

If you're struggling to write something completely from scratch, you can start with traditional wedding vows and personalise them to make them your own. You can modify the wording to reflect your own beliefs and values, or add in specific promises or commitments that are important to you.

Include Specific Promises

Think about the specific ways in which you will support, encourage, and love your partner. For example, you might promise to always listen to them, to provide comfort in times of sorrow, or to share new adventures together. Including these specific pledges in your vows will make them more meaningful and heartfelt.

Be Honest and Vulnerable

Don't be afraid to acknowledge your flaws and the challenges that may arise in your marriage. By recognising and accepting these aspects, you can make your vows more authentic and sincere. For example, you might vow to communicate honestly, to support each other through difficult times, or to seek help when needed.

Remember, your wedding vows should reflect your unique relationship and what matters most to both of you. Don't be afraid to think outside the box and inject your own personality into your vows.

Vows with personal references

I promise to always leave the lights on in the bathroom. I promise to mysteriously take three hours to make a simple omelet. I promise to create a life for us of unexpected and strange adventures. I promise that I will love you.

I pledge to listen to your advice and occasionally take it. I pledge to never take score… even if I'm totally winning. I pledge to always admire your huge, strong, kind and determined heart. I pledge that I will love you.

I vow to listen, for as long as it takes for you to feel heard. I vow to watch in awe as you kick ass and take names. I vow to be your unrelenting cheer squad on the days it feels too much. I vow that I will love you.

I believe that 'me time' is an actual concept, that can be proven by science. I believe that carefully folded socks make you happy. I believe there is no time or place I'm more content than when you're close. Because of this and so, so much more… I believe that I will always love you.

I vow to be faithful in sickness and in health, during times of want and plenty. I will encourage you to grow and change. I vow to be your family in distance and in closeness, in sorrow and in triumph. I will build a life with you.

I vow to make time to be outdoors with you. I will be brave when crossing creeks. I vow to use a recipe as a guideline when fixing meals. I will delight in our many adventures and challenges.

I vow to laugh with you in good times and to solace you when you are downhearted. I will come to mutual decisions with you. I vow to be a quality roommate. I will wash more dishes. I vow to tolerate your icy toes. I will continue to play with you until we grow old and decrepit.

I’ve seen your kindness and your strength. I’ve seen you patient and frayed. I will strive to not take you for granted. You are my favourite person, and I choose you to be my partner in life. I vow to take you as my husband. My heart is yours. Will you exchange your heart for mine? Will you be my family?

I promise to support you when the world gets too hard and be the safe place you come home to. I promise to spend October watching nothing but horror movies and Hocus Pocus with you. I promise to patiently listen to your needs and wants and help make them a reality. I promise to throw a little love your way when you are mad or scared or stressed. I promise to trust and value your opinions and stand by your actions. I promise to be faithful and loving and to put you and our marriage first. I promise to not sweat the small stuff, like sock piles and chocolate milk cups. I promise to keep your life exciting and make marriage our biggest adventure.

And I promise to keep updating these as we go. Because one set of vows can’t cover a lifetime of growing and changing with you, of someday raising children with you, of falling more and more in love with you every day, which is what I promise to do for the rest of my life.

Vows about honesty and sharing

Marriage is about sharing your life with your partner, the good and the bad. It's about being honest with each other and working through challenges together. If you want to emphasise these aspects in your wedding vows, here are some ideas to get you started:

"I promise to always be honest with you, even when the truth is hard to hear. I will share my thoughts and feelings with you and make space for yours."

"In sickness and in health, I will be by your side. I will support you and care for you, no matter what challenges life throws our way."

"I take you as my partner, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish. I promise to be honest and faithful, to share my life with you openly and to always treat you with respect."

"I will support your dreams and help you through your struggles. I will be your cheerleader and your shoulder to cry on. I promise to always have your back."

"I promise to forgive you when you make mistakes and to ask for your forgiveness when I make my own. I will work through our challenges with you, knowing that our love is stronger than any obstacle."

"I will share my life with you, the joyful and the painful. I promise to be there for you through the highs and lows, to celebrate with you in good times and support you through the bad."

Vows about how scary promises are

Promises can be scary. They can be daunting and overwhelming, and sometimes it feels like the ground is falling out from under your feet. But promises can also be a reminder of solid ground when things seem shaky. I promise to be honest with you, to show you the deep truth about who I am. I will be honest about my feelings, even when it's hard. I promise to notice and appreciate the gifts you give me, whether they are kisses, your kindness, your patience, your sense of humour, or your effort. I promise to take care of myself and let you help take care of me. I promise to encourage you to take care of yourself, and I will help take care of you however I can. I promise to invest in us, to put in the work and take the risks, because the rewards are so clear to me. I promise to be your partner, to be half of a team working towards the same goal: happiness, together.

Vows about companionship

Vows are a very important part of a wedding ceremony. They are a contractual basis that will guide the newlyweds through their shared life together and set the tone for their future. While there are many creative ways to write vows, the core principles of lifelong commitment, partnership, love, companionship, kindness, honesty, and patience remain the same.

I.

Today I join my life to yours, not simply as your husband, but as your friend, your lover, and your biggest supporter. Let me be the shoulder you lean on and the companion of your life. With this ring, I promise you that you'll never have to face the world alone. I promise to be there to catch you if you should stumble, carry you over every threshold, and fall in love with you every day.

II.

I promise to be your navigator, best friend, and wife. I promise to honor, love, and cherish you through all life's adventures. Wherever we go, we'll go together. I promise to stand by your side in the good and the bad. I dedicate myself to your happiness, success, and smile. I will love you forever.

III.

I choose you and promise to choose you as my husband every day we wake. I will love you in word and deed. I will laugh with you, cry with you, scream with you, grow with you, and craft with you. To be your kin and your partner in all of life's adventures is all I could hope for in the world. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I don't yet know, I give you my hand. I give you my love. I give you myself, the good, the bad, and the yet to come.

IV.

I promise to be your guiding light in the darkness, a warming comfort in the cold, and a shoulder to lean on when life is too much to bear on your own. Give me your hand, and I will give you forever. You are loved more than any metaphor can ever try to express—my love, my husband.

V.

I, [name], take you, [name], to be my [husband/wife], in equal love, as a mirror for my true Self, as a partner on my path, to honor and to cherish in sorrow and in joy, till death do us part.

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