Finalizing Your Wedding Vows: A Guide To Making Them Personal And Memorable

Finalising your wedding vows is an important step in the wedding planning process. Wedding vows are promises made between two people on their wedding day, and they can be traditional, modern, religious, or personalised. Couples may choose to write their own vows or recite traditional ones, and they often include declarations of love, admiration, and support, as well as inside jokes and funny anecdotes. Finalising your vows involves deciding on the content, tone, and format, and communicating with your partner and officiant to ensure they are on board with your chosen style. It is also important to practice reciting your vows beforehand to ensure they are delivered with confidence and clarity on the big day.

Express your admiration for your partner

Expressing your admiration for your partner is an important part of wedding vows. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Voice Your Admiration

• "You are my sunrise and sunset—my day starts and ends with you."
• "I feel as if my life did not start until the day I met you, and now you are my entire universe."
• "I thought I knew everything before I met you, and then I met you and realized I didn't know anything—not until we fell in love."
• "You are my person, my inspiration, my love, and my everything. I cannot wait to spend a lifetime loving you."
• "I vow to express my love for you as often as I breathe each breath."
• "You are the person I want to spend forever with."
• "As I have spent my whole life looking for my other half, I knew it was you from the moment we met."
• "I love you with my whole heart, with a passion that can't be expressed in words, only in kisses, glances, and years of adventure by your side."
• "I promise to be your honest, faithful, and loving wife/husband for the rest of my days."
• "I pledge to honour you, love you, and cherish you as my wife/husband today and every day."
• "You are my every dream come true, and I can't wait for the reality we get to build together."
• "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."
• "I love you more fiercely every second that slips through our hands. With you, I can make the most of my days."
• "You are my fire, my one desire."
• "I can conquer the world with one hand as long as you’re holding the other."
• "You are the strength I didn't know I needed and the joy that I didn't know I lacked."
• "You are the greatest, most magnificent man/woman I've ever known."
• "I never believed much in destiny or fate until it led me to you."
• "You are my light, and you've shown me more love than I've ever known."
• "You make me a full person. Committing the rest of my life to you is easy because without you, I am nothing."
• "I vow to always protect you from harm, to stand with you against your troubles, and to look to you when I need protection."
• "You make me laugh, you make me think, and above all, you make me happy."
• "I promise to be your navigator, best friend, and wife/husband. I promise to honour, love, and cherish you through all life's adventures. Wherever we go, we'll go together."

Share Personal Stories

• "I knew the very first moment I saw you. I knew we were meant to be together for all our days."
• "You have become my lover, my companion, and my best friend. There's no one else I'd want to build a life with."
• "You are my soulmate as we journey through life together. I promise to love, respect, and cherish you forever."
• "I love you not only for what you are but for what I am when I am with you. I love you for the part of me that you bring out."
• "I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good."
• "You are my better half and very best friend. I will love, honour, respect, and cherish you in sickness and health, through sorrows and success, for all the days of my life."
• "I vow to always make sure I bring a snack for you on long car trips."
• "I vow to never stop kissing you every time we stop at a red light."
• "I promise to laugh with you every day, to dance with you in the kitchen, and not to rub it in when I beat you in horse."
• "I promise to listen to your dreams and be there to hold you after any nightmares."
• "I promise to always be myself with you."
• "You are the most loving, clever, and kind individual I have ever known, and I promise to always be in your corner."
• "Together, I know we can do anything. I can't wait to work hand in hand to build a beautiful life together."

Cast a vision for your future together

Casting a vision for your future together is a great way to start your new life stage with your partner. Here are some ideas for how to do this:

Talk about the home you want to build

Describe the kind of home you want to build together. Do you want it to be a place of learning, laughter, and light? Do you want to fill it with the sounds of children's laughter? Do you want it to be a peaceful sanctuary, a place of warmth and comfort? Talk about the values you want to uphold in your home and the kind of family you want to be.

Talk about the life you want to lead

What do you want to be true of your lives together as a couple? Do you want to be each other's navigators, best friends, and soulmates? Do you want to be each other's biggest fans and supporters? Do you want to be partners in crime, ready to take on any adventure that comes your way? Do you want to be a source of comfort and strength for each other? Talk about the kind of life you want to lead together and how you want to show up for each other.

Share your dreams and aspirations

Talk about your dreams and aspirations and how you want to support each other in achieving them. Do you want to be each other's cheerleaders, pushing each other to be the best versions of yourselves? Do you want to be each other's anchors, providing stability and encouragement? Do you want to create a life of mutual respect, compassion, and patience? Talk about your hopes and dreams and how you want to build a life together.

Make promises for the future

Make promises that reflect the future you want to create together. Do you promise to always be there for each other, through thick and thin? Do you promise to love and respect each other, to care for and support each other, in sickness and in health? Do you promise to be honest and faithful, to be each other's confidants and companions? Talk about the commitments you want to make and the kind of future you want to build together.

Share your vision for growth

Talk about how you want to grow together as a couple. Do you want to be each other's teachers, helping each other learn and evolve? Do you want to be each other's mirrors, reflecting back each other's strengths and weaknesses? Do you want to be each other's guides, navigating life's challenges and celebrating its joys? Talk about how you want to grow together and how you want to support each other's personal growth and development.

Include personal stories

Including personal stories in your wedding vows is a great way to make your ceremony more interesting and moving for your guests and your partner. Here are some tips for how to do this effectively:

Share Romantic Stories

Recount the story of how you knew your partner was "the one", or share a laugh-out-loud account of how your first date went horribly wrong. These types of stories will add a touch of humour and sentimentality to your vows and will help your guests feel more connected to your relationship.

Include Inspiring Narratives

If you and your partner have overcome challenging times together, don't be afraid to mention this in your vows. It will show your guests that your relationship is strong and that you are committed to each other even during difficult times.

Add Sentimental Details

Think about the most important moments in your relationship, such as the first time you met or the first time you said "I love you". These moments will add a layer of sentimentality and depth to your vows.

Keep It Balanced

While it's important to include personal stories in your vows, try not to make them too lengthy or detailed. Aim for a balance of humour, sentimentality, and seriousness, and always consider what your partner might be comfortable with sharing in front of an audience.

Practice Delivery

Once you've finalised your vows, take the time to practice delivering them. This will help you feel more confident on the big day and ensure that your stories are communicated effectively.

Make solid promises

Wedding vows are promises made between two engaged people, traditionally shared verbally during the wedding ceremony. The purpose of wedding vows is to solidify your commitment to your partner as you enter into marriage.

When writing your wedding vows, it's important to include specific promises that are meaningful to you, your partner, and your relationship. These promises can be serious or playful, but they should be concise and specific. Here are some tips for making solid promises in your wedding vows:

• Focus on what kind of partner you want to be and how you want your future spouse to feel.
• Think about common arguments or challenges you face together and turn them into promises. For example, if you're always running late for events, you could promise to make more of an effort to be on time.
• Include a mix of serious and playful promises. Even if you're aiming for funny wedding vows, include at least two serious promises to ground your vows.
• Be specific and choose promises that feel special to your unique relationship dynamic.
• Make promises that reflect your vision for the future and the kind of life you want to build with your partner.
• Voice your enduring love and commitment to your partner, especially during hard times.
• "I promise to trust and respect you."
• "I promise to laugh at your jokes, even the ones that are only kind of funny."
• "I promise to show appreciation for all the little things you do for me."
• "I promise to always put our love first."
• "I promise to choose adventure over tradition and to walk with you instead of alone."
• "I promise to create a home where we will become our own family."
• "I promise to give you my whole heart for my entire life."
• "I promise to travel the world with you."
• "I promise to always make sure I bring a snack for you on long car trips."
• "I vow to always tell you how much I love you and appreciate all that you do."

Rehearse your vows

Rehearsing your wedding vows is an important step in the process of finalising your wedding vows. Here are some tips to help you rehearse your vows effectively:

• Start practising early: Don't leave it until the last minute to practise your vows. The earlier you start, the more comfortable you will become with the words and the more natural they will sound on the day.
• Read your vows aloud: Reading your vows aloud will help you identify any areas that need improvement, such as grammar or missing words. It will also help you get used to the flow and pace of your speech.
• Indicate pauses and intonation: Your vows are filled with meaning, so don't rush through them. Indicate any pauses and changes in intonation to ensure you deliver your vows with the right emphasis and emotion.
• Ask a trusted friend to listen: Practising in front of a trusted friend can be helpful. They can give you feedback and help you improve your delivery.
• Rehearse with your partner: Practising your vows together can help you feel more comfortable and confident on the day. It will also allow you to ensure your vows complement each other and are a similar length.
• Use a large font: When printing out your vows, use a large font so that you can easily find your place if you lose your spot.
• Accept your emotions: It's normal to feel emotional when practising your vows. Don't worry about getting it perfect – focus on expressing your love and commitment to your partner.

Frequently asked questions