The vows are the core of the Protestant and Roman Catholic services. You can do without all the other parts of the service, but you must say vows to each other to be married. Couples are more likely to write their own vows than any other part of the service.

Protestant

The Man, facing the woman and taking her right hand in his, says

In the Name of God, I __________ take you, __________ to be my 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, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

Then they loose their hands, and the Woman, still facing the man, takes his right hand in hers, and says

In the Name of God, I __________ take you, __________ to be my husband, 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, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

They loose their hands

Book of Common Prayer

Roman Catholic

(This passage is omitted because of copyright protection. It is included in the book, For As Long As We Both Shall Live, available at your local bookstore.)

The Rite of Marriage

Jewish

(This passage is omitted because of copyright protection. It is included in the book, For As Long As We Both Shall Live, available at your local bookstore.)

Rabbi's Manual

Contemporary

The officiant says to the groom: __________ will you look into __________'s eyes, and into her heart, and repeat after me?

Groom: I commit my life to our partnership in marriage. I promise to comfort you, to encourage you in all walks of life. I promise to express my thoughts and emotions to you and to listen to you in times of joy and in times of sorrow. __________, I love you, and you are my closest friend. Will you let me share my life and all that I am with you?

Bride: I will.

The officiant says to the bride: __________ will you look into __________'s eyes, and into his heart, and repeat after me?

Bride: I commit my life to our partnership in marriage. I promise to comfort you, to encourage you in all walks of life. I promise to express my thoughts and emotions to you, and to listen to you in times of joy and in times of sorrow. __________, I love you, and you are my closest friend. Will you let me share my life and all that I am with you?

Groom: I will.

Michael Barlow-Sparkman

The officiant says to the groom: __________, how do you pledge your love?

Groom: __________, I promise to give you my love, to accept and cherish your love, to help you when you need me. I promise to be your faithful husband in joy and in sorrow, and in sickness and in health.

The officiant says to the bride: __________, how do you pledge your love?

Bride: __________, I promise to give you my love, to accept and cherish your love, to help you when you need me. I promise to be your faithful wife in joy and in sorrow, and in sickness and in health.

John Corrado

These words were spoken first by the groom and then by the bride:

I promise to be your lover, companion and friend,

Your partner in parenthood,

Your ally in conflict,

Your greatest fan and your toughest adversary.

Your comrade in adventure,

Your student and your teacher,

Your consolation in disappointment

Your accomplice in mischief,

Your strength in your need and

Vulnerable to you in my own,

And most of all,

Your associate in the search for enlightenment.

Wedding of David Friedman and Robin Colpitts Friedman

The groom: Mary, I met you nearly three years ago. I remember sitting next to you that first day in class. I sat next to you because I thought you were so beautiful. We talked and became friends. It took me over a year to get up the courage to ask you out on a date. You seemed so wonderful and I was shy. After a few weeks of dating I became convinced that you were the most wonderful person I had ever met and that I could not imagine being without you. As you began to tell me how much you cared about me, I started to develop a confidence in our relationship. I felt a trust that we loved each other deeply and we could count on each other.

Still, it was difficult for me to make the decision to get married. Getting married means giving up some of my independence. I have enjoyed living alone in my own home, knowing that I could leave my things anywhere I wanted. I have enjoyed knowing I would not interfere with anyone else. Yet there came a time a few months ago when I realized I wanted to make a commitment to you. I want to share the joys and responsibilities and stress of life with you. When you are sick I want to care for you and I want you to care for me when I am ill. I want to share the same house with you. I want to share the same experiences with you so that in twenty or thirty or forty years I can say, "Remember that job I had? Remember that trip we took? Remember that friend we had?" You will say, "Yes, I remember." Most important, I want to have children with you. Mary, I pledge to you my love and caring and fidelity. It will be a joy and an honor to share the rest of my life with you.

The bride: John, I remember when we first met, when we first talked, when you first asked me out. I never considered that I might marry you. I remember thinking of you as an interesting person. After we had been going out together for several weeks, you went home for Christmas vacation to visit your parents. That was an important trip for me, because I realized when you were gone how much I missed you, how much I needed you. I remember going to the airport to greet you when you returned. When I saw you I melted inside and I said to myself that I did not want to be separated from you again. For several months I was completely dependent on you emotionally. It was a wonderful romantic time of poetry, wine and flowers. However, it was also a time when I was afraid; occasionally I the fear that you might suddenly disappear would grip me. Gradually that feeling began to fade. Over time I began to trust you and trust myself. Self-confidence grew inside me. I know from experience that I can count on myself and we can count on each other.

John, I want to spend my life with you. I am as sure of this as I have ever been sure of anything. I don't know what the future holds. No doubt there will be times when things will go well for us. There will be other times when one of us will be out of work or ill, or when the world around us will be in chaos. With you John, I want to share all this. Most important, I want to have children with you. To have a family with you is my wish. John, I pledge to you my love and my fidelity as your wife. I promise to share the rest of my life with you.

Roger Fritts

Groom: I promise you __________, that I will be your loving and loyal husband from now on and I will share with you all of life's joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, until death parts us.

Bride: I promise you __________, that I will be your loving and loyal wife from now on and I will share with you all of life's joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, until death parts us.

David Hostetter

Groom: I, __________, take you __________, just as you are, above all others, to share my life.

Bride: I, __________, take you __________, just as you are, above all others, to share my life.

Angeline E. Theisen

RETURN TO CONTENTS

We welcome submissions of your original “Vows” for wedding services. For possible consideration for inclusion on this page, send your E-Mail to:rfritts@his.com

URL: http//www.his.com/~rfritts

Revised -June 7, 2004