Personal vows are short, so every line has to count. The examples below are about made-up couples from different parts of the country, and each is written in a different voice. After each one there's a short note on what makes it work, so you can take the idea and use it with your own details.
If you haven't started yet, the wedding vows guide explains how personal vows fit with your officiant and the rest of the ceremony, and how to write your vows goes through it step by step.
1. Short and simple vows (about one minute)
Luis is an electrician in Denver, and he is marrying Kayla, a dental hygienist. They met on a hiking trail. He wanted something short that he could get through without his voice going.
Kayla, we met halfway up a trail near Golden, when your dog ran off with my sandwich. You apologized about ten times and then offered me half of yours. It was peanut butter and pickles, and I ate it anyway.
Since then you've made every apartment we've lived in feel like home. You still leave the porch light on for me when I work late.
I promise to be patient with you, even when we're both tired. I promise to listen when you tell me about your day. And I promise to keep an eye on my lunch whenever Rosie is around.
I love you, Kayla, and I'll be next to you for the rest of our lives.
What makes it work: it's short enough to say slowly. The memory is one small moment told in a few sentences, and the light promise about the dog comes just before the last line, so the vows still end on something serious.
2. Heartfelt vows (about two minutes)
Caroline works for a nonprofit in Charleston, South Carolina. She is marrying Wes, who restores old boats. They met when she volunteered at a beach cleanup and he was the only one who had brought enough gloves.
Wes, the morning we met on Folly Beach, I showed up to a cleanup with no gloves and no trash bags, and you handed me both without saying a word. Then you spent three hours picking up bottle caps next to me and telling me about a boat you were fixing. I didn't know anything about boats. I went back the next month anyway.
That's who you are. You notice what people need before they ask. When my grandmother moved in with my parents last year, you drove out to Summerville every Saturday to build her a ramp for the back steps. You never mentioned it to anyone. She told me.
I love how steady you are. I love that you hum when you're working and don't know you're doing it, and that you still hold my hand in the grocery store.
So these are my promises to you.
I promise to take care of you the way you take care of everybody else. I promise to notice when you're worn out, and to make you sit down, even when you tell me you're fine.
I promise to tell you the truth, especially when it's hard to say.
I promise to come out on the water with you, as long as you bring the sunscreen.
And I promise that whatever happens to us, good or bad, you'll never have to face it on your own. I'm yours, Wes, for the rest of my life.
What makes it work: the story about the ramp shows what Wes is like without Caroline having to describe him. The promises are short and separate, so they are easy to say, and the last one carries the most weight.
3. Vows with humor (about two minutes)
Tyler is an accountant in Minneapolis, and he is marrying Brooke, a physical therapist. They are both big Twins fans, and she beats him at every board game they own. There's more on this style on the page about funny wedding vows.
Brooke, on our first date, we went to a Twins game at Target Field. It rained for two hours. We sat under the overhang eating cheese curds, and you explained the infield fly rule to me, even though I'd been going to games since I was six. You were right about it, too, which I found out later when I looked it up.
Five years later, you still know more than I do about most things. You know which snow emergency route we're parked on. You know I'm going to cry at the end of every dog movie, and you bring tissues without saying anything.
I love how hard you laugh at your own jokes before you finish them. I love that you drive to your mom's house in Duluth every other weekend in January without complaining once.
So here's what I promise you.
I promise to shovel the driveway before you wake up. I promise to stop saying "one more episode" when we both know it's never one. I promise to lose at Scrabble with dignity, which I have not done so far.
And I promise to love you and to be there for you, on the good days and the hard ones. You are my favorite person, Brooke, and I'm so glad I get to spend my life with you.
What makes it work: every joke is about their life together, and none of them puts Brooke down. The funny promises are grouped in the middle, and the last paragraph drops the jokes completely, so the vows finish sincerely.
4. Vows that include children from a previous relationship (about two minutes)
Terrence is a firefighter in Houston, Texas. He is marrying Denise, who has two children from her first marriage, Jalen, who is eleven, and Aria, who is seven. He speaks to Denise first and then turns to the kids.
Denise, the first time I came over for dinner, Aria asked me if I was a real firefighter and then made me prove it by naming every truck at my station. Jalen didn't say a word to me all night. You told me afterward not to worry about it, and that it would take time. You were right.
I love how hard you work for this family. I love that you sing in the car when you think nobody's listening, and that you've never once missed one of Jalen's games.
I promise to love you and stand by you, on the good days and the long ones. I promise to be a partner you can lean on.
Jalen and Aria, I want to make you some promises too. I know I'm new to this family, and I know you already have a dad who loves you. I'd like to be one more person in your corner.
Jalen, I promise to keep coming to every game, and to keep working on my jump shot so you have someone to beat in the driveway. Aria, I promise to keep reading you the dragon books at bedtime, with all the voices, even the ones I'm bad at.
I promise to listen to both of you, and to be patient with you and with myself while we figure this out together.
Denise, thank you for letting me into your family. I'm going to take care of all three of you for as long as I live.
What makes it work: Terrence is honest that it took Jalen a while, which makes the promises to the children more believable. Each child gets a promise that fits their age and interests, and the vows come back to Denise at the end.
5. Vows for a same-sex couple (about two minutes)
Oscar is a graphic designer in Portland, Oregon, and he is marrying Nate, a nurse at a children's hospital. They met at a friend's Thanksgiving dinner. Oscar wanted something warm and simple.
Nate, we met at Priyanka's Friendsgiving, when you were the only person who had brought a salad. You spent the whole evening defending it. By the end of the night I'd had two helpings, and I'd asked for your number.
Eight years later, you're still the most caring person I know. You spend twelve hours looking after other people's kids and then come home and ask about my day. You remember my family's birthdays better than I do.
I love that you sing along to Dolly Parton when you cook, loudly and slightly off key. I love that you plan a surprise for my birthday every year, and that I find out about it every year and act surprised anyway.
There was a time, not that long ago, when a day like this didn't feel possible for people like us. Standing here with our families and friends, I don't take a moment of it for granted.
I promise to look after you the way you look after everyone else. I promise to make the coffee on your early shifts, and to always be on your side. I promise to keep walking the Columbia Gorge trails with you every spring, even though you walk twice as fast as I do.
I love you, Nate. I'm yours for the rest of my life.
What makes it work: most of it is about Nate himself, the salad and the long shifts, the same as any vows. The one line about how far things have come is short and personal, and it doesn't turn the vows into a speech.
Using these examples
Each set of vows follows the same shape: a memory, what the speaker loves, promises and a last line to the partner. Once you see that shape, you can fill it with your own details. Pick one memory that says something about your partner, a few things you love that nobody else would think of, and promises you can actually keep. If you want a first draft to work from, Speechmade can write one with AI from your answers, and you can edit every word.
Common questions
Can I use one of these examples as my own vows?
You can borrow the shape or a promise you like, but vows copied word for word won't be about your partner. The small details are what make each of these work, so swap in your own memories and promises.
How long are these vows?
The first set takes about a minute to say, and the others take about two minutes each. Timings assume a steady pace of around 130 words a minute.
Is it OK to include my partner's children in my vows?
Yes, and many blended families do. Keep it short and warm, speak to the children by name, and tell them beforehand so it is not a surprise in front of everyone. Some couples give the children a small gift, such as a necklace or a watch, at the same moment.
Do same-sex couples write vows differently?
Not really. The same advice applies to every couple: a short memory, what you love about each other and promises you mean. Ask your officiant about the wording of any traditional vows or pronouncement so it fits the two of you.