The couples I marry often write their own vows, the particular things that they feel they would like to promise one another. Others, fearing nerves or whatever, chose something pre-made. Personally I prefer the former though totally understand the latter. Here are a few ideas for vows you can ponder ...

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.

I choose you

To be no other than yourself,

Loving what I know of you,

And trusting who I know you will become.

I will respect and honour you

Always and in all ways.

With you I pledge to repair

One small piece of the world.

I take you to be my spouse,

To have and to hold,

In tears and in laughter,

In sickness and in health,

To love and to cherish,

From this day forward,

In this world and in the next. 

I acknowledge my love and respect for you,

and I invite you to share my life as I hope to share yours. 

I promise to recognize you as an equal individual at all times,

and to be conscious of your development as well as my own. 

I shall seek through kindness and understanding

to achieve with you the life we have envisioned.

I,________ , take you,______ ,

to be my beloved wife/husband,

to have and to hold you,

to honor you, to treasure you,

to be at your side in sorrow and in joy,

to laugh with you in the good times,

to comfort and solace you in the bad,

and to love and cherish you always.

I promise you this from my heart,

with my soul,

for all the days of my life,

eternal.

I, _______ , take you, ______ ,

to be my beloved wife/husband,

to have you and hold you,

to honor you, to treasure you,

to be at your side in sorrow and in joy,

to grow with you and to be transformed,

to love and cherish you always.

I promise you this from my heart,

with my soul,

for all the days of my life, and,

if God wills,

beyond the walls of life,

beyond the bounds of time.

I,______, take you,_______,

to be my lawful wedded wife/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 death do us part.

This is my solemn vow.

I,________ , take you,_______ ,

to be my husband/wife, and these things

I promise you:

I will be faithful to you and honest with you.

I will respect, trust, help, and care for you.

I will share my life with you.

I will try with you to better understand ourselves,

and through the best and the worst of what is to come,

as long as we live.