Wedding vows come from the heart and make this the most romantic part of the wedding.  You may think writing your own vows is complicated and you may not know where to start.  It’s okay to start with a more traditional vow and gain inspiration.  It will not matter where your idea for your wedding vows came from, but the message you will impart to your partner as those watching.  Use the resources available to you to find your ideas, such as the Internet, your priest, or wedding vows text.  Ideas can include poetry, places of inspiration, excerpts from your partner’s favorite book, or simply the traditional words of love. 

Here are just some ideas you might try to find the words with the most meaning.  Speak with your partner.  Find out what type of vows they would like or will be using.  They may want a more traditional approach versus the unique.  Ask yourself questions about what attracts you to your partner, what qualities to they have, what qualities do they love in you.  Perhaps you find a humorous approach more befitting to your personality.  Include symbols in your vows, such as the exchanging of rings.

Ideas may spring from the setting you will have your wedding in.  Perhaps you will be on a beach where a poem about the ocean can express your love.  Your ideas will encapsulate your feelings, the meanings, and the promises your wedding brings.  Follow a few tips when writing your vows.  Make the content appropriate for your partner and your audience.  Keep the humor appropriate if you choose to have funny wedding vows.  Or perhaps begin with a more traditional route such as these examples:

Example 1:  I take you ,______________, to be my wife/husband and I promise before God and all who are present here to be your loving and faithful husband/wife, as long as our lives shall last. I will serve you with tenderness and respect, and encourage you to develop God’s gifts in you.

Example 2:  I, ________________, take you, _____________, to be my wife/husband; and I promise before God and these witnesses to be your loving and faithful husband/wife; in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health; as long as we both shall live.

Example 3:  I, _______, take you, ________, for my lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."

Examples 1 and 2 are just traditional wedding vows though they may be similar to those of your church.  Example 3 is a traditional wedding vow from the Catholic Church.  Whether you decided to use these traditional words or take a variation of these words and create a longer more personal wedding vow is your choice.  There are over a thousand traditional wedding vows you can choose from to find what is right for you and your partner.  The Internet is just one tool to research wedding vows.  Another is speaking with your pastor or looking at books on wedding vows.  Below is an example of a non-denominational wedding vow.

Example 4:   I _______, take you _______, to be my wife/husband.
To share the good times and hard times side by side.
I humbly give you my hand and my heart
as a sanctuary of warmth and peace,
and pledge my faith and love to you. 
Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal.
Just as it is made of incorruptible substance,
my commitment to you will never fail. With this ring, I thee wed."

Most of all remember this is you and your partners wedding.  The wedding vows you will speak will be for them from your heart.  You don’t have to lose the meaning of your vows in sticking with what is most important for your audience.  Again research wedding vows online or books to find your inspiration and then write from your feelings.  You don’t have to let go of the traditional wedding vows to have something with a little originality.  Exchanging your wedding vows is the most romantic moment of a wedding and the best place to share your feelings for your partner.

Weddings are a symbol of love that you will share for the rest of your lives.  Therefore your wedding vows need to be poignant, meaningful, and full of promise.  Search your heart as well as the tools available.  There are many ideas available to you from poetry, to using books for inspiration, or the simple traditional words.  Once you have a place to start the words will flow for you and the meaning will be evident for those witnessing your special moment.