wedding vows ~ samples & ideas

We specialize in providing hosting, planning, officiating, and officiator / ministerial services for elopements, weddings, vow renewals, commitments, and other life-changing ceremonies in the Columbia River Gorge (WA and OR), Skamania County, Portland, Hood River, Oregon, Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver, Washington.

Hanmi and Jim marry outdoors on a beautiful summer evening at Stonehedge in Hood River with Christina Brittain officiating.

Note: The following vows do not contain religious references. Blessings, scriptures, and/or other religious references can by added at the discretion of the bride and groom.

You need not strive to shower me with wealth; I do not ask that you warm me with extravagant garments. Our love is warmth enough. I treasure the two rings we exchange today over any quantity of jewels I may ever obtain.

You need never transform yourself for my sake into anything more or less than you are today. This love is more precious than diamonds and more enduring than gold; it is the gift I receive and the gift I, (name), offer gladly to you, (name), today and forever more.

I come to you freely, clear of thought, willingly. Before, my strength was the strength of one—today, my strength is of much more than two.

You captured my mind and soul, and I here commit them to our union. From this hour, may we surrender to one another completely—rejoicing in the power of our new partnership, secure in our own identities, and certain of our bond.

We search for the stars as we walk together on the Earth. Drawings on the strength that come s with true love, we will content ourselves with both the horizons ahead of us and the pathways at our feet. This I, (name) pledge to you, (partner's name) from this day forward.

Our love is a work of art, our greatest creation. It is an ongoing pursuit with range, diversity, scope; it is dynamic, ever-changing, and fresh.

May it forever challenge, delight, and inspire us as the best works of art do.

I, (name), receive you, (partner's name), as my (husband/wife).

May we love one another with constancy, live joyously, laugh freely,
and support our marriage through the trials and triumphs to come.

As husband and wife, we will remember the delight that we have discovered in each other’s company, accept the discoveries and treasures of growing older together, and provide strength where there is weakness. (Name), I stand before family and friends as your lifelong mate.

I, (name), accept you, (name), as my wedded partner to love, respect, and cherish.
I promise to listen to you and encourage open and honest communications.

When you need strength, I will offer mine. When you need words of encouragement, I will listen and provide support. When you need solace, comfort, and the strength of love, I will understand.

I place you in my heart today before all other (men/women) and I pledge to work from this hour forward to make our marriage a sound and challenging one.

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I believe in you, in myself, and in us. I believe there is room in this love
from both growth and solidity, both commitment and excitement, both spontaneity and trust.

I believe there is the opportunity for a continuous, challenging life together. I believe I have much to learn about life and about myself, and that, with you, we will come across new lessons, new challenges, and new ideas in all the days to come. 

I, (name), give myself to you as your partner.

To be able to depend on someone utterly; it is a rare thing in this world, yet it is why we are here.

With you, I begin a journey that will take the rest of my life to complete. I do so secure in the knowledge that we trust one another absolutely, and that what strength I possess will be given freely to our partnership, and not to my aims alone.

My commitment is always to be there when you need me. I will comfort you and offer you the best person I know how to be from this day forward. Before these witnesses, freely and openly, I, (name), give myself to you, (name).

Until today, home was a place to dwell, and nothing more. Today I find my true home in you, (partner’s name).

I choose to grow with you today—to build, to set a strong foundation, and to help bring forth from our two hearts one living life where we may always reside together. Let us laugh, love, and share openly all we are within its walls.

Before this company, I, (name), pledge to live in your love for all the days of my life.

This winged love begins its flight today. I promise to do   everything within the borders of my ability to keep our     journey smooth, our bearings sound, and our direction true.

May our skies remain clear, but where they are not clear, we will fly as one. May our wind be favorable, but where they are unfavorable, we will fly as one. May we never forget our   destination; the sacred place where love, caring, and growth can flourish.

It is to that land that we begin our flight now; and today before this company, I vow that we will arrive as one.

May we dare to dream dreams not yet dreamt. May we find constant reward and challenge as we pursue the ongoing adventure of learning who we are and where we want to go. May we always have a special sense of our mission in life together, and may we never tire of the endless possibilities of exploring our shared existence.

Today I join with you as your (husband/wife), offering to you the essence of all that I am.

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I have learned, not from books, but from being with you, what it is to love.

I had been told that love carried with it dependency and weakness, but I found new and stronger expression of my place in this world. I believed love could only be obtained at the price of individuality, but I found security in my own identity I never thought I would know. I thought love was a transitory thing, but I found warmth, compassion, and trust that did not fade.

Respecting your ideals and ambitions, encouraging your freedom to grow,
and remembering always that the most important lessons are to be learned from one another, I, (name), receive you, (name), as my wedding partner. You made me a believer; believe with me in the promise of our love.

The dictionary says that love is strong, passionate affection, but our love does not lend itself to such an easy definition—we find new meaning in it every day.

Respect is defined as “to show honor, esteem and caring,” And it is with honor, esteem, and consideration that we commit ourselves today to this marriage.

Caring is defined as “concern.” And it is with a deep concern for one another’s growth that we pledge now to stand by each other.

I, (name), promise to love, respect, and care for you for life, remaining faithful to our love as it enters its new meanings and definitions. This I will do forever, which means always and endless.

You once asked me how much I loved you.

I should have pointed to the skies, the sea, or some other endless and immeasurable thing. All I had were words, and they were incapable of reflecting forms that had no end.

Today I answer you with a deed that expresses not only what I think, but also who I am. I, (name), offer you, (name), my life as your (wife/husband). I will never forsake you; I will spend all the days to come by your side. Let us spend our lives together leaving behind limited words.
Join me instead in sharing our immeasurable love.

I remember attending a concert: the stirring violins, the pounding drums,
the clashing cymbals, and the entire orchestra racing to a crescendo.
I had never heard anything so magnificent—I wanted the feeling to go on forever. But the curtain came down.

When you came into my life, I found, not only endless melody, but also
an ongoing harmony in which I can play my own part, a counterpoint.
Today we join our lives in that harmony. The refrain is one of love, trust, and respect, a powerful theme that will never be concluded as long as we live together on this Earth.

Today I, (name), take you, (name), as my eternal partner—for you are my symphony.

Two souls join today before witnesses, but we bring one heart only.

I promise to work with you to build our love, to speak openly and honestly, to listen to you and maintain respect and trust that is growing between us, and to love and cherish you, and only you, as my mate for all the days ahead. 

May the light of our love and the strength of a unified heart serve as an example to all who aspire to keep love alive and eternal.

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I used to tell everyone about my special friend; a woman I thought of as a buddy, someone who helped to support me through the tough times, someone who encouraged me, guided me, listened to me, but never judged me. Over the months, I grew to depend on her.

Then came a time when I had to ask myself if I had been there for her as much as she had been there for me. I concluded that I was taking my friend for granted. I lost myself in thoughts, and eventually realized that the lady had become much more than my friend.

She is my hope and my salvation. She is my joy and my strength.
And today, I will be her husband.

Now I stand before this assembly to say to family and loved ones that (name) is the woman to whom I vow to be true for the rest of my life.
This lady who has consented to be my partner in life is not only the one
I love with all my heart, not only the woman with whom I am happy to spend my life, but also—thank God—she is still my friend.

You were the first to recognize me, the first who was willing to be close to me without smothering the essence of who I am. You saw what I longed for and were content to let me explore the world for a time—and you were still there when I returned.

How fortunate to love a person who delights in discovering the may facets of my personality—someone content to accept my true identify without pretension, anger, or insecurity. It is to that person, to you, I pledge myself today.

With you, love means freedom to love you without judgment and freedom to be yours while maintaining the very soul of me. So on this day, a day we choose together to meet in union before family and friends, I, (name), being of clear and sound mind, accept you, (name), as my wedded partner—in the name of love. My most cherished freedom is now the freedom to love you for a lifetime. 

I look at you and see the best of me.

You reflect all that is good and endearing; you have searched my soul, bypassed my many human frailties, and found an eternal pool of love awaiting your discovery. Only you could have done this; only you cared to stay long enough, cared to look at me and see what yearned to be released.

I remember being afraid that I would never find the person about whom all the love songs seemed to be sung, all the poems written, all the words of happiness and devotion spoken. Then came the day of celebration...suddenly I was singing, writing, speaking, to the world
about my love for you. That day of realization was a blessed one, second only to this day —the day I accept you as my lifelong mate. I, (name), joyfully look forward to loving you, (partner’s name), more fully with each passing moment.

Some have said that I am not the same since you entered my life. I hear that I now possess an inner glow that radiates for all to see. I am not surprised that others can see how happy you have made me. Because of you, I feel brand new. 

And now in my most quiet, private moments, I search for something within—only to find you waiting there. You seem to be with me constantly, even though we may be apart. I can feel your presence, hear you speak; your constant, quiet strength has seen me through situations that, not so long ago, would have made me feel alone, cold, removed from the world. I face the world now with a new and more enlightened
perspective because of your constant love.

How can I not thank God before all our family and loved ones that I have found you in this lifetime? How can I not commit myself to the one who brings such joy from my soul?

Others can see what has happened and sense what I now feel. For this and more, I thank you, my darling, now and for always.

If you fly to the furthest reaches of your dreams, I will fly with you.

If you walk among the obstacles of Earth, I will walk with you.

And should you stumble, I will hold out my hand for you, remembering our love and the promise it holds to renew and begin again.

I may fly, or walk, or stumble, or stand certain of nothing but our love
and the promise it holds to renew and begin again.

I may fly, or walk, or stumble, or stand certain of nothing but our love
in the days to come—but I will not be alone in my journey, and I will not fail to be there for you. This I, (name), pledge to you, (name), from this day forth.

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