Kindred Spirits - Author Unknown
You are a kindred spirit! Your faithfulness and honesty call forth the best in me. When I am with you, it is easy to laugh and to dream - my soul comes to life, tasks are accomplished with greater ease and new depths of living are discovered. Because of you circles of friendship are widened and gratitude wells up within me. Your tears are important and touch the deepest part of me. Your smile makes my heart dance and being with you is being home. The gift of your friendship blesses me and blesses the world.
The Wedding Vow - Author Unknown
"You are not the air that I breathe,
You are the sweet scent that drifts upon it
You are not the food that I need,
You are the nourishment of my soul
You are not my will to survive
You are my reason for living
It is with you that I experience the wonders of the world
It is with you that I triumph over the challenges in my path
It is your partnership that will lead me
to the fulfillment of my dreams
It is your friendship that guides me
as I learn and grow
It is your patience and wisdom
that calms my restless nature
It is through you that I know my true self
I do not take you for granted, I cherish you
I do not need you, I choose you
I choose you today in witness of all the people who love us
I choose you tomorrow in the privacy of our hearts
I choose you in strength and weakness
I choose you in health and in sickness
I choose you in joy and sorrow
I will choose you, over all others,
every day for all the days of my life."
Traditional Wedding Vows and Their Variations
I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my [option: lawfully wedded] (husband/wife), my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward.
In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
I (name), take you (name) to be my (husband/wife), my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.
In the presence of God and these our friends I take thee to be my husband/wife, promising with Divine assistance to be unto thee a loving and faithful husband/wife so long as we both shall live.
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my friend, my lover, the (mother/father) of my children and my (husband/wife). I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.
I, [name], choose you [name] to be my [husband/wife], to respect you in your successes and in your failures, to care for you in sickness and in health, to nurture you, and to grow with you throughout the seasons of life.
I, (name), take you, (name), to be my partner, loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the (man/woman) you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever life may bring us.
Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me. (From the Book of Ruth)
I (name) affirm my love to you, (name) as I invite you to share my life. You are the most beautiful, smart, and generous person I have ever known, and I promise always to respect you. With kindness, unselfishness and trust, I will work by your side to create a wonderful life together.
(Name), I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.
(Name) do you take (name) to be your lawful wedded wife/husband? (each responds, "I do.") Do you promise to love and cherish her/him, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her/him, for so long as you both shall live? (each responds, "I do.") Do you together promise in the presence of your friends and family that you will at all times and in all circumstances, conduct yourselves toward one another as becomes Husband and Wife? (Together they respond, "We do.") Do you together promise you will love, cherish and respect one another throughout the years? (Together they respond, "We do.")
(Name), I love you. I want to be your husband/wife so that we might serve Christ together. Through all of the uncertainties and trials of life, I promise to be faithful to you and love you, so that together we may grow in the likeness of Christ and that our home may be a praise to Him.
(Name), I promise to love and care for you and I will try in every way to be worthy of your love.
I will always be honest with you, kind, patient, and forgiving. But most of all, I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you. I love you.
I (name), take you (name), 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 I pledge my faith and love to you. Just as this ring I give you today is a circle 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."
(Name), do you pledge to love (name) and throughout your years together to be honest, faithful, and kind to her/him? Do you pledge to give to her/him the same happiness she/he gives to you, and to respect her for who she is, not who you want her to be? (each responds, "I do.")
(Name), with all my love, I take you to be my wife/husband. I will love you through good and the bad, through joy and the sorrow. I will try to be understanding, and to trust in you completely. Together we will face all of life's experiences and share one another's dreams and goals. I promise I will be your equal partner in an loving, honest relationship, for as long as we both shall live.
(Name), I promise to love you, to be your best friend, to respect and support you, to be patient with you, to work together with you to achieve our goals, to accept you unconditionally, and to share life with you throughout the years.
(Name), I take you to be my wife/husband from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to be your faithful husband/wife, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond; a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new.
I (Name) pledge my undying love to you (Name) as I invite you to share my life. I promise to be kind, unselfish, respectful, and trustworthy so that together, our dreams of a beautiful future can come true. To this end I call upon all present to witness that I take you (Name) to be my (husband/wife/spouse), to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.
I (Name), take you, (Name) to be my (husband/wife/spouse). I promise to respect and support you, to be patient and loving towards you, to work by your side to achieve the things we value and dream of, and to savor our time together. I pledge to you all of these things from the bottom of my heart for the rest of our lives.
I (Name), take you (Name) to be my (husband/wife/spouse), to share both good times and bad times, side by side. I give you my hand, and my heart, and hope that my love will always be a safe haven for you. Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal. Just as it is made of a permanent metal, my commitment to you is forever. With this ring, I thee wed.
In the name of God, I, (Name), take you, (Name), to be my (husband/wife/spouse), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
(Name), today I take you for my (husband/wife/spouse). Now we will feel no rain, for each of us will be shelter for the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of us will be companion to the other. There is only one life before us, and our seasons will be good and long. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you, no matter what lies before us, for as long as we both shall live.
(Name), I take you to be my (husband/wife/spouse), from this point forward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to be your faithful (husband/wife/spouse), to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond. This will be a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new.
(submitted by reader Sarabeth Andrews)
I, (Name), take you (Name), to be my (husband/wife/spouse), my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love. On this special [opt: and holy] day, I (affirm/reaffirm/give) to you in the presence of God and (all those in attendance/these witnesses) my (pledge/sacred promise) to stay by your side as your [opt: faithful] wife in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad. I (promise/further promise) to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve (higher/all of your) goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
I, (Name), take thee (Name), to be my wedded (husband/wife/spouse), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part, according to God’s ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my troth.
In the name of God, I, (Name), take you, (Name), to be my (husband/wife/spouse) to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
Second Wedding Vow Samples
by Barbara Malloy-Robbins, MTC
“I marry you with my eyes wide open. You have helped me let go of the past, and I embrace the future. Thank you for making me laugh again. Bless you for taking my hand as we begin anew."
“I offer myself to you as a partner in life. I vow to love you in sickness and in health. I commit myself to encourage you in good times and in bad. I will cherish and respect you all the days of our life together. Starting anew once again, I give thanks that I have found you. May our marriage be a gift to the world and our families, as your love is a gift to me."
“God has given us a second chance at happiness. I come today to give you my love, to give you my heart and my hope for our future together. I promise to bring you joy, to be at home with your spirit and to learn to love you more each day, through all the days of our lives. My love for you is endless and eternal.”
"Because of you, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream again. I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my life with you, caring for you, nurturing you, being there for you in all life has in store for us, and I vow to be true and faithful for as long as we both shall live."
Since I have found you, I have found a new life. The decision to commit to share that life with you is one I make happily and with full confidence in our love.
Secure in the knowledge that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love.
On this special day, I give to you in the presence of God and all these witnesses my pledge to stay by your side, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad.
I promise to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve all of your goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
Short Spanish Vow for a bi-lingual Christian ceremony
~ Reverend Erica Nash of Trinity Live Chapel
El novio dice:
Yo (...) te acepto a ti (...) como mi esposa y prometo serte fiel
en lo próspero y en lo adverso, en la salud y en la enfermedad,
y amarte y respetarte todos los días de mi vida.
(Groom: I _____________ take ____________ as my lawfully wedded wife, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.)
La novia dice:
Yo (...) te acepto a ti (...) como mi esposo y prometo serte fiel
en lo próspero y en lo adverso, en la salud y en la enfermedad,
y amarte y respetarte todos los días de mi vida.
(Bride: I _____________ take ____________ as my lawfully wedded husband, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.)
Ring Exchange
"____, take this ring, as a sign of my love and fideliety."
"______, recibe este anillo, en senal de mi amor y fidelidad a ti."
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