30+ Examples of Wedding Vows

Wedding Ring Vows

In many traditional ceremonies, the exchange of weddng vows between the bride and groom continues with the recitation of additional wedding vows during the exchange of rings. Typically, in a double ring ceremony (where the bride and groom each receive a ring), the wedding vow is essentially identical, with merely a switching of the nouns or pronouns as needed; if only the bride is receiving a ring, she of course does not recite the wedding vow. Many religious traditions have a standardized set of wedding vows for the ring exchange.

Episcopal

The groom places the wedding ring on the bride's hand, saying, "[Bride's name], I give you this ring as a symbol of my wedding vow, and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." In a double ring ceremony, the priest then blesses the groom's ring, which the bride places on the groom's finger as she recites the same sentence.

Jewish

Before placing the ring on the bride's hand, the groom says, "Harey at mekuddeshet li b"taba"at zo k"dat Moshe v"Israel" (in English: Behold, thou art consecrated unto me with this ring according to the law of Moses and of Israel"). The groom then places the ring on the bride's index finger (most Jewish brides later move the ring to the third finger of the left hand). In traditional Orthodox and some Conservative Jewish ceremonies, the groom does not receive a ring. However, if the groom is to receive a ring, the bride, in like manner, recites the same sentence (adjusted as necessary to reflect the gender differences) and places the groom's ring on his finger.

Presbyterian

The groom places the bride's ring on her finger, saying, "This ring I give you, in token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love." In a double ring ceremony, the bride then places the groom's ring on his finger and recites the same sentence.

Protestant

The officiant blesses the rings, and then the groom places the ring on the bride's finger, saying, "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love; and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." In a double ring ceremony, the bride then places the groom's ring on his finger and recites the same sentence.

Roman Catholic

The priest blesses the bride's ring, then the groom places it on her finger, saying, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, take and wear this ring as sign of my love and faithfulness." In a double ring ceremony, the priest then blesses the groom's ring, which the bride places the groom's finger as she recites the same sentence.

Quaker

Traditionally, the Quaker bride and groom do not exchange rings; hence there are no Quaker ring vows.

Unitarian/Universalist

The groom places the bride's ring on her finger, saying, "With this ring, I wed you, and pledge you my love, now and forever." In a double ring ceremony, the bride then places the groom's ring on his finger and recites the same sentence.

From the book Wedding Vows: Beyond Love, Honor, and Cherish by Susan Lee Smith. Copyright (c) 2001 by Susan Lee Smith. Reprinted with permission of Warner Books, Inc, New York, NY. All rights reserved. Buy the book from Amazon.com.