If you’re tying the knot soon, you may be wondering how you can make your wedding special. While decorations and favors can make a wedding interesting, sometimes you just want to create a personal, intimate moment with the love of your life. One of the best ways to do this is to write your own wedding vows.

Writing your own vows can be a daunting task, however, especially if you’re less than confident about your writing skills. To help you prepare for your big day, here is a step by step guide to writing your own wedding vows.

A Step by Step Guide to Writing Your Own Weddings Vows

Start by talking about your partner

State who your partner is to you by beginning with some along the lines up: “(your partner’s name), my best friend, my rock, and the love of my life”. Then continue and talk about what you love about your partner - after all, you’re getting married so there must be a few things you love about them that are worth sharing. Don’t worry about covering every tiny detail, but a few of the biggest things you love about your partner will do. 

Include a story

Nostalgia makes the heart grow fonder. Reminisce with your partner while bringing your love story to life for your family members by including a short story from your time together. What type of story you tell really depends on the mood and atmosphere you want to set. Tell a funny story about the time your partner did something, or talk about how you first met. Thinking about fond memories with your partner is a great way to start off your married life.  

Make your promises

This is the main part: the vows themselves. In traditional vows, this would be the part about to have and to hold, for better or for worse, in sickness or in health. Let your partner know exactly what you promise to do in your marriage. Promise to support, love, and cherish them, and reassure them that you’ll always be there.  Your vows can be secular or religious, but they should include words like “promise”, “pledge”, or “vow”. If you would like, you can search online and find a variety of quotes - romantic, serious, funny, etc - to add into your vows to help make them more impactful and meaningful. 

Look towards the future

You’re getting married and essentially promising a lifetime with your loved one, so take a minute of so to talk about the future you see together. Mention any trips you have planned or the goals you want to accomplish together. Talk about how you want your household to be and how your love will impact your home. 

Promise forever

Your final promise. End your vows with some variation of “until death do us apart” or “as long as we both shall live”. After stating your promises and aspirations for the future, there’s no better way to end your vows than by promising a lifetime of happiness with your loved one.