Civil Wedding Vows
Examples & Free Templates
Civil wedding vows are the most legally focused form of marriage commitment — designed to meet the requirements of a civil ceremony while remaining dignified and meaningful. These examples cover the minimum legal language as well as more personal civil vow variations.
How to structure these vows
Every great vow follows a structure — not rigidly, but as a scaffold for the things that matter most.
The legal declaration
The formal declaration that both parties are willing to marry — required in most jurisdictions.
The consent
'I take you' — the explicit consent that forms the legal heart of the ceremony.
The promise
A brief statement of what you're committing to. Can be minimal or more personal.
The duration
'For as long as we both shall live' — the standard civil expression of the permanent commitment.
Civil wedding vows are the most legally focused form of marriage commitment — designed to meet the requirements of a civil ceremony while remaining dignified and meaningful. These examples cover the minimum legal language as well as more personal civil vow variations.
- ✓Legally compliant
- ✓Fully secular
- ✓Dignified and complete
- ✓Courthouse-ready
Tips for writing civil wedding vows
Legal vow requirements vary by jurisdiction — confirm exactly what language must be included with your registrar or clerk before the ceremony.
Even the most minimal legal vow can be made personal with a single additional sentence.
Civil vows can be short and still feel complete — the dignity is in the delivery, not the length.
Civil Wedding Vows examples
Two examples showing different voices and approaches. Use these as a starting point — then make them yours.
"I, [NAME], take you, [PARTNER], to be my lawfully wedded spouse."
"I promise to be faithful and honest, to support and respect you, and to share my life with you, for as long as we both shall live."
"I call upon these witnesses to record that I, [NAME], take [PARTNER] to be my lawful wedded spouse, to love and to cherish from this day forward."
Want civil wedding vows
written for your wedding?
Answer a few questions about your story and your partner — and our AI builder generates fully personalized vows in your voice, in minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What must civil wedding vows legally include?
Can civil vows be personalized?
Are civil vows less meaningful than religious vows?
What's the shortest legal civil vow?
Can we write our own civil vows?
More vow examples
Traditional Wedding Vows
Traditional wedding vows carry their power through familiarity — words that have been spoken at millions of weddings, in thousands of years of ceremony. These are the classic wordings from Anglican, Catholic, Protestant, and civil traditions, with guidance on choosing what's right for your ceremony.
styleSimple Wedding Vows
Simple wedding vows are harder to write than elaborate ones. When you strip away the poetic language and the flourishes, every word has to earn its place. These examples show you what simplicity in vows actually looks like — and why it's often the most powerful choice.
styleNon-Religious Wedding Vows
Non-religious wedding vows focus entirely on the two people making them — the love, the commitment, and the promises — without invoking God, scripture, or religious language. These secular vow examples are warm, meaningful, and complete without any faith-based content.