That's what happens when you forget your vows: Honest wedding vow examples from real people

Related Post Steal these wedding vows [updated for 2021!]

I just finished the Offbeat Bride book and adored it! Now, do you have any ideas for vows?!

Sometimes the best way to write your vows is to get some wedding vow inspiration to help you through your wedding vow writer's block.

Over the past 12 years, we've featured some of the most unique and offbeat weddings on the web, and we loooove adding to massive archive of vow examples examples. That in mind, we've got two new examples to share with you today, the first of which was completely ad libbed!

Yep, Offbeat Bride reader Eva completely forgot to write her vows, so she decided to speak off the cuff. Here's the gist of what she remembers saying:

I, um…remembered everything, right down to the Star Wars wine tags, but um, I forgot to write vows! I'm so sorry! I'm just going to uh, shoot from the hip..

Mike, we aren't like the lovers in these fandoms. We aren't Arwen and Aragorn or Leia and Han. We have always been more of a buddy comedy than a romance…

And the truth is, I don't WANT to be those characters! We aren't destined for the Grey Havens, we are going to go on adventuring together forever, because you are my best friend. We are Gimli and Legolas, you and I. Strong and sturdy love that we can always depend on.

And I guess…you have my axe!

[Laughter]

I love you, let's get on with our story.

Meanwhile, Offbeat Bride reader Michelle DID remember to write her wedding vows, and they were full of beautiful promises and a great final note about needs and wants:

I promise…
To be kind
To apologize when I am not
To be respectful
To listen
To give you space when you need it
To have the hard conversations
To explore and discover new places and things with you
To love and serve your family and friends as my own
To be your partner and support you as we age and change
To tell you that you are lovely and loved
To remember these promises as life gets busy or messy or dark
I make these promises knowing that I am imperfect, but also knowing that your love for me doesn't depend on my perfection.
I don't need to be married, but I want to be married to you and be your family.
I like you and I love you.

How much do you love that line: "I don't need to be married, but I want to be married to you and be your family"? So honest and pure.

And then there are Claire's vows, completely with Warhammer references:

James darling, I love you.

I fell in love with you for who you are I will continue to give you the freedom to be you and
i won't try to reshape you in a different image.

You are fun loving, creative, goofy, rambunctious!, intelligent, and most of all you have TENACITY!!!!!
You make me laugh until I cry and fall helplessly onto the floor in hysterics.

I promise to try not to put my cold feet or hands on you at night to warm them up.
I'll try not to nag you about leaving things lying around the house, like your clothes, empty boxes or Warhammer models.
I promise to share with you my time, attention, happiness, strength and silliness into our relationship.

I look forward to continuing to be an awesome team.
May we grow old together until you look like Billy Connolly and I look like Frankie Bergstein and truly be windswept and interesting.

I Claire, take you James to be my husband.

We'd love to add YOUR wedding vows (or heck, your entire ceremony script!) to our archive. Share them with us here!