What is a repeat-after-me wedding vow?

The officiant says the vow in short phrases and each partner repeats them back. It is the standard method when the couple would rather not memorise anything or risk freezing, and it is what most officiants default to if you do not ask for something else. Phrases run four to eight words each.

Who speaks first in the vow exchange?

By convention the partner who was walked down the aisle speaks second, so in a traditional ceremony the groom goes first. There is no rule. Whoever is more nervous should go first — waiting is the worst part.

Does the officiant write the vow script?

Usually they bring a standard one and will happily swap in anything you send. Get your final wording to them at least a week ahead, printed, with phonetic spellings for any names they might stumble over. The officiant is reading aloud under pressure too.

How long does the vow exchange take?

Two to four minutes for a repeat-after-me exchange with rings; under ninety seconds for a short civil exchange; five to seven minutes if both partners read personal vows of their own. The vow segment is rarely the long part of a ceremony — readings and the address are.

Can we use a script for a courthouse ceremony?

Bring one, but expect it to be trimmed. Courthouse and registry-office slots run on a clock, and the officiant will keep whatever is legally required and cut the rest. The short civil exchange below is written to fit that constraint.

Wedding vows script: 15 complete exchanges to read from

Every script below includes the officiant’s lines, so it can be printed and read from the front exactly as it stands. Replace the bracketed names, decide who goes first, and hand a copy to whoever is officiating a week before the day.

Start here

The classic repeat-after-me exchange

Officiant-led · about 3 minutes with both partners

Officiant: [Partner A], please repeat after me.

I, [name] · take you, [name] · to be my wife · to have and to hold · from this day forward · for better or for worse · for richer or for poorer · in sickness and in health · to love and to cherish · till death do us part.

Officiant: [Partner B], please repeat after me.

I, [name] · take you, [name] · to be my husband · to have and to hold · from this day forward · for better or for worse · for richer or for poorer · in sickness and in health · to love and to cherish · till death do us part.

The phrasing is broken into repeatable chunks on purpose. Do not join them back up — long phrases are where people lose their place.

The short civil exchange

Registry office or courthouse · under 90 seconds

Officiant: [Partner A], do you take [name] to be your wife, to love and to care for, from this day forward?

Partner A: I do.

Officiant: [Partner B], do you take [name] to be your husband, to love and to care for, from this day forward?

Partner B: I do.

Officiant: Then before these witnesses, and by the authority vested in me, I declare you married.

Written to survive a booked ten-minute slot. In England and Wales the two prescribed sentences must be said; see traditional wedding vows for the statutory wording.

Personal vows, framed by the officiant

Modern · 5 to 7 minutes

Officiant: [Partner A] and [Partner B] have written their own promises to one another. These are their vows, in their own words.

Officiant: [Partner A].

[Partner A reads their vow.]

Officiant: [Partner B].

[Partner B reads their vow.]

Officiant: You have each made your promises freely, in front of everyone who loves you. Let them hold.

The frame matters more than couples expect: without it, personal vows begin awkwardly and the guests are not sure whether to be silent yet.

Need the vow text itself rather than the running order? Example wedding vows has twenty-four complete ones, and the vow builder will assemble a draft around your own promises.

Repeat-after-me scripts

Broken into short phrases the officiant feeds one at a time. This is the safest format if either of you is likely to be overcome.

Repeat after me — simple and modern

Repeat-after-me · 2 minutes

Officiant: Repeat after me.

[Name], I choose you · today and every day · I promise to be honest with you · patient with you · and on your side · I will stay when it is easy · and when it is not · everything I have · I share with you.

Repeat after me — the shortest usable form

Repeat-after-me · 45 seconds each

Officiant: Repeat after me.

I, [name] · take you, [name] · to be my husband · from this day forward · to love and to cherish · for as long as we both shall live.

Repeat after me — with a faith line

Repeat-after-me · non-denominational · 90 seconds

Officiant: Repeat after me.

Before God · and these witnesses · I take you, [name] · to be my wife · to love you faithfully · to forgive you readily · and to walk beside you · in whatever comes · with God’s help · as long as I live.

For a ceremony with a religious tone but no fixed liturgy. If your service is Catholic, Anglican, Methodist or Lutheran, the wording is prescribed — use the authorised text instead.

Question-and-answer scripts

The officiant asks, the couple answer. Nothing to memorise and nothing to repeat — the least demanding format there is.

The traditional questions

Question and answer · 2 minutes

Officiant: [Name], will you have this woman to be your wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

Partner A: I will.

Officiant: [Name], will you have this man to be your wedded husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

Partner B: I will.

Modern questions, plain language

Question and answer · 90 seconds

Officiant: [Name], do you take [name] as your partner for life — to be honest with, to be patient with, to look after in poor health and celebrate in good, for all the years you are given?

Partner A: I do.

Officiant: And [name], do you take [name] on the same terms, freely, and knowing exactly what you are agreeing to?

Partner B: I do.

Declaration of intent, then vows

Question and answer · used where the law requires a clear consent

Officiant: [Name], have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to [name] in marriage?

Partner A: I have.

Officiant: [Name], the same question to you.

Partner B: I have.

Officiant: Then make your promises to one another.

Many US officiants keep this segment even when the couple read personal vows, because it is the part that unambiguously records consent in front of witnesses.

Scripts including the ring exchange

The rings almost always follow the vows immediately. These two scripts run straight through from the vow to the pronouncement.

Vows and rings — traditional

Full segment · 4 minutes

Officiant: May I have the rings.

Officiant: These rings are round and have no end, as your promises have none. [Name], place the ring on [name]’s finger and repeat after me.

With this ring · I thee wed · with my body I honour you · and all that I have · I share with you.

Officiant: [Name], the same.

With this ring · I thee wed · with my body I honour you · and all that I have · I share with you.

Officiant: You have made your promises and sealed them. It is my very great pleasure to declare you married.

Vows and rings — short and modern

Full segment · 2 minutes

Officiant: The rings, please.

Partner A: [Name], I give you this ring as a sign of everything I have just promised you. Wear it, and remember that I meant every word.

Partner B: [Name], I give you this ring for the same reason, and I will keep looking at mine and being quietly pleased about it.

Officiant: Then that is done. You are married. [Name], you may kiss your wife.

Full vow segments, start to finish

From the officiant’s introduction to the pronouncement. Print one of these if you want the entire middle of the ceremony on a single page.

The complete traditional segment

Full segment · 5 minutes

Officiant: [Name] and [name] have come here today to make promises to one another in front of the people who matter most to them. Before they do, let me ask them each a question.

Officiant: [Name], have you come here freely to marry [name]?

Partner A: I have.

Officiant: [Name], have you come here freely to marry [name]?

Partner B: I have.

Officiant: Then join hands and make your vows. [Name], repeat after me.

I, [name] · take you, [name] · to be my wife · to have and to hold · from this day forward · for better or for worse · in sickness and in health · to love and to cherish · till death do us part.

[Repeat for Partner B, then the ring exchange.]

Officiant: [Name] and [name], you have made your promises before these witnesses. By the authority vested in me by the state of [state], I pronounce you married.

The complete modern segment

Full segment · 4 minutes

Officiant: Nobody here needs convincing about these two. So we will keep this simple, and let them say it themselves.

Officiant: [Name], your promises.

Partner A: [Name], I choose you. I promise to be honest with you, patient with you, and glad to see you at the end of every day. I will stay when it is hard. I will apologise first when I can manage it. You have all of me, for all of it.

Officiant: [Name].

Partner B: [Name], I choose you too, and I am going to keep choosing you long after today. I promise you my honesty, my patience and my whole attention. I am not going anywhere.

Officiant: Rings, and then I will say the words everyone is waiting for.

If you are the officiant

Two scripts written from the front of the room, for a friend or family member officiating for the first time.

Officiant introduction to the vows

Officiant · 45 seconds

Officiant: In a moment [name] and [name] are going to make promises to each other. They are not asking us to witness a decision — they made that a long time ago. They are asking us to hold them to it. So listen properly, because after today, remembering these promises is partly our job.

Say the couple's names slowly and early. A first-time officiant's most common mistake is starting fast, and the microphone will not forgive it.

Officiant prompt when someone is overcome

Officiant · use only if needed

Officiant: Take your time. Nobody is going anywhere.

Officiant: Would you like me to say it in pieces and have you repeat it? Good. I, [name] · take you, [name] · to be my wife.

Have this line memorised. If a partner cannot speak, the room takes its cue from the officiant staying calm and unhurried.

Printing the script for the day

Set it in at least 16-point type, break every line where a breath belongs, and print two copies — one for the officiant and one for whoever is standing nearest in case the first is left in the car. Never read a vow from a phone: the screen dims, the photographs are worse, and the notifications are not worth the risk.

If you want the vow itself to be personal rather than standard, write it first and drop it into one of the frames above — see how to write your own wedding vows.

Common questions

What is a repeat-after-me wedding vow?: The officiant says the vow in short phrases and each partner repeats them back. It is the standard method when the couple would rather not memorise anything or risk freezing, and it is what most officiants default to if you do not ask for something else. Phrases run four to eight words each.
Who speaks first in the vow exchange?: By convention the partner who was walked down the aisle speaks second, so in a traditional ceremony the groom goes first. There is no rule. Whoever is more nervous should go first — waiting is the worst part.
Does the officiant write the vow script?: Usually they bring a standard one and will happily swap in anything you send. Get your final wording to them at least a week ahead, printed, with phonetic spellings for any names they might stumble over. The officiant is reading aloud under pressure too.
How long does the vow exchange take?: Two to four minutes for a repeat-after-me exchange with rings; under ninety seconds for a short civil exchange; five to seven minutes if both partners read personal vows of their own. The vow segment is rarely the long part of a ceremony — readings and the address are.
Can we use a script for a courthouse ceremony?: Bring one, but expect it to be trimmed. Courthouse and registry-office slots run on a clock, and the officiant will keep whatever is legally required and cut the rest. The short civil exchange below is written to fit that constraint.