The best short vows run 90 seconds — about 180 words. Long enough to make people cry. Short enough that grandma doesn't shift in her chair.

The 180-word rule

Average speaking pace is 130 words per minute. Wedding pace (with pauses, breath, eye contact) is closer to 100. 90 seconds ≈ 150–180 words. Write to that — not past it.

15 short wedding vow examples

Romantic

"I promise to choose you — today, tomorrow, and every quiet Tuesday after."
"You are my favorite person, my favorite hello, and my favorite place to come home to."
"I vow to love you in the easy moments and the hard ones — and to know the difference."
"I promise to keep being curious about you, for the rest of our lives."
"You make ordinary days feel like the beginning of something. I vow to never take that for granted."

Heartfelt and simple

"I promise to be your partner, your home, and the person who shows up — every time."
"I vow to listen more than I speak, to apologize first, and to choose us before I choose being right."
"I promise to keep us — through everything, in every season, for the rest of my life."
"You are my person. Today I make it official, in front of everyone we love."
"I vow to love you out loud — to your face, to my friends, and to anyone who'll listen."

Sweet and short

"I love you. I choose you. I promise you all of me."
"Today I'm yours. Tomorrow I'm yours. Always — I'm yours."
"I vow to be brave with you, kind with you, and home with you."
"You are my answer."
"I do — every day, on purpose."

How to cut a long draft in half

Delete every adverb. "Really," "truly," "always" — most are filler.
Pick one story. Not three. One. The one nobody else could tell.
Combine three promises into one line. "I promise to be patient, kind, and present" → "I promise to be present."
Read it out loud and cut anything that doesn't make you feel something.

Short wedding vows that still hit hard