Barham Downs Churches

  • The Rectory
  • The Street, Barham
  • Canterbury
  • Kent
  • CT4 6PA

01227 941561
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Vows

A key part of being married in a church is that you will be making your vows in the presence of God – which is why you will be asked to make them after ‘serious thought’. But this is also a wonderful privilege, and we believe that God is the giver of love, and wants to give his blessing to you for your new life together.

Holding hands as vows are made

The Legal Declaration that the Groom will have to answer is:

“_____ will you take _____ to be your wife?
Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her,
And, forsaking all others, be faithful to her
As long as you both shall live?”


The answer is “I will”.

The Bride makes the same declaration, with the substitution of the words ‘husband’ and ‘him’ as appropriate.

And the Vows which you will be repeating are:

“ I _____ take you _____ to be my wife,
to have and to hold, from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
until death do us part;
according to God’s holy law.
In the presence of God I make this vow.”


Again, the Bride will make the same vow, using the word ‘husband’ at the end of the first line, but also she may use the phrase “to love, cherish and obey” at the end of the middle line.

As the Rings are exchanged, each says:

“I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage.
With my body I honour you,
all that I am I give to you,
and all that I have I share with you,
within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”