If you’re in the midst of planning your wedding, there are so many different places to get ideas for your big day, with movies and television shows being amongst our favorite sources of inspiration. While these motion pictures give way to enviable wedding dresses and covetable décor, they’re also filled with heartfelt promises from your favorite on-screen couples. So if you’re planning to write your own wedding vows, why not take cues from these fictional ceremonies?
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 30 famous vows from movies and TV shows. Below, you’ll find a mix of funny lines that will make you laugh, sweet words that will prompt a smile, and emotional exchanges that will cue the waterworks. From Bella and Edward in Twilight to Meredith and Derek in Grey’s Anatomy, these characters’ romantic quotes are guaranteed to lend inspiration to your own. Read on for more.
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Friends: Monica and Chandler
Monica: "For so long, I wondered if I would ever find my prince, my soulmate. Then three years ago, at another wedding, I turned to a friend for comfort. And instead, I found everything that I'd ever been looking for my whole life. And now here we are, with our future before us, and I only want to spend it with you, my prince, my soulmate, my friend. Unless you don't want to. You go!"
Chandler: "I thought this was going to be the most difficult thing I ever had to do. But when I saw you walking down the aisle, I realized how simple it was. I love you. You are the person I was meant to spend the rest of my life with."
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Friends: Phoebe and Mike
Phoebe: "When I was growing up, I didn't have a normal mom and dad, or a regular family like everybody else, and I always knew that something was missing. But now I'm standing here today, knowing that I have everything I'm ever gonna need. You are my family."
Mike: "Phoebe, you are so beautiful. You're so kind, you're so generous, you're so wonderfully weird. Every day with you is an adventure. I can't believe how lucky I am, and I can't wait to share my life with you forever."
Phoebe: "Oh wait, I forgot! And, um...I love you. And you have nice eyes."
Mike: "I love you, too."
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Boy Meets World: Cory and Topanga
Topanga: "I wasn't sure this day would ever come, but you were. I wasn't sure love could survive everything we put it through, but you were. You were always strong and always sure. And now I know I want you to stand beside me for the rest of my life. That's what I'm sure of."
Cory: "Ever since I was young I never really understood anything about the world, and I never understood anything that happened in my life. The only thing that ever made sense to me was you, and how I felt about you. That's all I've ever known, and that's enough, that's enough for me for the rest of my life, Topanga."
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Grey's Anatomy: Meredith and Derek
Meredith and Derek: "To love each other, even when we hate each other. No running—ever. Nobody walks out no matter what happens. Take care when old, senile, smelly. This is forever." (These vows were signed on a post-it note by the couple.)
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New Girl: Cece and Schmidt
Schmidt: “I hope for as long as we stay together, I always remain someone that you wanna holla at.”
Cece: “I look forward to a lifetime of joy, growth, and constant mispronunciation of common words.”
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How I Met Your Mother: Lily and Marshall
Marshall: "There are a million reasons why I love you. You make me laugh and you take care of me when I’m sick. You’re sweet, caring, and you even created an egg dish and named it after me...It’s called 'Egg Marshall' and it’s awesome. But the main reason that I love you is that you’re my best friend. You’re the best friend I ever had."
Lily: "I love you because you’re funny and you make me feel loved and you make me feel safe. And for our anniversary you gave me a sweatshirt that says, 'Lily and Marshall: Rockin’ It Since ‘96'... but the main reason I love you is you make me happy. You make me happy all the time."
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Parks & Recreation: Leslie and Ben
Ben: "In my time working for the state government, my job sent me to 46 cities in 11 years. I lived in villages with eight people, rural farming communities, college towns. I was sent to every corner of Indiana. And then I came here. And I realized that this whole time, I was just wandering around, everywhere, just looking for you."
Leslie: "The things that you have done for me, to help me, support me, surprise me, to make me happy, go above and beyond what any person deserves. You're all I need. I love you and I like you."
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Parks & Recreation: April and Andy
April: "I guess I kind of hate most things, but I never really seem to hate you. So I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. Is that cool?"
Andy: "You are the most awesome person I have ever known in my entire life. I vow to protect you from danger. And I don’t care if I have to fight an ultimate fighter, or a bear, or him (points to a random guest), or your mom. I would take them down. I’m getting mad right now even telling you. I wanna spend the rest of my life, every minute, with you, and I am the luckiest man in the galaxy."
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One Tree Hill: Haley and Nathan
Haley: “Nathan, it’s been said that there’s one word that will free us from the weight and pain of life, and that word is love—and I believe that. That doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been hard or that it won’t be. It just means that I’ve found a stillness and a bravery in myself with you. You make me brave, and I will love you until the end of time. This, I vow today.”
Nathan: “Last year, we sat on the beach, and I told you how much I loved you and how I’ll always, always protect you. That day that we believed that this would work, but I don’t think anybody understood the love that I had for you because if they did, they would have never doubted us. So, I want to marry you all over again for most of our world because today, I can look into your eyes, and my love for you only grows. It’s even stronger now. Our love will never waiver. This, I vow to you today and always."
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Gossip Girl: Blair and Chuck
Chuck: “Three words, eight letters.”
Blair: “One word, three letters: Yes!”
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The Big Bang Theory: Penny and Leonard
Leonard: "Penny, we are made of particles that have existed since the moment the universe began. I like to think those atoms traveled 14 billion years through time and space to create us so that we could be together and make each other whole."
Penny: "Leonard, you're not only the love of my life, you're my best friend. And you've got a friend in me. You got troubles. I got 'em too. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. We stick together and we can see it through because you've got a friend in me."
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The Big Bang Theory: Bernadette and Howard
Bernadette: "Like you, this is going to be short and sweet. I love you with all my heart and soul and promise to be with you forever."
Howard: "Until I met you, I couldn't imagine spending my life with just one person. And now, I can't imagine spending one day of it without you."
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Think Like a Man Too: Candace and Michael
Michael: "With this ring, I vow to be a loyal husband, a constant friend, and a devoted father to our son, Duke. I vow to love, honor, cherish, and adore you. Baby, I'm going to adore you forever."
Candance: "With this ring, I vow to love you in good times and in bad times, in sickness and in health. I promise to be in your corner and by your side forever and ever and ever."
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Glee: Kurt and Blaine and Santana and Brittany (Double Wedding)
Kurt: "Blaine, I’m a man who’s always lived in the shadows. And everyone who’s come into my life has always tried to pull me out into the sun or push me back into the darkness."
Santana: "I've been bullied, outed, misunderstood."
Blaine: "I honestly thought that I would never find real love."
Brittany: "The world’s been so scary and confusing. It was just too fast, made me feel dumb just because my brain worked differently."
Kurt: "And then you came along. And even if someone had told me that it wasn’t gonna work out and that at the end of all of our struggling and all of our work, it would just end in heartache."
Blaine: "I would have said yes."
Santana: "A thousand times yes."
Brittany: "I would've suffered it all just for the tiny chance to be standing up here, marrying you."
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Glee: Carole and Burt
Burt: "You know that saying 'when God closes a door, He opens a window?' Well, sometimes out of nowhere He'll do you one better—He'll kick a whole wall down. He grabbed me by the shoulders and He pointed me toward this woman right here and He said 'There she is. Go get her.' You’re everything, Carole. Words can’t describe you. You’re everything. And I will love you 'til the day I die."
Carole: "Oh, hey ... I’m lucky ... Most women when they get married, they get one man. I get two. One of you saved me from my wardrobe. The other one just saved me. Kurt, you are an amazing person. I’m not only getting a son, I’m getting a friend. Finn, I know you were resistant at first, but I am so proud of you. I’ve watched you grow into a man. But I think I’m most proud that you’ve become a brother to Kurt. We are four people becoming a family."
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Schitt's Creek: Patrick and David
Patrick: "David, I can't believe this is happening. So, I'll keep this very short because I think you know that I would climb a thousand mountains for you. You will always be a part of me, and I'm a part of you indefinitely. Boy, don't you know you can't escape me, 'cause you know you'll always be my baby. And we'll linger on, time can't erase a feeling this strong, no way you'll ever shake me, ooh, darling 'cause you'll always be my baby!"
David: "Patrick, I have never liked a smile as much as I like yours. I've never felt as safe as I feel when I'm with you. I've never known love like I do when we're together. It's not been an easy road for me but knowing that you will be there for me at the end makes everything okay. Patrick Brewer, you are my happy ending."
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Game of Thrones: Daenerys and Khal Drogo
Daenerys and Khal: "As you are the moon of his life, he shall be your sun and stars. Your love shall be as ever present as those two celestial bodies, even though they are sometimes hidden from one another’s sight. Your love will be the guiding force that charts the course of your tomorrows, holds your world together in difficult times, and will make life itself shine bolder and brighter than we human beings have a right to dream of."
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90210: Donna and David
David: "When was it that we fell in love, when we were 18 or 16, maybe 10? I don't know 'cause the truth is I can't picture a time that I wasn't in love with you. I always knew you were the one that could look into my eyes and see my soul. I don't question your commitment to us and I know there's nothing we can't work through. And I accept you as my partner and as my best friend above all others. It's a miracle to find the kind of peace and happiness that you've given me and in honor of that miracle, I pledge before our family and friends to love and to cherish you forever."
Donna: "I look at you and I see my best friend, your energy and your passion inspire me in ways I never thought possible. Your inner beauty is so strong, that I no longer fear being myself. I no longer fear at all. I never thought that I could find someone that I could love that would love me back unconditionally. Then I realize that, although we were often apart, you were always with me and you were my soulmate. You give me purpose when I feel I have none. Without you my soul would be empty, my heart broken, my being incomplete. I thank God every day that you were brought into my life, and I thank you for loving me."
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ER: Abby and Luka
Luka: "Be my wife. I offer myself with all my faults and strengths. We'll help each other when we need help and work together to raise our son. I choose you as the person I will love and honor for the rest of my days."
Abby: "First of all, I love you. I do. And you've helped me through a lot. We got here together with a beautiful little boy. I was thinking of a poem before when I was getting ready. I think it starts, I carry your heart in my heart. I'm never without it. Anywhere I go, you go. I'm probably messing the whole thing up, but I think the end goes, and this is the wonder that keeps the stars apart. I carry your heart. I carry it in my heart. So I guess what I'm saying is, let's just try to love each other and persevere."
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Jumping the Broom: Sabrina and Jason
Jason: "Sabrina, you've given me the clarity, the strength, and the wisdom to be a better man."
Sabrina: "Jason, you make me happier than anyone ever has. I don't wanna live life unless you're in it. You're my man. I love you."
Jason: "I love you."
The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Guide
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Frasier: Daphne and Niles
Daphne: “I, Daphne Moon, do take thee, Niles Crane, as my husband. I promise you my fidelity and my support, my laughter and my tears, my constant friendship and my unending love as long as we both shall live.”
Niles: “I, Niles Crane, do take thee, Daphne Moon, as my wife. I vow to you my fidelity and my support, my honor and my respect, my honesty, and my protection. You are my comfort, my joy, and my one true love. I will cherish you all the days of my life and treasure the journey that has brought us to this most wonderful, perfect place."
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Sex and the City 2: Anthony and Stanford
Anthony: "It was not exactly love at first sight, but it turns out it was love. You are the first man to accept me for the man that I actually am."
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The Vow: Paige and Leo
Paige: "I vow to help you love life, to always hold you with tenderness and to have the patience that love demands. To speak when words are needed and to share the silence when they are not. To agree to disagree on red velvet cake, and to live within the warmth of your heart and always call it home."
Leo: "I vow to fiercely love you in all of your forms, now and forever. I promise to never forget this is a once-in-a-lifetime love. And to always know in the deepest part of my soul that no matter what challenges might carry us apart, we will always find our way back to each other."
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Madea's Family Reunion: Vanessa and Frankie
Vanessa: "I never thought that I could meet someone like you. You are my friend. You are my smile. You are my everything. You are a breathtaking reflection of God's heart for me...of how he pursued me and loved me even when I didn't love myself. You held my hand in the darkness, and you pulled me out into the light. I love you."
Frankie: "You are my light. And it doesn't matter what happens in this life as long as you're with me. When I look at you, I know that there's a God, and that he loved me so much that he took the time to create you just for me. I love you...past my mind...beyond my heart...I love you for my soul. And that's the space where only you and God dwell."
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American Wedding: Michelle and Jim
Jim: "You are the one woman I want to be with, and the woman I can’t be without. I love you."
Michelle: "I had trouble finding the words to tell you how I feel. And I realized something. Love isn’t just a feeling. Love is something you do. It’s a dress, a visit to band camp, a special haircut. Jim, you’ve given me everything I ever wanted, and it is my solemn vow to give everything I am to you."
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Wedding Crashers: Christina and Craig
Craig: "I, Craig, take you, Christina, to be my wife, my best friend, and my first mate. To captain our ship of love and to stay with that ship no matter how rough the seas. Through health and sickness, clear skies and squalls.You are the star I set my course to. You are my magnetic north. My sextant always point to you."
Christina: "I, Christina, take you, Craig, to be my husband, my best friend, and my captain. To be your anchor and your sail, your starboard and your port, your bow and your stern.Your life, your love, your lady, and the sea."
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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1: Bella and Edward
Edward: "I,EdwardCullen. Take you,BellaSwan. To have and to hold."
Bella: "Forbetteror for worse."
Edward: "For richer, for poorer."
Bella: "Insicknessand in health."
Edward: "To love."
Bella: "To cherish. As long as we bothshalllive."
Edward: "I do."
Bella: "I do."
Edward: "I love you."
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Runaway Bride: Maggie and Ike
Maggie and Ike: "I guarantee that we'll have tough times. I guarantee that at some point one or both of us will want to get out. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. Because I know in my heart you're the only one for me."
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Father of the Bride: Annie and Bryan
Bryan: "I, Bryan MacKenzie, take thee, Annie Banks, to be my lawful wedded wife. To love and to comfort from this day forward."
Annie: "I, Annie Banks, take thee, Bryan MacKenzie, to be my lawful wedded husband. To love and to comfort from this day forward."
Bryan: "With this ring, as a token of my love and affection, I thee wed."
Annie: "With this ring, as a token of my love and affection, I thee wed."
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Rachel Getting Married: Rachel and Sidney
Rachel: "You are just so full of grace, and I promise before God and these beautiful people that I will love you fiercely and sweetly. And I look forward to sharing this great life with you. Thank you for marrying me."
Sidney: "All that I ever wanted was to just hear music, and when I met you, I heard you. And, Rachel, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. Thank you for marrying me."