Rooted in Love: A Guide to Writing Authentic Wedding Vows That Feel Like You

When I set out to write my own wedding vows, I thought it would be easy. After all, I’ve spent years as a wedding photographer and videographer, hearing hundreds of vows—some that made the entire room cry, some that made everyone laugh, and some that, well… felt rushed and forgettable.

But when I sat down to write my own? It was kind of terrifying.

I didn’t know what my wife would say, or how she would say it. I didn’t want to be too sentimental if she was going to be lighthearted, or too funny if she was going to be serious. And I had so much I wanted to say—how could I fit it all into a few minutes without it feeling like a rambling mess?

So, I did what anyone would do: I asked ChatGPT to write me some aggressively shark-themed wedding vows (because, why not?). Then, I got serious. I wrote everything out, trimmed it down, rearranged it into a clear structure, then practiced until I felt confident.

And when the day came, it felt right. Even though we never shared our vows with each other beforehand, they fit together like they were written in tandem. I told the world how I felt, and I did it in a way that was truly me.

That experience made me realize something: so many couples struggle with their vows not because they don’t know what to say, but because they don’t have the right process to help them say it.

That’s why I created Rooted in Love.

Vows Should Feel Natural, Not Forced

Here’s the thing—I don’t believe that every couple needs to write personal vows. If traditional, or scripted vows speak to you, that’s great. But I do believe that if you want to write personal vows, you should feel empowered and confident in the process—not stuck, stressed, or scrambling to throw something together the night before.

Unfortunately, I see it happen all the time. People overthink it, get scared of showing too much emotion, or worry that their words will sound awkward. So, they take the easy way out—leaning on clichés, throwing in a self-deprecating joke or two, and keeping it short so they don’t feel too vulnerable.

And every time I see that, I ache for them—because I know how much they want their vows to feel authentic, and I know they just need the right tools to make that happen.

That’s where Rooted in Love comes in.

A Simple, Step-by-Step Way to Write Authentic Wedding Vows That Feel Like You

To help couples write vows that truly reflect their love story, I created the SOIL, SEED, BLOOM method.

I wanted this process to feel natural, like something that grows over time—because that’s what love is. My wife loves flowers, and we spend every summer admiring wildflowers together, so the imagery of growth felt personal. It also fit perfectly with how meaningful vows take shape:

🌱 SOIL – Dig deep into your love story. Guided reflections help you uncover the moments, emotions, and values that make your relationship unique.

🌿 SEED – Organize your thoughts. You’ll take what matters most and shape it into vows that feel intentional, meaningful, and true to your relationship.

🌸 BLOOM – Refine and practice. You’ll structure, polish, and rehearse your vows so that when the moment comes, you feel confident and prepared.

This is the process I used to write my own vows, and it’s what I see in the most heartfelt, memorable vows at weddings I’ve filmed. Now, I’ve put it into a step-by-step guide so that couples don’t have to figure it out alone.

Why I Created This Guide

This project has been on my mind for a long time. Between vows, toasts, and speeches, I’ve seen so many wedding moments that could have been amazing if only people had the right guidance.

I know that writing vows is something people (hopefully) only do once, so I created Rooted in Love to give couples a clear, structured way to write vows that feel effortless, personal, and real—without second-guessing every word.

If that sounds like something that could help you, you can check it out here.

And if you’re not ready to dive in just yet, I also put together a free vow-writing guide with the same SOIL, SEED, BLOOM method to help couples get started. You can grab that here.

I hope this guide gives couples the confidence to write the authentic wedding vows they want to write—the ones that reflect their love story in a way that feels true to them.

Because when you stand up there on your wedding day, telling the person you love exactly what they mean to you, you should feel nothing but sure.