Why do we say wedding vows? In ancient Rome the brides father would walk her to the ceremony where the bride and groom would mutually vow to marry (more Lord of the Rings style than Game of Thrones). During the 16th century the Church of England devised the standard Traditional vows for couples to recite to each other (I take thee....). These days we have the internet (and Ed Sheeran) to provide us with thousands of ideas.
For every couple I've worked with the vows are the biggest source of stress. What do you say? How long should the vows be? Do we need to say the same thing?
If you are writing your own vows my best advice is simply put down how you feel as if you were describing your partner's best points to a stranger. Perhaps you love the way they love you back unconditionally, their way of always seeing the best in the world, how they are the first thing you think about when you wake up each day....
Perhaps you are choosing vows from the thousands online. Each of you can choose a different set of vows to use. Repeating the exact same thing to each other is more traditional, but not necessary. Feel free to change a line or two to make it more unique. Every couple is different and your vows are encouraged to reflect that.
Sometimes I have couples that are quite shy. The thought of repeating a few lines in front of family + friends is very stressful. No problem at all. I can easily say the Classic "Do you promise to......" before you both, with a simple "I Do" being said.
Some recent short + sweet examples from this busy summer season: