Skip to main content
    Free Printable PDF

    Christian Wedding Scriptures & Traditional Vows (KJV)

    A free 2-page printable: eight ceremony readings, traditional KJV vows, and a printable keepsake card.

    Preview of page 1 of Christian Wedding Scriptures & Traditional Vows (KJV)

    Page 1 preview

    PDF • 2 pages • US Letter

    Download the free PDF

    No email required. No sign-up. Just a free King James Version printable to bless you, your family, or your church.

    About this printable

    For the bride writing her ceremony at 11 p.m., the pastor preparing the homily, and the couple choosing readings for their program. Page one lists eight traditional Christian wedding readings from Genesis to 1 John. Page two provides the full traditional KJV-era wedding vows — the wording most often spoken at Christian weddings for four centuries — plus a printable 1 Corinthians 13 keepsake card for the couple's first home. Free. Public domain. Use for your own ceremony or print stacks for your premarital counseling ministry.

    What's inside

    • 2-page PDF on US Letter (readings sheet + vows + keepsake card)
    • 8 traditional KJV ceremony readings (Genesis, Ruth, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, 1 Cor 13, Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, 1 John 4)
    • Full traditional Christian wedding vows in classic KJV language
    • Ring vow and pronouncement included
    • 1 Corinthians 13 keepsake card with space for names and wedding date

    Why this printable matters

    A Christian wedding is not primarily a party — it is a covenant. The couple is not making promises to each other that they themselves can keep; they are calling God himself as witness and guarantor of vows that will outlast their feelings, their finances, and their failings. The words they speak matter. The scriptures they choose matter. For four hundred years, English-speaking Christians have stood at the altar and said almost the same words: "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, till death us do part." This is not poetic excess — it is theological precision. The vow names every condition under which the covenant will be tested and binds the speaker to it before God. The readings work the same way. 1 Corinthians 13 is not a romantic poem; it is a description of the love a couple will have to learn to give. Ephesians 5 is not a power dynamic; it is a portrait of Christ and the church into which marriage is being grafted. When a couple stands and hears these passages read aloud, they are being formed — by the Holy Spirit, through the Word — into the kind of people who can keep the vows they are about to make. Use this printable to choose well. Read every passage out loud before the wedding. Memorize the vows. Frame the keepsake card and put it where you will see it on your hardest days.

    Verses featured in this PDF (KJV)

    "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
    Genesis 2:24
    "Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."
    Ruth 1:16
    "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it."
    Song of Solomon 8:7
    "Charity suffereth long, and is kind... beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth."
    1 Corinthians 13:4-8
    "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it."
    Ephesians 5:25

    Bloggers & pastors — link to this page

    We encourage you to share this resource. Copy the snippet below to embed a link on your website or church newsletter:

    <a href="https://www.biblesundays.com/printables/wedding-scriptures-vows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Wedding Scriptures & Traditional Vows (KJV) (Bible Sundays)</a>

    How to use this printable

    1. 1

      Choose 2–3 readings for the ceremony

      Most Christian weddings include one Old Testament passage, one epistle (often 1 Corinthians 13), and sometimes a gospel reading. Mark your favorites on the printed sheet.

    2. 2

      Pair each reading with the right voice

      Genesis or Ruth read by a parent. 1 Corinthians 13 read by a sibling or close friend. Ephesians or Colossians read by the officiating pastor.

    3. 3

      Memorize the vows ahead of time

      The couple who can speak the vows from memory, looking into each other's eyes, will remember the moment for the rest of their lives.

    4. 4

      Print the keepsake card on cardstock

      65–110 lb white or ivory cardstock. Have the bride and groom sign and date it before the reception. Frame it for the new home.

    5. 5

      Give a copy to your pastor

      Pastors appreciate a clean printable of the readings and traditional vows. Saves them from re-typing.

    6. 6

      Use in premarital counseling

      Read one passage per session, then discuss what the verse asks of the marriage. Eight passages = eight strong sessions.

    Frequently asked questions

    Are these wedding vows and scriptures really free?

    Yes — fully free to download, print, and distribute. No signup, no email gate, no watermarks. Print copies for the wedding party, premarital counseling, or your church wedding ministry.

    What translation is used?

    All passages and vows use the King James Version (KJV), which is in the public domain — the wording most often spoken at Christian weddings for four centuries.

    Can we modernize the vows?

    Yes — many couples keep the structure ('to have and to hold... in sickness and in health... till death us do part') and update only the most archaic phrases like 'plight thee my troth' to 'pledge you my faithfulness.' The structure is what matters.

    What paper size is the PDF?

    Standard US Letter (8.5 × 11 in). It also prints cleanly on A4 — choose 'Fit to printable area' in your printer dialog.

    What paper should I use for the keepsake card?

    65–110 lb white or ivory cardstock for a card that will last decades in a frame. Standard paper works for sample prints.

    Can pastors use this for couples they marry?

    Yes — pastors and ministry leaders are warmly welcomed to print and distribute as many copies as needed for premarital counseling, weddings, or church ministry.

    Where in the ceremony do the vows go?

    Traditional Christian order: opening, charge, declaration of consent, scripture readings, homily, vows, ring exchange, pronouncement, prayer, kiss, recessional. The vows come after the homily and before the ring exchange.