Polish Wedding Vows
Przysięga Małżeńska
for church and civil
Church vows
When it comes to church weddings in Poland, the vows are deeply sacred, beautifully worded, and delivered with the kind of sincerity that could make even a stone statue sniffle. They’re a central part of the ceremony — the moment when the couple doesn’t just smile for the camera, but actually becomes husband and wife in the eyes of God, their families, and probably three babcias (grannies) with tissues in their sleeves.
Polish church weddings, especially Catholic ones, follow a solemn and traditional structure, and the vows are spoken with gravity — not because the couple isn’t excited, but because this is serious business. Marriage in Poland is not entered into lightly... though afterwards there may be dancing, cake, and ahem, more cake for me, please!
The vows themselves are repeated after the priest by both bride and groom, facing each other, holding hands, and sometimes wondering if they’re pronouncing wierność i uczciwość małżeńską correctly while everyone watches.
So whether you're planning your own Polish-style wedding or you're just here out of linguistic curiosity, these vows are as heartfelt as they come — no dry eyes, no skipped lines, and absolutely no turning back after the priest says “Amen”.
Below, we’ve included the traditional Polish vows along with English translations — because even if your heart understands them, your guests might appreciate a little help
Each line spoken by the priest and repeated by the groom:
za żonę i ślubuję ci miłość,
wierność i uczciwość małżeńską oraz,
że cię nie opuszczę aż do śmierci.
Tak mi dopomóż Panie Boże Wszechmogący w Trójcy Jedyny i Wszyscy święci.
to be my wife,
and I promise you love, honour, and respect, to be faithful to you,
and not to forsake you until we are parted by death.
in fear of God, One in the Holy Trinity and all the Saints.
Each line spoken by the priest and repeated by the bride:
za męża i ślubuję ci miłość,
wierność i uczciwość małżeńską oraz,
że cię nie opuszczę aż do śmierci.
Tak mi dopomóż Panie Boże Wszechmogący w Trójcy Jedyny i Wszyscy święci.
to be my husband,
and I promise you love, honour, and respect, to be faithful to you,
and not to forsake you until we are parted by death.
in fear of God, One in the Holy Trinity and all the Saints.
The first line of both his and her vows are sometimes changed from "Ja, [imię], biorę ciebie", to "Ja, [imię], biorę sobie ciebie". Both versions say the same (I [name], take you) and the latter's additional "sobie" adds a personal element (I, [name], take you for myself).
That's a relic of an older format and makes the vows a bit more romantic, as though saying, “I take you as mine”.
However, the official liturgical phrasing in modern Polish Catholic wedding vows is "Ja, [imię], biorę ciebie".
The official words (with or without "sobie") must be used for the marriage to be legally binding. Poland is one of the few countries where Church weddings are recognized by the state as legal (as long as the priest is authorised and the marriage Is registered with the civil authorities). See the Polish government's details at gov.pl/web/mswia-en/get-married-in-a-religious-ceremony
Civil wedding at the USC (Urząd stanu cywilnego - Civil Registry Office)
A non-church civil wedding is also legally recognized by the state. See details at gov.pl/web/mswia-en/get-married-in-a-civil-ceremony
During a civil ceremony, the bride and groom are asked the following questions by the registrar to affirm their intention to marry. The couple's declaration is mandatory and must be spoken aloud, with no changes:
for each to respond::
They then each repeat each line spoken by the registrar:
uroczyście oświadczam, że wstępuję w związek małżeński z [imię nazwisko]
i przyrzekam, że uczynię wszystko, aby nasze małżeństwo, było zgodne, szczęśliwe i trwałe.
I solemnly declare that I am entering into marriage with [full name],
and I promise to do everything in my power to ensure that our marriage is harmonious, happy, and lasting.
The couple can ask the registrar for permission to include personal vows to supplement the mandatory official vows.
Civil weddings in Poland are legally binding and can also be followed by a religious ceremony, or vice versa. Having both is known as a "konkordatowy ślub" (concordat wedding).
