Ukrainian Wedding Vows

Here are the traditional весільні клятви (wedding vows) spoken in Ukrainian Christian weddings — and you’ll be pleased to know they’re not all that different from the vows you’d hear in most other countries, except they sound more poetic when sung in a golden-domed cathedral with incense and four-part harmony. We’ve also included an idiomatic English translation, so you don’t need to phone your Ukrainian aunt for help (though she’d love that).

Ukraine is deeply rooted in Christian tradition, and the vast majority of weddings are conducted in churches — often Eastern Orthodox ones, which means lots of icons, chanting, and the couple wearing crowns. Yes, actual crowns. In Ukraine, you don’t just feel like royalty on your wedding day — you are royalty (for about 40 minutes).

The two largest Orthodox branches in the country are the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). If you're wondering about the politics between them — don't ask during the ceremony. Just smile, nod, and accept the candle you’re handed.

In Western Ukraine, you’ll also find many weddings conducted under Eastern Catholic rites, especially by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) — who worship like the Orthodox but are in communion with the Pope. It’s a theological Venn diagram that works beautifully if you don’t overthink it.

And let’s not forget the Protestant communities, including Baptists, Pentecostals, and Evangelicals, where ceremonies may be a bit simpler but just as heartfelt — usually with a guitar instead of a 300-year-old choir and fewer candles to worry about.

Little-known fact: In traditional Ukrainian Orthodox weddings, the vows aren’t always spoken like in Western ceremonies. Instead, the priest may guide the couple through symbolic rituals — like walking around the altar three times — which are basically vows in motion. (If you're spinning around in front of 200 guests, you're definitely committed.)

Despite the different denominations and ceremonial styles, the essence of the vows is the same across the board: lifelong faithfulness, mutual love, and a promise to share joy and sorrow, even if the sorrow is mostly your partner forgetting to peel the potatoes.

Below are the most widely used Ukrainian Christian wedding vows, followed by a friendly English translation — so you’ll know exactly what you’re promising before you start walking in circles with crowns on your head.