I pledge to uplift and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to console you in times of grief and suffering. I pledge to love you in good and terrible times, when life is easy and when it appears difficult, when our love is simple and when it requires work. I pledge to adore you and to keep you in the greatest esteem at all times. I also pledge to respect your wishes and to help you make decisions when it comes to important matters. Wedding vows can be as short or long as you want them to be. Some couples only say "I do" and then go back inside after they say their vows. Other couples may say something more detailed for example: "Martha says to John that she accepts him as her husband and promises to honor him in sickness and in health, for better or for worse." There are many alternatives to traditional wedding vows including saying nothing at all. Some people think that vows are cheesy so they choose not to have any. Others write letters instead which include everything that they cannot say in words. People also use vows to express what they want their marriage to stand for. For example, a couple might vow to stay together forever even though they know this isn't possible. Or they could promise to always put each other first even if they don't feel like it's possible either. Using poetic language or literary quotes are other ways of making beautiful vows that won't fit on an index card.