Writing your own wedding vows can be a stressful and overwhelming wedding task. This might be why many couples procrastinate writing their custom wedding vows until days and sometimes hours before their wedding ceremony.

Are you struggling to write your own wedding vows and your wedding ceremony is less than a day away? If you’re worried about how you’ll write your personalized wedding vows in time, I’ve got you covered.

As a wedding vow writer and the creator of Wedding Words, I collaborate with couples to write custom wedding vows. Here are 10 tips for how to write your own wedding vows in less than 24 hours.

Tip #1: Formulate a Plan

I grew up hearing my dad say, “If you fail to plan—you plan to fail.”

Not only did I like the poetic sound of that sentence but the advice is sound. You should design a plan for how to write your wedding vows if you wish to complete them within a short timeframe.

Identify which parts of your day you have availability. Block out this time for vow writing. The key is to find at least two hours to write your wedding vows.

When you discover the best time of the day for those two hours—commit to it. Other things may come up but if you can treat those two hours like you would any other appointment, you will get your vows written.

Tip #2: Prioritize

Analyze everything you need to do for the day. Rank each task in order of priority and begin working through each job in that order.

This will guarantee that the most important wedding tasks get completed while the other less vital things don’t overtake your time.

Tip #3: Consider Odd Times

Your day might already be fully scheduled. How can you find time for vow writing?

What if you woke up one hour earlier? If you’re more of a night owl, could you stay up an hour later and write your wedding vows the night before your wedding ceremony?

Whenever it is—consider moments throughout your day when you can make the most of your time.   

Tip #4: Go Somewhere Discrete

Do not attempt to write your wedding vows in your own home. Something will inevitably pop up and interrupt you.

Your girlfriends will drop by or your fiancé will need you. Go somewhere for a few hours where no one will be vying for your attention.

Plus, there are less distractions in a coffee shop or park than in your home. You won’t be tempted to empty the dishwasher or do a load of laundry—all really disguised efforts that further procrastinate vow writing.  

Tip #5: Shut Off Your Phone

It’s scary, I know. But trust me—shutting off your phone is the single best thing you can do to ensure your wedding vows get written.

Otherwise, endless texts and calls will distract you from getting much accomplished.

Tip #6: Remove Any Distractions

While your phone can be the biggest distraction, consider what else might sidetrack you from vow writing. If you’re using your computer to write your vows, stay off of Facebook!

It’s easy to get sucked into things like social media and cat videos but power through vow writing by avoiding these distraction black holes.

Tip #7: Delegate Tasks

The day before your wedding will be packed with last minute errands. You do not need to be the one to pick up the place cards or to drop off the final cake payment.

Delegate these last minute wedding related tasks to someone in your wedding party or to a close family member. Your time is better spent writing your custom wedding vows.

Tip #8: Ask for Help

Who says you need to endure this wedding task alone? You’ve had help with picking out your wedding dress and designing the floral arrangements—seek reinforcements for writing your custom wedding vows.

Call your maid of honor for help. When you’re stuck trying to determine what to focus on within your wedding vows, she can provide guidance. Have her recall the first time she met your fiancé. What was her impression?

Have her remind you of the stories you told about your fiancé during those early stages of your relationship.

Often we’re too close to our own relationship to understand what to articulate. Getting outside perspective will spark inspiration and help you to regain focus.

Tip #9: Embrace a Judgement Free Zone

As you write your personalized wedding vows, respect each thought. Part of the vow writing process is working through ideas.

As you begin writing your wedding vows, don’t judge if an idea is good or bad—just get it down on paper.

Just write a first draft. It’s about progress over perfection. Once you have a first draft completed, reference these tips for how to edit your own wedding vows.

Tip #10: Get in the Zone

When you sit down to begin writing your unique wedding vows, really go for it. You’ve blocked out this time for vow writing. Don’t let thoughts of tomorrow mornings hair appointment enter your mind.

Focus on your fiancé and your love story. Remember—it’s because of your love for each other that you are having a wedding. Now is your time to honor and express how you feel.

To help kick start your vow writing process, try following these vow writing prompts or reference these tips for writing personalized wedding vows.