What to write in a 140-character vow
· 2 min read
A short message is harder to write than a long one. With 140 characters there's no room for filler, which forces you to say the one thing you mean. If you're adding a vow to a love lock, here's how to write one you won't wince at later.
Start with one true thing
Don't try to summarize the whole relationship. Pick a detail only the two of you would know and build the vow around it: the place you met, a habit of theirs you'd miss, a promise you actually keep, or something they did when you needed it.
Be specific
"You are my everything" could be written by anyone. "You still save me the last bite" could only be written by you. Small, concrete things read as more romantic than large, vague ones.
Examples
These show the length you're working with.
- For an anniversary: "Ten years in and you still make coffee the way I like it. Here's to ten more mornings." (86 characters)
- For a new couple: "We met in the rain and you lent me your umbrella. I'm keeping it." (65)
- For a wedding: "Today I promise the small things: the dishes, the bad jokes, the hand in the dark." (82)
- For a long-distance couple: "Same moon, different sky. Counting the days until I can say it to your face." (76)
- For someone you've lost, or for yourself: "Some loves don't end. They just move somewhere softer." (54)
What to leave out
Your lock already carries your initials and a date, so the vow doesn't need to repeat them. Skip inside jokes unless the other person will smile at them without an explanation. And remember that on a public vow, anyone who opens your lock can read it, so leave out anything you'd be embarrassed for a stranger to see. If you want it kept between the two of you, make it private, and only people with your link can read it.
Before you settle, read it out loud. If it sounds stiff, rewrite it until it sounds like something you'd say quietly to the person.
On a Prestige or Eternity lock you can add a vow of up to 140 characters and choose whether to share it or keep it private. You can also send it as an email card on a day you pick, so it arrives when they least expect it.