Examples of Wedding Vows

The exchange of vows is the spiritual foundation of a wedding ceremony. I hold that if a bride and groom compose their own vows, those words, as given by them, will exceed the importance of anything their minister might say about them during their entire ceremony. For a personalized vow exchange is the verbalized expression of two hearts in love. A minister however can only offer what he or she believes the couple is feeling for each other. Personalized vows are the real deal- right from the source.

And it is you who needs to give these words - not a minister - who by accounting your dating history and other anecdotal stories about you, hopes to convince your audience he or she has known you for a lifetime. Few guests are fooled by this.

I tell my couples: There are reasons you both are marrying each other. What are they? Those reasons, along with some of the trials and tribulations you both went through to get here, along with a humorous insight or two about your personalities,- those make vows!

Commitments and pledges of fidelity are great for your vows, but go easy, slavery ended with Lincoln. Your guests want to know what's on your heart and what led you to this moment, standing before them, as you speak to the one you love.

Wedding vows can be short or long; length is irrelevant. I will begin with a short vow exchange used at one of my ceremonies to show you how easy this is. Then the longer ones follow, some of which are almost short stories. My thanks to all the couples who allowed me to share their vows with you!

I, _____________, choose you _____________,
To be no other than yourself,
Loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know.
I will respect you as an individual, a partner, and an equal.
I promise to laugh with you when times are good, and endure with you
when they are bad.
I will always adore, honor and encourage you.
You are my best friend, and I will love you always.

Dear Jaime: We've been together seven years, and as I stand here with you, I can't help thinking back to the beginning, when you were living in Bolingbrook and I was living in Logan Square. One Sunday morning, soon after we started dating, I found myself driving home from your house. It was a hot, humid summer day, and I had a fair amount of work to finish that evening. Suddenly, my tire blew out and I was forced to pull over. With no cell phone in hand, I was stranded on the side of the road.

It didn't take me long to realize that I couldn't sit on the shoulder of I-55 as cars whizzed by at 70 miles per hour. So I climbed up a grassy embankment, hopped a fence and ended up in someone's yard. Not knowing where I was, I found my way to the nearest street and followed it until I saw a supermarket. It was there that I found a pay phone and dialed your number. No answer. So I left a message, went into the store, bought a bottle of cold water, drank some of it, sat on the curb, waited a few minutes, and called you again. Still no answer. So I left a message letting you know I was going back to my car. My Jeep Grand Cherokee with three working wheels, whose slogan should have been, "Top of the line in utility sports. Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts."

Thirty minutes later, I found myself sitting in my still hobbled vehicle, listening to the radio, enjoying the air conditioning, and wondering what to do next. I hit on the brilliant idea of driving very slowly along the shoulder until I reached the next exit, then finding my way to the nearest garage. But just as I hit the accelerator, you sped past, scanning the side of the road and wearing a look of deep concern. Then our eyes met and your expression changed to one of relief. Believe me, I was relieved too. I had never been so glad to see anyone in my entire life.

Today, I'm honored to tell you that I love you. And to tell you that I want to share the rest of my life with you. I sometimes think back to that day when I was stuck on the side of the expressway and marvel at how lucky I was that you showed up when you did. It's the same kind of luck that brought you into my life in the first place, and the same kind of luck that brought us here today.

That day on the expressway was not without its challenges. (My favorite was the fact that, after we hit the road again, my tire completely fell off the rim just as we reached an overpass and the shoulder disappeared from under us. Or the fact that every mechanic in the area was too busy fixing his Canyanero to stay open on a Sunday. (and who can forget the lack of air conditioning in your Cavalier on the ride home?) Just like that day, our marriage will not be without its challenges. But just like that day, I can't imagine facing them without you.

In fact, I can't imagine any part of my life without you. I'm overjoyed that you're here with me today, and I can't wait to start this new chapter of our lives together, to set out on the road with you by my side.

Dixon, there is no emotion for what I feel today - and every day - about you. I Can't imagine my life without you. I can't imagine a New Year's Eve where you aren't there to kiss me at midnight or a sunny weekend where we don't go on some big adventure or any point in time where you and I aren't arguing about whether the details in one my stories are exaggerated. I don't want to.

So I'm not going to ask you to make any promises, and I won't make any either. I'm just going to say that I love you, will always love you, and that you are the only person I'll ever love this much.

Ryan, that Friday before we met at Snowball, I promised myself that I wasn't going to the retreat to meet boys. I was going to obtain leadership qualities that I could take back to my high school. However, I came back that Sunday with some of those leadership qualities and the phone number of the man standing in front of me today.

I knew you were special from the day we met at Snowball. Maybe it was the bright purple football jersey or the bleach blonde hair... but that day you entered my life as well as my heart.

Ryan, we have been dating for 6 years and engaged for 4 of them and now I FINALLY will become your wife. I wish I could say that this is the happiest day of my life, but I know the truth is that this will only be ONE of the happiest days that we will share together. Life will take us on many journeys, some good others not so good, but there sin;'t anyone I would rather have at my side.

Ryan, in tradition, here are some of the promises I intend to keep as your wife:

- I promise to be the best wife possible.
- I promise to love you always.
- I promise to let you have wife-free time to go fishing or hang out with the guys or whatever.
- I promise to take care of you when you are sick, but still make you go to work when you are faking.
- I promise to pair a chick flick with a guy movie, but you have to try to say awake during the chick flick.
- I promise to only set an alarm on weekends when it is absolutely necessary.
- I promise to let you be a country boy.
- I promise to let you love your truck almost as much as you love me, and I'll try not to be jealous.

Ryan, on a more serious note, in the 6 years that we have been together... you have asked me to be your girlfriend and you have asked me to marry you. Well now it is my turn to ask you a very important question in the best country girl way I know how...

Ryan, you know what I'm a wishin
We were a huggin and a kissin
And holding each other tight...
So Ryan
Could ya
Would ya
Ain't ya gonna
If I asked you... would you wanna
Be my HUSBAND for LIFE?

Kim: to ask your help
Brian: to lean on you when I need to
Kim: to give you time to sort out your feelings
Brian: to tell you what's on my mind
Kim: to take a break from reality and let in a little romance
Brian: to surprise you with flowers and hold your hand
Kim: to quit screaming at the TV when Jay Cutler throws an interception
Brian: to buy bigger earplugs so your screaming doesn't bother me
Kim: to support you in whatever you choose to do
Brian: to support you in whatever you choose to do

Brian: I promise to pay attention to details
Kim: to try to see the pig picture
Brian: to respect your mind and encourage your love of learning
Kim: to remind you of your talents and cheer for your successes
Brian: to teach you more about cars so you don't interrupt during Nascar wrecks
Kim: to pay little attention so you will continue to change my oil and check out those weird noises
Brian: to put you first
Kim: to put you first

Kim: I promise to tell you I love you and need you
Brian: to show you I care and that you matter
Kim: to seek your opinions and trust your judgments
Brian: to ask your advice and consider your suggestions
Kim: to honor you, cherish you, and hold you in my heart
Brian: to hug you, kiss you, and keep you in my thoughts
Kim: I promise to love you
Brian: I promise to love you

[ Note: Notice how the vows start out real serious and then Kim says- "to quit screaming at the TV when Jay Cutler throws an interception." When she said that the entire audience broke out in laughter and Brian had to wait for it to die down before he could say.. " to buy bigger earplugs so your screaming doesn't bother me." Again the audience broke out in laughter. The same thing happened again when Brian mentioned Nascar and Kim answered him with her own come back. This is an outstanding use of humor in a vow exchange. ]

Little did I know that fateful day I went to Rush hospital I would meet my future wife. I knew from the moment I met you that day that there was something different about you and I was right - you're a Cubs fan!
[Trey is a White Sox fan]

There definitely was a "spark" as they say, an instant attraction. Looking back, I would have to say it was your stunning blue eyes and true smile that got my attention first. But there was more there that wouldn't let me stop thinking about you after I left that day, and I haven't stopped thinking about you since (even during both of my bachelor parties!).

I went back a couple of days later and mustered up the courage to find you again and ask for your number and I have to say it was the best decision I've made in my life. You are everything, and then some, I could have ever hoped for in a woman. Loving, caring, nurturing, sympathetic, thoughtful, intelligent. I would keep going but I don't want your head to get too big.

Seriously though, as my best friend Brian said.. "You found your Soulmate." We are alike in many ways but different in quite a few as well. You like to be punctual and prepared, I tend to be a little late and throw things together at the last minute (and for the record, I am better than I used to be, but I have to admit it's because of your positive influence).

I have never felt such balance in a relationship and that is one of the main reasons I believe that we will be able to overcome anything together. It' just too bad there's only one great baseball team in Chicago right now (and we know who that is right?)

I look forward to raising a family together, and spending the rest of my life with you. You're going to make a wonderful mother when the time comes, I just hope that time comes a little later rather than sooner (because I'm not ready to share you just yet!)

I promise to be faithful, to be as selfless as I can be, by putting you, us, and eventually our family above all else.

It may seem like I forget a lot of things, but I will never forget our first handshake in the parking lot at Champs. (when I stole your heart with one firm shake!) I will never forget our first kiss in that Bennigan's parking lot.

And I will never forget the kiss we share today in this ceremony (and I hope it's a long, long time before we share our last kiss.

From the first time I laid eyes on you, I absolutely melted, literally! My hands were clammy and I became a sweaty mess. And there was something about that feeling that let me know there were good things to come. From our first date, to our first handshake, our first kiss, our first Cubs game, and for your sake- a Sox game.

We've shared our first ski trip- or "tumble down the mountain", an awesome trip to Hawaii and had many other amazing firsts. So when someone asks me how I knew you were "the one" I can easily say I have found someone, who just like me, has been raised by amazing parents and surrounded by awesome friends.

And now I can say, as we stand up here today, I recognize that I have gone from one loving, caring home to another. A place where I'll continue to feel loved, respected and appreciated every day. So now we share our first home together - and we get to look forward to many more firsts together.

But today I can say that I have had my favorite first. Today I marry the man of my dreams and begin the first day of the rest of my life with you. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I've called you my favorite for a long time and I promise to hold you as number one in my heart. I promise to love you, to be faithful to you, to be your partner and to always be your friend.

I thank you for loving me and will always appreciate you. With our family and friends by our side I promise you forever.

I remember when I first saw your Norwegian blue eyes at the Algonquin Library, and decided,with great certainty, "he is the one for me." Then I remember when we officially met at the Lincoln Story League Luncheon, how I could tell by the way you focused so intently on me in a room of other lady librarians, that I was the only one you wanted to be with. I am here today, because of the way I felt back then, and the way I still feel when I hear your key turning in the lock and I run to the door, my heart still racing after all this time.

I used to believe that living up on a mountain, in a cabin surrounded by pine trees, would be the only thing that would make me happy. You encouraged that dream as I went from Barrington, to Baraboo, and back again. Here I am, home at last, because any place that you are is exactly where I need to be. How far I've come from the notion that living in a certain place could make me happy. Whether we are taking a late night walk, camping in the rain, eating a picnic lunch, or just laying on the couch, you are my home.

I love you, and I can't wait to be Mrs. Jennifer Drinka. By marrying to you today, I promise to listen to you when you are sad, find you when you are lost, encourage you when you have an idea, make you late night noodles and tomatoes when you are hungry, scratch your back when it's itchy, and always by Miss Piggy to your Kermit, the Mama Bear to your Papa Bear, and the Fiona to your Shrek.

Jennifer, I vow to revel in that you have so much spunk. In addition to being patient, I will honor, respect and appreciate you. Furthermore, I plan to provide you with love and comfort, and make you safe and warm in my arms. I vow to be a partner, confidant, and team player as well.

Jennifer, I also vow to listen to what you have to say, smile for you, and to consider your views. I will help protect you from the cruel outside world, play board games with you, come up with good ideas for doing activities together, and respect your love of gift shops.

Finally, I will develop personal hobbies of my own, and improve household handiness. I vow to take care of you, Jennifer, and go to the store for you when you are sick. Not only do I plan to use turn signals when we are driving together, but may you never have to lift and carry large items again.

Paul, from the first time you made me a gooey grilled cheese sandwich, I knew it was love. You are the most talented, generous, selfless person I know. You are not afraid to be yourself, and that I greatly admire. You are my best friend and accomplice, and I look forward to sharing the rest of my life with you. As we embark on this journey together, I promise to try to keep a light heart and a sense of humor. I will be honest, respect you and support you in your dreams and goals. But most of all, I promise to trust and love you with all my heart, and cherish you with all my soul forever and ever.

Note: This bride summed it all up, humor included, in just 7 sentences. Great vows are not a function of length. Don't try to write the Gettysburg Address Of Love. Just tell us what's on your heart and why you are marrying, throw in a little humor, and you're in!!

I stand here before you because I am happier and more fulfilled today than ever, and because I want to share my love with you for the rest of my life .People are always looking for that perfect person to call their spouse. Some people never find that person, but I am one of the luck ones. I found you.

Perfect may sound like a strong statement, but to me it means real. It means having someone who opens my mind to politics and opens my adventurous side to fishing. It means having someone to teach me to slow down, someone who literally does stop and smell the roses. It means having someone who knows all my secrets. It means having someone with whom I can share all of life's joys, and it's tragedies, and who makes the everyday anything but blah.

It means someone who is honest and works hard for all he gets, someone with good values and desires for the future that match mine. It means someone with whom I can be intimate, physically, mentally and spiritually. And let's not forget, being real means being able to, in between these time of joy, discuss our differences, mediate our problems, and grow in our experiences. Anthony, I love you because you are perfectly real, and I promise to love you forever.

I promise to be your best friend, to have fun and enjoy life with you.
I promise to support you to reach all your dreams.
I promise to share your joys and comfort you in your sorrows.
I promise to be responsible in our finances, but not to let money rule our lives.
I promise to be the best mother to our future children that I can be.
I promise to be your faithful lover, and to work hard to fulfill our needs.
I promise to never forget this moment.

On this day which we chose to consecrate our commitment; I wish to express my reasons I wish to be with you, and promises I will uphold. I respect you in so many ways; I have learned from your example about work and dedication to integrity in all aspects of your life, you have never compromised your values.

Your heart is compassionate, evidenced by your commitment to caring for the little children through their suffering. You are understanding and willing to compromise because you chose to work and be with me for the betterment of our future. Lastly, your beauty is not only on the surface, but your pulchritude runs deep within.

I present the following promises because I believe that if I follow them our marriage and life together will be full of joy and wonder and our life will be an example for our children.

I promise one hundred percent fidelity.
I will not covet what is not under our roof; you and our children will be enough.
I promise soft kisses and warm hugs when times are tough, and lots of them just because I can.
I promise to never have a midlife crises and think that I have missed out; I know I have not.
I will be a good husband by sharing our responsibilities at least 50/50.
I promise to be there to teach our children all that I can about the world by being there and making them by best friends.
Lastly, I will admit when I am wrong and be a compromising partner so we can work together to solve our problems, so we can be together to enjoy our successes.

[Note: This groom is a playwright and wrote his vows in poetry. He chose to capitalize certain words throughout his vows. I have left those words capitalized and recreate his vows as they appear on the original document.]

And YOU, my love, you are PESTERED by FEARS.
That TAKING a man would SWALLOW you whole;
That I would HOUND you past the point of TEARS,
ROPE and saddle you with a WIFELY role;
While I MORPH into TABLE-banging BRUTE
Who silently MAKES you wash, rinse and FOLD
And IRON and brush and mend ALL my SUITS,
LOCKING you inside a HOUSE that turns COLD.
But you KNOW well these AREN'T my wishes
You know I can't PUSH you to bake my bread
Or COOK my meals or WASH all my DISHES
YOU are your OWN woman, YES, even when WED.

NOW that we have COME to this JUNCTURE
Finally to bring TWO SOULS into ONE
Let us make SURE that our DREAMS don't get PUNCTURED
Nor should we EVER lose our sense of fun.
It's TRUE that our HOUSE has NO CHILDREN left
And NOW we CONFRONT our AUTUMN years
But there's NO cause for us to feel BEREFT
To WRING our hands or CUP EYES before tears.
There's a DOG to love and MORE a-coming
And a FRESH union that BIDS a new SPRING
And FRIENDS who come and keep HOUSE a-HUMMING
And ONTO your FINGER I'll slip your RING.

Men and women who near MARRIAGE time
WANT to know if their DECISION is right.
They want to be AWED by some GUIDING sign.
Perhaps a FLAMING bush or BURNING light,
Directed by PRIEST wielding inlaid TOME,
Who DECLARES them mates for ALL to review;
OR they will gather TIPS from Sharon STONE
In a CHECKOUT line SECRETLY previewed.
YES, before THIS couple enters NEW LANDS,
TOTAL assurance they WILL want to take.
The ANSWER, of course: It's ALL in their HANDS.
With EACH of them having a LIFE to make.

I STEPPED out of my SMALL space, then found YOU;
I tossed out YEARS of being on my OWN
And found a sweet SOMEONE to START anew,
Who will SHARE a house WE CAN call home,
A place to have FULL play of our YEARNING
And share LOVE in exchange for SOME freedom.
We'll TIE this knot with our HEARTS a-burning
THIS, our long, lovely JOURNEY to Eden.
I SEE it this WAY: We'll sit SIDE-by-side,
"Shall we STAY in or go OUT for dinner?"
Marriage is a STATELY, sometimes SHAMBLING ride
With each of us, half SAINT and half SINNER.

I love you...
not only for what you are
but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you for taking me with you on
the Hero's Journey of wholeness.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.

I love you because you are helping to make,
of the lumber of my life,
not a tavern but a temple.
Out of the moments of my every day,
not a reproach but a song.

I love you for looking deeply into my heart
and gently passing over all the foolish things.
And for drawing out the beautiful parts
That no one else dared look far enough to find.

I love you for loving me when I'm unlikable
for cherishing the small child within me
for challenging the grown-up
for teaching me the language of intimacy.

I love you for all the times we've shared
and all the times left to come:
For Spring Green and Maui and Dr. Phil
and fun times with Reggie
and bar-b-cues and crosswords and laughter.

You give me your past
And I feel honored.
You give me your insights
And I feel calmed.
You give me your strong arms
And I feel protected.
You give me your love
and I feel happy.
You give my your future
And I feel blessed.

For nearly eight years our love for one another has grown stronger with each passing day. We have shared many beautiful moments and created countless memories that we will forever fondly look back on.

Through it all you have become my best friend, my lover, my companion and my confidante. You have given me a new outlook on life and courage to pursue my dreams.

On this special day, as we begin the next chapter in our journey together, I give you my heart and my word to be your best friend, your lover, your companion, and your confidante when our path takes unexpected turns, when life challenges us, and when life rewards us.

And to keep these vows close to my heart and live these vows all the days of our lives.

The life and love we've hared together for the last eight years has made me so happy and whole. Only having you as my wife would make me happier, and most complete.

I promise to make you laugh when you are sad, and to share your joy when you are happy. To adore you, and cherish you, and to sand beside you through whatever our life together brings.

I take you to be my wife, knowing that my love for you will never falter, and only grow stronger with each day we share.

I take you (Ciara/Rob) this day as my (husband/wife). I promise to walk by your side forever as your best friend, your lover, and your soul mate.

You are the love of my life and I am proud to marry you. I promise to support your dreams and to be there for you for all eternity.

It's finally our special day! I've waited and dreamed my whole life for the feelings you give me. You are my dream come true! I know in my heart and soul that we will be together forever. I promise that I will always be faithful and true to you.

I love you more than words can say. I know you can feel it! And the best thing about it is that I feel all of your love in return. This is our beginning of forever.. thank you for choosing me to grow old with.

I love you Jeff!

I knew you were someone special when we met. We started as friends just walking to class together. Now we are standing in front of our friends and family getting married. The years we have had, I would not trade for anything. We have had our fun time - cookouts, Cubs games, dances at school among others- and now building our first home together and raising our puppies.

Like every relationship, we have had our problems, but from every problem we grew. With every problem we learned what it was going to take to make this relationship last.

Shannon, you mean the world to me. I can't imagine where I would be without you. You make me smile inside and out. I don't know how anyone could go through life without experiencing the cycle of love we have shared through the years. You have been a great girlfriend, an even better best friend, and now you'll be the greatest wife a man can ask for. I vow to you to be the best husband I can be, and to love and cherish you for the rest of our lives.

We have had an amazing journey together. You have been my best friend, my confidant, my entertainer, an amazing boyfriend and my greatest challenge. You have made me a better person as our love for one another is reflected in the way I live my life.

But most importantly, you are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever imagine and more loved than I ever thought possible. I am blessed to be a part of your life and would not trade a day we have shared for anything. I can't imagine my life without you.

So on top of all the other vows that I will make to you on our wedding day, I also vow to always appreciate how lucky I am to have someone who makes me feel the way you do and continue to try as hard as I can to make you feel as special as you make me feel every day of our life. which as of today, becomes our life together.

I realized how special you were on the blind date we met in St .Charles. Even though I couldn't see you hiding behind your steering wheel watching mw walk into Cordon Blues, I knew I was meeting a caring and loving person when we first saw each other and naturally had to hug when we introduced ourselves. I knew how much of a generous person you were when you gave me a bag of apples after our first date that you picked. Over the past three and a half years, you have given me so much for than apples. I have been the beneficiary of your compassion, love and companionship. We have shared so many memorable moments together, it was almost impossible for me to choose which one to include in these vows.

But, we were able to work on our vows together and remind each other of all the moments that make our relationship special. We remembered our cross country trips, bike riding in Michigan, watching the Northern Lights, walking through Disney and sitting outside at home with our birds.

I know you were thinking of these tings while you were writing your vows because I could hear you crying while you were writing. I realized shortly after we met that you weren't just the woman I wanted to spend my life with, you were the woman that I couldn't live my life without. I promise to spend the rest of my life with you. I will always support your goals and build our lives as we work together and grow this Mawwidge. I will love you, honor you, care for you for the rest of our lives.

Today is the day that we may share our bond with all our family and friends. From the first time we me where joy swept over me and I melted behind the steering wheel to our first embrace just inside the entrance to Cord on Blues. I knew there something special and unique about you. I began to realize that this was only the beginning of many more joys to come. Our love has only become stronger and more refined as we have worked through the challenges and struggles in our lives. But through those challenges I know that together we'll have the strength and support to overcome any obstacles.

It is your love and support that has strengthened my tenacity in all I choose to pursue. In that pursuit I also have had the pleasure of enjoying running around Disney with you, biking the hills of Michigan, or along the Illinois river, or even just lying around a campfire under the stars. This is how I know that you Bill, are essential and necessary to bring completeness to my life.

Bill, may today be the beginning of the many wonderful times and a confirmation that we may succeed in any challenge that comes our way. The warmth and love I wait for at the end of a long day is the same love that I know will endure through the many years to come. Bill I love you, and thank you for this gift of your love and commitment.

Today we join each other as husband and wife, together with all of the people in my life that have shared with me their love, friendship, and guidance.

They can now see what started as 2 kids throwing paper wads at each other in art class 13 years ago, has turned into a beautifully whole hearted union of mind and soul.

Everyone here has helped make us who we are today. And now after our lives crossed paths again it feels like we have always been together.

Together, we giggle at our jokes. And together, I will always be there for you. Respecting your thoughts, and always talking with you. Making you laugh when things bring you down. Enjoying our life at its best and it's worst. Loving you all day form morning to night. Together at heart, no matter how far apart. These things you know now, and all our days after.

As we stand here today in front of our friends and loved ones, I want to pledge my undying love and dedication to you and let you know that I have found in you the man I wish to spend the rest of my life with.

You are my best friend, my confidant, my lover and my partner. Together we have created a safe haven from the chaos of the outside world, and in you I have found comfort, joy and peace.

When I laugh, you are always there to share the joke, when I cry you are always there to wipe away my tears, when I yell, you ar the one who, with quiet confidence, listens, understands and is always able to calm me down.

Today I make a promise to you that our friendship and mutual devotion will be the foundation through which we will carry each other through the bad times, laugh together through the good times, but most importantly, be together. Because of you, I understand what love is. It is the patience you show when I'm being stubborn and won't admit you're right, it is the kindness in your eyes every time you look at me. It is the complete trust you have in me that your 're never jealous, and the respect you show me every time you open a door for me.

Love is the strength of our bond that makes no burden too great for us to shoulder. Love is the hope and the belief that our futures lie intertwined, and that you will be the man I grow old with.

Today, in front of all these people, I take you Ryan to be my friend, my partner, to love, to respect, to trust, to cherish and to hold above all others, to be my husband.

After 831 miles and four wonderful years of knowing and loving you, our day is finally here. I think I figured out that in that time we've traveled enough to circle the earth three times to see each other. Thank goodness for a company car, Skype, and free Verizon minutes so we can fall asleep on the phone together.

The first time I saw you at the ABO convention.
The second time I saw you when I landed in Richmond, standing there in your argyle sweater.

There are many reasons that I love you, but the two biggest are these... I love how you are with the kids, and what it's taught me about being a better parent. I love how you are with me, and what it's taught me about being a better partner.

To be a good step-dad to Ashley and treat her as my own.
To support you in your growth, both personally and professionally.
To protect, guard, and defend you, our children and our marriage.
To eat right, exercise, and take care of myself.
To drive more carefully.
To give you foot rubs, even when I'm tired (as long as you promise to provide all the necessary exfoliating tools and Shea butter).
To listen to understand you.
To always try to create an environment in which you feel comfortable talking about your feelings.
To work hard to keep God in our marriage and rely on his wisdom to guide us.
To view love as more than just an emotion or feeling but as a choice.
To be your best friend.
To put you first.
To be with you for the rest of my life.

I Can't believe this day is finally here. It seems like just yesterday when we first met. Thank you for being the man that you are and for loving me the way you do. As we stand before our families, I promise too:

Always pray for you.
Love you with actions, not just words.
Threat A, J, T, and M as they were my own.
Create a home that is filled with love and laughter.
Remind you how to laugh when you forget.
Have fun no matter what life throws our way.
Work in the garden with you and desperately try not to complain.
Give you a break from working at least once a month.

To embrace St. Louis as you have Virginia.
To limit the number of times I take you on an emotional roller coaster.
Support your Starbucks habit.
Watch a cubs game on TV and actually enjoy it.
Keep you guessing.
Believe in you.
Support and encourage you.
Love you forever, and like you for always.