love you,” I whisper to her as her eyes glisten with unshed tears.
The officiant begins, “Marriage is much more than your signatures on a legal contract. Today, you will make promises to each other in front of all these people that you love. Today, you are giving your word, your lives, and your love to one another for eternity. No pastor or priest or justice of the peace can create a marriage, because a marriage truly is nothing except the promises made and kept by two individuals. Andy and Tessie, your wedding day is one brief day in time. Although your vows are spoken in a matter of minutes, they are promises that will last a lifetime.”
Tessie smiles sweetly at me, knowing that for both of us this truly is the beginning of our future. A happiness neither of us imagined possible has been gifted to us in what has been a hard ride through life.
“Will you, Andy, cherish Tessie as your lawfully wedded wife, protecting her, tending to her needs through illness, disappointment, and all of life’s challenges?”
“With all that I have and all that I will be, I will,” I answer honestly, proudly, and with more love than I have ever felt in my lifetime.
“Will you strive to understand her, giving her comfort when she seeks it from you? Will you try never to say in anger that which you wouldn’t say in friendship? When night falls, will you go to sleep with thanks for her presence at your side and renewed love for her in your heart?”
“I will for eternity.”
He turns his attention to Tessie.
“Will you, Tessie, cherish Andy as your lawfully wedded husband, protecting him, tending to his needs through illness, disappointment, and all of life’s challenges?”
“I will,” she replies as she smiles at me.
“Will you strive to understand him, giving him comfort when he seeks it from you? Will you try never to say in anger that which you wouldn’t say in friendship? When night falls, will you sleep with thanks for his presence at your side and renewed love for him in your heart?”
“I will for eternity.”
I want to kiss her. I want to hold her to me. I want to take her home and show her just how much I love her. Forget the guests and ceremony. I am bursting with love for this woman, and I want nothing more than to join together as one with her body as much as we are joining our lives together right now.
The officiant looks to me, opening the time for us to recite the vows we have chosen to write ourselves.
As a tear falls from her face, I reach up to wipe it away with my thumb. She lays her face gently into my hand, and I lose all of my thoughts.
“Tessie, baby, I love you. I honor you. I cherish you. I promise to love you more tomorrow than I do today. I promise to honor you for always in all ways. I promise to cherish you, not only for the woman you are, but the woman you once were and the woman you will become as time changes. I promise to endure all things with you.
“It hasn’t always been easy for us apart, and it won’t always be easy for us together, but I promise you won’t be alone. I promise I will be your strength when you have none. I promise to be your shelter when the storms rage on. I promise to give you the best of myself and ask no more of you than you can give. I promise to accept you exactly as you are. I love you for the woman you are and the woman you have yet to become. I promise to be open to you. I promise to grow alongside you. I promise to be willing to face life as we both change in order to keep our relationship alive and thriving.”
I bring both my hands up to cup her face, wiping more tears with my thumbs as she stares into my eyes and straight to my soul. I want so badly to kiss her, but I know I have to wait. “I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and in the only way I know how … completely. It’s you and me, baby, for eternity.”
With shaking hands, she reaches up and holds my wrists as I continue to cup her face and
The officiant begins, “Marriage is much more than your signatures on a legal contract. Today, you will make promises to each other in front of all these people that you love. Today, you are giving your word, your lives, and your love to one another for eternity. No pastor or priest or justice of the peace can create a marriage, because a marriage truly is nothing except the promises made and kept by two individuals. Andy and Tessie, your wedding day is one brief day in time. Although your vows are spoken in a matter of minutes, they are promises that will last a lifetime.”
Tessie smiles sweetly at me, knowing that for both of us this truly is the beginning of our future. A happiness neither of us imagined possible has been gifted to us in what has been a hard ride through life.
“Will you, Andy, cherish Tessie as your lawfully wedded wife, protecting her, tending to her needs through illness, disappointment, and all of life’s challenges?”
“With all that I have and all that I will be, I will,” I answer honestly, proudly, and with more love than I have ever felt in my lifetime.
“Will you strive to understand her, giving her comfort when she seeks it from you? Will you try never to say in anger that which you wouldn’t say in friendship? When night falls, will you go to sleep with thanks for her presence at your side and renewed love for her in your heart?”
“I will for eternity.”
He turns his attention to Tessie.
“Will you, Tessie, cherish Andy as your lawfully wedded husband, protecting him, tending to his needs through illness, disappointment, and all of life’s challenges?”
“I will,” she replies as she smiles at me.
“Will you strive to understand him, giving him comfort when he seeks it from you? Will you try never to say in anger that which you wouldn’t say in friendship? When night falls, will you sleep with thanks for his presence at your side and renewed love for him in your heart?”
“I will for eternity.”
I want to kiss her. I want to hold her to me. I want to take her home and show her just how much I love her. Forget the guests and ceremony. I am bursting with love for this woman, and I want nothing more than to join together as one with her body as much as we are joining our lives together right now.
The officiant looks to me, opening the time for us to recite the vows we have chosen to write ourselves.
As a tear falls from her face, I reach up to wipe it away with my thumb. She lays her face gently into my hand, and I lose all of my thoughts.
“Tessie, baby, I love you. I honor you. I cherish you. I promise to love you more tomorrow than I do today. I promise to honor you for always in all ways. I promise to cherish you, not only for the woman you are, but the woman you once were and the woman you will become as time changes. I promise to endure all things with you.
“It hasn’t always been easy for us apart, and it won’t always be easy for us together, but I promise you won’t be alone. I promise I will be your strength when you have none. I promise to be your shelter when the storms rage on. I promise to give you the best of myself and ask no more of you than you can give. I promise to accept you exactly as you are. I love you for the woman you are and the woman you have yet to become. I promise to be open to you. I promise to grow alongside you. I promise to be willing to face life as we both change in order to keep our relationship alive and thriving.”
I bring both my hands up to cup her face, wiping more tears with my thumbs as she stares into my eyes and straight to my soul. I want so badly to kiss her, but I know I have to wait. “I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and in the only way I know how … completely. It’s you and me, baby, for eternity.”
With shaking hands, she reaches up and holds my wrists as I continue to cup her face and
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