Our Vows

Cameron and I wrote our own vows and didn't share them with each other until we read them at the ceremony.  We understand many guests weren't able to hear them - partly because the mic didn't pick us up well and partly because of how choked up Cameron and I were.  A lot of you asked us afterward if we would post them on our website for you to read.  So, as requested, here they are!

Jenn, to Cameron

Cameron,

You are smart, funny, kind, sensitive, and compassionate.

You are my source of strength, comfort, and support.

I am constantly amazed by how hard you work and with such a willing attitude.

You challenge me to be a better person, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

You make me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world, even when I've just woken up with a bird's nest for hair and sleep in my eyes.

Your patience with me is overwhelming.

You take me just as I am, mostly laughing at and enjoying my quirks instead of getting frustrated, never trying to make me something I'm not.

For all these reasons and more, from this moment I choose you as my partner, my best friend, my confidant, and my husband for life.

I promise to help shoulder your burdens and support you when you are struggling.

I promise to rejoice with you in your victories.

I promise to encourage you and challenge you to expand your horizons and take on new adventures, as an individual and in our relationship together.

I promise to be open and truthful, to share my thoughts and feelings with you, even if it is hard or uncomfortable for me.

Though I may not always be successful, I promise to try to be patient, slow to anger, and quick to forgive.

I promise to listen when you speak, help when you ask for it or need it, and step aside when you don't.

In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I promise to let you live and keep you alive as long as you are human.*

I promise to not take you or the things you do for me for granted and try to always express my gratitude, even for the little things.

Finally, I promise to be faithful to you, our love, and the commitments I am making here today.

I love you.

*I figure now that we're making these public, I should explain myself here.  I've always JOKED with Cameron that he's too sympathetic and he'll be the one that gets us all killed in the zombie apocalypse because he'll want to help all the bitten/wounded people who will just turn on us once zombified.  And the only way to prevent this increased risk to the remaining humans would be to shoot him first.  Horrible, I know.  But see, now I've promised not to!

Cameron, to Jenn

Jennifer,

I'm here today because I love you with all my heart.

This didn't happen in a single instant.  There wasn't one moment where a switch flipped and I was in love.  Instead, I fell in love with you little by little.

There was the time when you called me out to your car so we could drive around until you passed 100,000 miles.

Or when you worked longer and harder than anyone I'd ever seen for CSTS.

When you held on to the Catch Phrase timer to gain a few extra seconds for your team.

When you kept shouting "Sweet Caroline" at the piano bar, even though they'd just finished playing it.

When you helped me pass my Linear Algebra class (thank you again for that one!).

When we played Rock Band and you drummed your heart out so we could get 5 stars on a really hard song.

Every day you say something or do something and I fall a little more in love.  You are, without exception, the most sincere, honest, and thoughtful person I have ever known.

So here we are.  They say actions speak louder than words - and I believe they're right.

It's not enough for me to tell you "I love you" every day and to kiss you goodbye each morning.

I need to do something more.  I need to show you that you are the single greatest thing that's ever happened to me.  I need to show you that by meeting you, I'm a better person than I've ever been before.

So I'm here today to make a promise to you.

I vow that I'll be here for you, not just when it's easy, but even when it's hard.

I vow that I'll be honest with you always, so you can trust me as I trust you - completely.

If there ever comes a day where we disagree and it turns out you're wrong, I vow to keep my celebration to an absolute minimum.

I vow that I will not just tell you I love you, but I will show you I love you.  I vow to do this not just today, but every day.

I vow to support you in all that you do.

I vow to do everything I can to grow with you and learn with you and change with you, so we are as good for each other tomorrow as we are today.

I vow to hold you when you need to be comforted and to let you hold me when you need to comfort.

I vow to respect and honor the gift you have given me, your love.  In return, I vow to love you today, tomorrow, and every day after for as long as we live.

Jennifer, I vow to dedicate my life, not just to you, but to the magical, mysterious, beautiful thing that we become when we're together.

I love you.