Our Vows

I got a lot of feedback about our vows after the wedding and thought I would post them. Originally, Matt and I were going to write our own vows and reveal them on the wedding day during the ceremony. This idea made Matt literally want to break out into hives and after some discussion we worked on our vows together (i.e. he sat with me while I combined vows I found I liked and added in some of my own flair and approved the final copy). So here they are:

I, Alicia Paulette Oliver, promise you, Matthew Donald Leonard, to love and care for you and try in every way to be worthy of your love
I promise to encourage your compassion, because that is what makes you unique and wonderful
I promise to nurture your dreams, because through them your soul shines
I promise to help shoulder our challenges, for there is nothing we cannot face if we stand together
I promise to be your partner in all things, not possessing you, but working with you as a part of the whole
I will always laugh with you in the good times and the bad times and remember every moment I spend with you is precious
I promise to you that love, trust, and honesty will be the basis of our relationship, for one lifetime with you could never be enough.
This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things.

Ring Ceremony:

Take this ring as a sign of my love and affection and the vows I have spoken today. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side, that I will always be a faithful partner to you, and that I will love you now and forever.