Our Wedding Vows

In light of Valentine's Day being just around the corner I decided to write about my wedding vows. My wife Becky and I got married June 2018 in Billings, MT. We both wrote our own vows. I had no idea what I was getting myself into...in a good way!

It was a hot summer day in southeastern Montana on the banks of the Yellowstone River. There was not a cloud in the sky and a light breeze. All of our friends and family had come to support us while we made our forever companionship official. 

We had a great outline to our ceremony created by our officiant. The vows would be exchanged after my dad and my wife's father gave their speeches. It was time, the moment of truth, did we get our speeches in order?

During the planning period of the wedding both my wife and I had been working on writing our vows for quite a long time. Asking friends and family for advice along with looking up examples online to put together something worthy of our love. After deliberating for a while I decided to write a poem. There was a joke between the two of us that she would end up crying during our vows, so I was volunteered to deliver my vows first.

I started my poem out by announcing, "I am going to try my luck at poetry today. " I got a couple lines in and had to pause. My eyes started watering and my voice got shaky. My nerves and emotions got the better of me. I was supposed to be the one to keep it together, but I ended up being the one who cried. It was difficult, but I eventually made my way through my vows.

I was happy to hand the microphone to my wife after I was done. She delivered her vows without a hitch. She was a true professional. I am glad she was able to finish strong for us.

If you ever find yourself trying to decide whether or not to write your own vows. I would say you definitely should do it. If given the opportunity I would not have done the wedding ceremony any differently. The writing was fun. It gave me the opportunity to reflect on our time together as a couple. It was also great to see my wife's reaction when I was reading my poem and her to see my reaction during her speech. All that work for a look of satisfaction or awe from your partner was well worth the time and effort in my opinion.

I have provided my poem, my lovely wife's speech, and a picture of us from our wedding below.

My Vows to Becky

I promise to be the best husband I can be.
I believe love, honesty, and loyalty is the key.

I will be kind, caring, and generous for all to see.
I promise to bring you joy and love you indefinitely.

I am willing to give you back rubs for free.
To solidify our love and harmony.

I treasure your patience and honesty.
I promise to always be there when you need me.

My partner in crime, you will always be.
You will always have a seat right next to me.

My love for you is great you see.
I hope you know, you mean the world to me.

When we are old and losing our mobility.
I want you to be the one reclining next to me.

Thanks to all, for sharing this moment with me.
I love you a lot a bit Becky McGillivray.

Becky's Vows to Me

Troy,

I have been thinking about what I would say to you since the day we got engaged (okay maybe long before then). I have known you were the one for quite some time. 

So, I decided I needed to thank you. 

Thank you for everything you have been to me the last 1,336 days (thank you Google for calculating that) and thank you for everything you are yet to be to me. 

Thank you for all the little things you do for me. Like when I crashed the brand-new bike you bought me, you took me to ice cream and nursed my wounds. Or when I lost my debit card on Halloween you wiped my tears and told me it would turn up somewhere. And you were right, it did. 

Thank you for loving me in all my physical and mental forms. You have seen me at my best and my absolute worst and somehow you still love me and I could never thank you enough for that. 

Thank you for being my forever concert date. 

Thank you for being willing to try new things with me...sometimes with a little coaxing. 

Thank you for dreaming with me and planning our future together. Including our future kids names and our future cats names. I can’t wait to meet Nettles Nettleton. 

Thank you for being the first person I want to share the good news, bad news, and I don’t know how to feel about it news with. 

Thank you for accepting me for who I am, like being a cover stealer because we both know that will never change. 

Thank you for kissing me good morning and goodnight ever single day. 

Thank you for allowing me to provide “limited” interruptions during your scheduled TV “programs” with my need to know questions like “who is this John snow guy?”, “why is everyone dying?” “How did this gal get pet dragons? And can I have one?”

Thank you for showing me that Home isn’t a place it’s a feeling. I know that Home is wherever I’m with you. 

Thank you for playing so many roles in my life. You have been my teammate, my coach, the captain, sometimes the opposing team, my cheerleader, the random fan in the stands that shows up to every game, and even my water-boy. 

All of these thank yous are also my vows to you. I promise to practice these acts of kindness and love for the rest of our lives together. I promise to be next to you while we walk, skip, run, jump, laugh, and dance through life. I love you and I feel so lucky I get to grow old with you. 

Photo Credit: Kim Stulc Photography