Treely, Madly, Deeply: The Ceremony - Part Two (the vows are in this one!)

After B had finished her reading and returned to her seat, Rev. Fun announced that it was time for our vows. I went first.

I wrote part of my vows while on a bus ride home from work one day early in our engagement and finished them the October before our wedding in May while at work - hey, when inspiration strikes, you have to take advantage. Mr. Palm Tree and I both emailed our vows to DOC/Friend E, so that someone would have a copy of them if we - God forbid - forgot them and also so that someone else would read them and make sure that they were at least a little related, since we weren't sharing them with one another. To say that I am proud of both of our vows is a complete and total understatement: I am head-over-heels, damn-near-obsessed with them.

*all photos courtesy of Limelight-Images

Steph: We met eighteen years ago and you hated me. I just wanted to play kickball and action figures with the boys and you just wanted the annoying crybaby tattletale to go home. Despite this tumultuous beginning, fate stepped in and kept our lives intertwined.

Ten years ago I started high school and saw you everywhere. I got off of the bus and there you – and your mom, dropping you off in the red van from our somewhat shared childhood – were. I turned a corner and there you were. I went to lunch and there you were. Stubborn as ever, I kept trying to make you see me. Probably tired of my shenanigans, you finally acknowledged me in Dunkin’ Donuts.

I don’t know whether it’s more a testament to my creeper capabilities or your easygoing and friendly nature that we ended up standing here today, but I think that’s part of what makes us Us: both of us separated, we’re clearly awesome people. But when we’re together, something more happens: magic.

My entire life, I’ve always believed in – and admittedly obsessed over – fairytales. And my entire life, I’ve been good naturedly teased about it. But not with you. Over the past nine years, you have taken me on numerous Disney movie dates. You have watched The Little Mermaid and other favorites with me countless times. You’ve sung – sometimes your own versions – of the songs both with and to me. You’ve let me hang up Tinkerbell posters. But perhaps most importantly, you’ve helped me write a fairytale that transcends all of these: ours.

I think so much of what appeals to me about magic and fairytales is, unsurprisingly, the escape factor. You’ve helped me escape something terrible and become something better. You’ve helped me find my way here in reality, you’ve kept me grounded and you’ve kept me happy. After everything, I am still a believer and a dreamer. You’ve helped keep my own personal magic alive just as much as you’ve helped create ours.

Your spirit, your sometimes frustratingly laidback and tolerant nature, your seemingly never-ending supply of patience and love astounds me on a daily basis. You are stunningly handsome, intelligent and kind. Fortunately for me, I fell in love with you nine years ago and, despite our issues and flaws, never fell out of it. Perhaps unfortunately for you, you fell for a strong-willed, loud-mouthed, impatient, clumsy mess. But even at my worst, I still see love in your eyes. You still wrap your arms around me and kiss me and tell me you love me.

In return, I pinky-promise to try to be the best me I can be for the rest of our lives. I pinky-promise to always encourage and support you, in whatever ways I can. I pinky-promise to always be the strong one when you need me to be. I pinky-promise to always handle the details of everything and I pinky-promise to never let you get lost – literally or figuratively. I pinky-promise to always try to make you laugh and I pinky-promise to never forget – or perhaps most importantly, let you forget – how much we like to laugh together. I pinky-promise to never buy Charmin toilet paper. I pinky-promise to always believe in you and to believe in us. I pinky-promise to never let going to the grocery store be anything other than an adventure. I pinky-promise to remember that it is always going to be Mi y Ti and I pinky-promise to try my hardest to listen to you, even if that means you’ll end up being right every once in a while. I pinky-promise to give you my heart and to hold and keep yours close.

I’m not perfect – as you are well aware by now – but when I’m with you, when we’re being us and laughing to the point of tears and holding hands and talking nonsense, sometimes I feel like I’m just one step closer. . .and that’s enough magic to last me the rest of my life. I love you.

Oh, my heart. I put my entire heart into these vows, Hive, and when I would glance at Mr. PT and the guys behind him (a few of which also got teary), I would start to lose it - as you can see. Wave after wave of real, raw emotion poured out of me as I read these vows.

Jon:  When we were little, I hated your guts.

If this were 15 years ago, I would have vowed to ignore you,

push you into mud, and break all of your toys.

As I grew older, I started to notice and appreciate all of the wonderful things that you have to offer, and that's not just because you developed early.

You are strong-willed, confident, and beautiful.  I know you will always be honest with me and will never be afraid to speak your mind.  I know I can always count on you to pick up my slack wherever I falter.  You are a person that I whole-heartedly respect and admire, and I love that you make me feel loved every single day.

Whenever I found myself struggling to get through the particularly difficult stretches in life, you've never given up on me, and were always the first to offer the unconditional love and support that I needed.  You mean the world to me, and you make every day a joy.

I will never stop having fun with you, every single day, no matter how boring it may seem otherwise.   I'll jump at the chance to tag along for one of our adventures around the city, and I'll always be there to calm you down after a stressful day at work.  Above all, I'll do everything I can to always make you happy.

I never would have known it, but growing up with you was the greatest gift I could have ever received.  We've had a fantastic life together so far, and I pinky-promise that the rest is going to be even better.

After we all took a collective sniff and tried to keep our tears at bay, Rev. Fun announced that it was time for the rings.

Jon, please repeat after me: Stephanie, I promise to be faithful, supportive, and loyal/To give you my companionship and love/through all the changes of our life./I will walk with you when life is good/and promise to hold your hand through every storm./I will celebrate your joys/and comfort you through the sorrows./ 

I promise to support your dreams/and walk beside you offering encouragement and strength./I will support and honor our marriage/through sickness and in health,/for richer or poorer. /I will love, serve, honor, and protect you/all  the days of my life. Stephanie, please take this ring/as a sign of my love and commitment. /From this day forward, I am proud to be your husband and vow to continue to be your best friend.

Stephanie, please repeat after me: Jonathon, I promise to be faithful, supportive, and loyal/To give you my companionship and love/through all the changes of our life./I will walk with you when life is good/and promise to hold your hand through every storm./I will celebrate your joys/and comfort you through the sorrows./ I promise to support your dreams/and walk beside you offering encouragement and strength./I will support and honor our marriage/through sickness and in health,/for richer or poorer. /I will love, serve, honor, and protect you/all  the days of my life. Jonathon,  please take this ring/as a sign of my love and commitment. /From this day forward, I am proud to be your wife and vow to continue to be your best friend.

And now, by the power vested in me by some random website I found on a midnight Google search, I pronounce you husband and wife. Jon, you may kiss your bride.

May I be the first to proudly present Mr. and Mrs. Jonathon L-------.

I don't know which I like better - color or black and white - so I decided to feature both.

Inside Scoop: we practiced this dip for months and hadn't told a soul about it. It turned out just as I envisioned, right down to our Flower Girls' perfectly timed petal toss. 

We recessed to Life's A Happy Song from The Muppets Movie. I spent most of my adult life convinced that I hated The Muppets and Mr. Palm Tree would balk at me. "How do you hate them?!" he would ask, exasperated. When Jason Segel first announced that he was going to take his love for The Muppets to the big screen, Mr. PT insisted that I give it a chance, solely for my love of Jason Segel. I spent pretty much the entire movie crying (I'm a big baby), I was so touched and impressed. The song easily became one of our favorites (and a favorite of Flower Girl Pad & Pie - we would sing it together constantly) and I knew it was a perfect way to end our ceremony and officially start our life as Mr. and Mrs. After all, life's a happy song, when there's someone by my side to sing along.