Speeches, Vows and Love Letters
This page contains some of the edited highlights of our Civil Union celebration: our acknowledgment of the Civil Union law in Vermont, our vows and finally, the love letters we wrote for our Wedding program.
A Thank you to Vermont
Pam and I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible events over the past several months in Vermont that have led us here today.
Thanks to the hard work, commitment and bravery of several Vermonters - the plaintiffs in Baker v State, the Supreme Court justices, the House Judiciary Committees, the Legislature and Senate and the hundreds of Vermonters who testified, supported, educated and braved the backlash, we are standing here today to have our relationship recognized and celebrated by our state.
Thank you to all those people for making this happen. We are so proud of this wonderful State of Vermont and so indebted to the bravery of our representatives for putting our civil rights before political advantage.
We too will "Remember in November" and watch as Vermont takes the other 49 states forward !
We wrote four vows for our ceremony - the first vow to our community and the three remaining vows to each other:
We promise to be active and responsible members of our community. We'll continue to put our energies into causes that are most important to us: civil rights; the well-being of our friends and neighbours; and respect for our natural world.
I promise to respect, trust and cherish you. To share in your laughter, comfort you and be a constant loving presence in your life.
I will support your dreams and aspirations as we continue to grow as a couple and as individuals.
I promise to love you with an open heart, an open mind and open arms.
Love Letters
We were asked to write each other a love letter for inclusion in our Wedding Program. Here are the letters we wrote:
Dearest
Pam,
From
the minute you came to visit me on that Boxing Day, when I didn’t offer you
tea and you complained about how fat your hands were, I knew I was smitten. Your
zest for life, startling honesty, dazzling smile, and mischievous teasing stole
my heart and I’ve entrusted it to you ever since. You, my love, are
the most incredible woman I have ever met and I thank the moon and the
stars that our separate paths met that day and became one.
With
all my love
Sandy
My
SanSan,
Before
I met you when I would walk in the woods I would visualize the person I wanted
to spend my life with. If I was meant to spend my life with someone, I wanted
her to be loving, kind, intelligent, tolerant, and fun. Someone who would accept
me without question. And then I met you. I still can’t believe that I got just
what I asked for – and more. I am so in love with you and have so much fun
with you. I can’t wait to keep living my life with you !
I love you to the moon and back.
Forever, Pam