Ian

1 September 2017


















































My dear Tina,
there is still a part of me that cannot believe I am lucky enough to be stood in front of you today, about to become your husband.
You know me better than anyone, and yet you still have the strength to love me, and choose to take me as your partner in life.
From the very first time we met we became completely absorbed in each other, there was an excitement and giddy anticipation of the next time we would talk, the next plan to meet, the next trip we would take, and of the increasing commitments to each other that we would make.
And through all of this our love for each other developed, a love that has drawn us together like no other force can. You created a desire in me to care for you, to protect you, to support you and encourage you, to hold you and to love you.
Your beauty, your intelligence, your temperament, your strength, your gentle melodic voice, all of these things captivate me daily. You have given me balance in life, and a true meaning as to why I am.


I commit myself to you without question, hesitation or doubt. I promise to hold your heart and carry it with me everywhere. I promise to be your sunshine on dark days.
I promise to tell you I love you every morning and to never go to sleep without a kiss.
I promise to give you and Maya everything I have, and that you both shall never need to ask for love, care or attention.
I promise to laugh with you when the times are good, and to hold your hand and guide you through the times that are bad.
And I promise that we will grow old together, content in the knowledge that we did everything we could to make the most of our family.
From this day forwards
You are my life
My feet shall run because of you
My feet dance because of you My heart shall beat because of you
My eyes see because of you
My mind thinks because of you
And I shall love because of you


Honey, when I wrote these words for you I was walking down memory lane in my head thinking about all these years we’ve been together and all the happy memories we made so far.
A memory we often think back together is the very first time we met. And walking down the aisle to you today reminded me of that day when I walked down Chippy Lane in Cardiff to meet you at the Brewery Quarter.
Today I was probably just as nervous and excited as then, although for different reasons. But the butterflies I had in my stomach seven years ago are just as busy today.
But this very first memory was just the beginning of our adventure together. There are so many things I could mention... like us becoming a house renovation team spending our evenings and weekends doing up your old house, or the many holidays we had together in the UK, here in Austria or further away. I will also never forget when you went down on your knees and asked me to marry you. But on the top of our list of happy memories is the birth of our lovely little Lentil last year.
Maya is the best proof of our love, and she made us complete.
Reliving all these years with you in my head made me realise how much I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you and the many memories that we will make together.


So, as we stand here today I would like to promise you this in the presence of all our friends and family:
- that I keep the plasters and bandages ready to sort out your cuts and wounds when you return battered and bruised from your many outdoor adventures.
- that I will always look with admiration and interest at your collection of Klein bikes and Peugeot cars, especially after you spent hours polishing and improving them.
- that I will do my best to tolerate the floordrobe next to your bed.
- that I will keep the nagging you to do things around the house to an absolute minimum and instead aim to make you think it was your idea certain chores needed doing.
- that I will cook you Schnitzel and Kaiserschmarrn more than just once a year on your Birthday.
...but most importantly I promise you:
- that I will always be by your side not only during the happy times, but also and especially in the hard and difficult times when you may need me most.
- that we’ll always be a great team dealing with whatever life throws at us.
- that I will always be proud of you and support you whatever you choose to do in your life.
- that I will always love you with all my heart.
You are my best friend, my rock, my world, love of my life and I love you gasquillions. I couldn’t be happier to become your wife today.