DearLeo,
Asyouknow,oneofourfavoritefilmsisLaGrandeBellaza, ItalianforTheGreatBeauty.Themovieisaboutanoldman whoreflectsonhislife.Heseemstohaveeverythingyetheis filledwithregretforhavingneverwrittenthebookhesaidhe would.Attheendofhislife,thebookremainsunwritten.He neverwroteitbecausestillwaitingfortheGreatBeauty,onlyto realizetoolatethatitwasallaroundhim,anditalwayswas.
Today,ourwedding,istheantithesisofwaiting.YouandIhave beenwritingourbookforyears.Beingwithyouhastaughtme thattheGreatBeautyisnotasingularmomentoffortune-itis madeupofalltheinfinitedailylittlejoysthatdefinesourlife together.
Likeourlongchatsafterwesaidgoodnightagesago.Thehugs thatlasttoolong.Sharingmilestonestogether.Thatfirstcoffee onthebalcony…andthesecond…andthethird…It’sthemiracle ofwakingupnexttoyoueverymorning.It’sthejoyofour constantplayinganddancing.It’sthefactthatyoutrulyseeme, thegoodandthebad,andacceptandlovemeallthesame.It’s thesenseofwonderIgetfromstillfindingoutnewthingsabout youthatmakemeloveyouevenmore.
It’swildtothinkthatwemetat19.Whatatthetimeseemedlike justastringofencounterstalkingoutsidethediningcommonsor laughingafterclass,reallybecamethefoundationofthemost meaningfulrelationshipofmylife.
We’vecomealongwayinthelastdecade-inmilestraveledbut alsoinhowwe’vegrowntogether.Everychallenge,newphase,or differentphaseenvironmenthasonlyprovenhowwellwework asateam.
Throughallthechanges,theimportantthingshavestayed constant-oursharedvalueinfamilyandfriends,our matchedzestforlife,ourdedicationtobecomingbetter humans,andtheeaseofhavingasillyamountfunalongthe way.
Youbringoutthebestversionofmethroughyourrelentless dedicationtopracticingreflectionandgratitude,your generosity,andthewayyoueffortlesslyradiatesunshineinto everyroomyouenter.Weusedtoplayfullyargueoverwhois theniceoneandwhoisthefunnyone-butIhavetoadmit you ’reboth,you’rethefullpackage.I’minaweoftheway youcangetalongwithanyonesoeasilyandhowyouembrace newsituationsandcultures.You’realwayslookingoutforme andmakingmefeeltakenoff.
Iamhonoredtostandinfrontofourfamilyandfriendsand makethesevowstoyou.
Ipromisetoliftyouhigher-Iwillcelebrateyourwinsand standbyyoursidethroughthelows.Iwillalwaysmaketime tolistentothatonelastthoughtatbed.Ivowtomakeyou laughandsmileeveryday.Iwillnottakeyouforgranted.I vowtoworkonmyselfsothatIcankeepbeingabetter partnerandfriendtoyou.
ThisrelationshipisthegreatbeautyofmylifeandIamso thankfulwegettokeepwritingourstory.Leo,Iloveyouwith myeverythingandIchooseyoutoday,tomorrow,andalways.
Taylor,
TenyearsagoinSantaBarbara,ourjourneybegan,andwhatajourneyithasbeen. Fromthatfirstmoment,withyourincrediblesmileandcharmingwit,Iknewyou weresomeonespecial.Youfindjoyintheeveryday,andmakethemundane magical.Ineveroncedoubtedthatwewouldgothedistanceifyou’dhaveme,and today,Istandheremorecertainthanever.
Ivowtoalwaysbringzestintoourmarriage,topushyoutoalwaysliveyourvalues, andtoembraceeveryjourneyweembarkon.Whetherit'slivinginLondon,San Francisco,SanDiegoorevenHawaii,itdoesn'tmatterwhereweare,becausewe willalwayshaveahomewitheachother,andwe’llbothcommittostayingcloseto ourfriends&familyaroundtheglobe.
Ipromisetobeyoursupportsystemduringthetoughtimes,andtoalwaysmake yourlifeeasierwhenIcan.I’llalwaystrytogetyoutobedatareasonabletime,tell youthealarmissetfor15minuteslaterthanitreallyis,andputyourAirPodsback inthecasewhenyouleavethemout.Icommittoregularqualitytimetogether,a valueyouholdtruetoallthosearoundyouasyoucherishtimewithfriends& family.
You’vehelpedmegrowemotionally,teachingmehowtotrulyconnectandwork throughlife’schallenges.Ivowtotrytodothesameforyou-ifwecanfind somethingwhereyourEQinstinctsaren’talreadyexcellent.Ivowtobecommitted toourcraft,whetherit'splayingbatandballonthebeach,orourfuturemixed doublestennistournaments.
Ilookforwardtoamarriagefilledwithlove,joy,andendlesssupport,andwhileI hopewe’reblessedwithafamily,Iwillcherisheverymomentwithyou,mylove,as afamilyoftwo.Icommittobethereforyouforlife-Ifindthethoughtofan elderlyTaylorbothadorableandveryamusing,justyouwaddlingaboutyapping away,andwillloveyoujustasmuchthenasIdointhismoment.
38.7223°N, 9.1393°W
Taylor&Leo
QuintaDosMachados 6thSeptember,2024
