The Bride and Groom

James	Emily
Stature: 6'4" and hunky Eyes: Blue  Occupation: Diesel mechanic Fun fact: He never had braces (lucky son of a gun) Fictional character alter ego: Captain America Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw	Stature: 6'1 1/2" Eyes: blue Occupation: Proofreader Fun fact: Knows the ABCs backwards Fictional character alter ego: Mary Poppins Favorite book: Cookbooks Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff

What she says:

This man. Is what a good man should be. He loves. So deeply. He is committed. He allows faith its rightful place in life and takes mindful care for using logic, reason, best guesses, trust, love, recreation, and passion. I can't help but be drawn to these well-balanced qualities in him.

He loves the music he loves (ska) and he loves stories, in many forms. Certain video games, nerdy group games, books (Hemingway as a favorite), comic books, and of course the stories that come from my imagination, my daytime happenings, and my subconscious midnight meandering. He's much better at telling stories than I am, but he listens to me blabber nonetheless. His ears have refined tastes.

This man contradicts his appearance. One might immediately mistake his fantastic mane of masculinity (read: beard), shaved skull, and masterful muscles as bike gang/wanted poster/meat head material. But of course he is none of these things. He's a lovable lumberjack. A tender teddy. A cuddly Cutler. :)

But he don't take crap from nobody! I always say my favorite thing about James is his balanced character: he knows when to joke and when to be reverent; he can be spiritual without sacrificing the intellectual, practical without losing faith; he's sarcastic—he can take it as much as he gives it—and goofy and thoughtful and attentive. He's not perfect but he's got a balanced system working very well for him. I trust him wholly because I know he will always, 100% give his own best.

If your question boils down to, "Emily, did you find the man you were always dreaming of?" My answer is yes and no. Yes because he is a worthy priesthood holder and member of my same faith; yes because he's healthy and strong and determined to support and delight me to the end; yes because I always dreamed he'd have blue eyes and be tall; yes because he grocery shops with me and loves my cooking; yes because he is a veritable gentleman with humor like a sly wink. But also the answer is no because I never dreamed he would make me this happy. I didn't dream he would help me learn as much about myself and life as I'm already learning and expect to learn as we go. I didn't dream such utterly attentive, kind, and devoted tenderness would exist in one man. He isn't the perfect man of my dreams—he's the perfect match for my reality. And real life is good.

What he says:

(excerpt from his proposal letter)

Feels like it’s been a lifetime since [we first said we loved each other]. Day after day, night after night, and hour after hour of falling further and further in love with you, I can say with the utmost confidence that you are everything I’ve ever wanted in an eternal companion, though I didn’t quite realize what I was looking for until I found it. Till I found you. Everything you are is wonderful. You’re one of the sweetest and most compassionate people I’ve ever known. You act without second thought when it comes to helping others, even when it would inconvenience you. You’re quick to laugh, quick to forgive, and quick with that razor wit of yours. Our banter is priceless, and fills me with joy daily. Your open and direct communication is so important to me, because I know it means we’ll be able to work through any issue we run into, and it’s already proven its worth in the slightly tumultuous times we’ve had thus far. I know that as I face the trials in my life that are sure to come, I’ll be doing it with your hand in mine. And I feel stronger than ever knowing that you’ll always be at my side.

A sappy post from Facebook