When it comes to love, the most sought after kind of love is the true, unquestionable, committed kind of love. That is what Amber and Mike found in each other, and their wedding day was the perfect reflection of that love. When asked to summarize the overall feeling of their wedding day, Amber says, “Genuine. Our genuine love for God and each other embodied every moment of that day.”
Amber and Mike met by chance when she and her mother had taken a weekend trip to Reno. It was a whirlwind weekend that culminated in a match that was made in heaven. Amber felt as though she had known Mike and explains, “A strange feeling of ‘he’s going to be around for a long time’ came over me.”
Although weddings are a time of celebration, Amber and Mike’s day was cloaked in a touch of sorrow, too. Sadly, Amber’s stepmom Vicki lost her battle with breast cancer less than two weeks before their wedding day. Amber says, “As much as I wanted this day to be filled with fun and joy, the reality was somber.” Yet, they sought comfort in their love and the love from those around them. “Throughout the day, there was a sense of calm and comfort, and an undeniable sense of love. So much love,” she says.
They planned their nuptials to be a reflection of what is near and dear to their heart—their religious faith and each other, but they did so with a twist of personalization, stepping outside of the traditional religious ceremony to create one of religious ritual and individual style. Amber explains, “We had a good friend of ours marry us; our ceremony was personalized to our faith and us,” adding, “After reading our vows, Mike and I incorporated a foot washing into our wedding ceremony. Our personal relationship with God is the most important thing to us both individually and as a couple.”
Despite the bittersweet undercurrent of the day, the couple wanted their friends and family to feel appreciated, so they were certain to make sure everyone knew it was still a happy time to rejoice. “This was a celebration of our love, a celebration of the promise God, myself and Mike made. A promise to be celebrated!”
Though they dated for many years and have moved many places throughout their relationship, being married is not only the culmination of those years spent getting to know each other but the commencement of this new chapter of their lives together. Amber says she doesn’t feel like there have been many changes since they were married, but she does appreciate the deeper, more secure place marriage has brought them in their love for each other.
—Abigail Blank
