Photo: Averyhouse
Sometimes it’s love at first sight, and other times it’s indifference or pure loathing. Eight women reveal their innermost thoughts when they first set their eyes on the person who would change their lives forever. Here, real brides share their first impressions of their fiancés.
“I saw his profile on Match, and though he lived across the country, there was something that really spoke to me, so I contacted him. We spent hours and hours Skyping before he offered to visit. My heart was in my throat when I went to meet him at the airport -though I knew him I didn’t know him. When I set my eyes on him in the flesh, it felt like coming home. That feeling has never changed.” – Anna
“He wasn’t my type. I’m attracted to tall with some meat on their bones. Ed was and is 5’6 and 120 pounds. So I considered him friend material. But he has the heart and soul of a giant, and I came to lust and love for him madly.” – Eileen
“I always knew David (my fiancé) as the cute older boy who lived down the street. We rode the same school bus through elementary and middle school. When I coincidentally transferred colleges to the school he was attending, I got a text from him out of the blue. He invited me over and introduced me to all his friends. Fast forward to Halloween when I had my last “first kiss” dressed up as a gypsy and he was a pirate!” – Amelia
“My sister and I rode ten hours to get to our brother’s frat house in snow-covered Houghton, Michigan. We wobbled up the porch stairs and went inside quickly to get out of the cold. I moved into the living room and discovered a sight that immediately worked me up: a tall, lanky fellow running the vacuum cleaner in that early morning hour. I was impressed, and thought to myself right then and there, ‘I want to get to know this guy.’ Well, I did – that was 40 years ago, and my sweetie still vacuums!” – Susan
“‘Quiet, shy and sweet’. Those were first thoughts when we met. The two of us were serving in the military at a time when there were few women in the service. My base had 23 women and over 280 men, so I dated a lot of guys before meeting the man who would become my husband. This early perception is still true today. However, after 43 years of marriage I would also add ‘loyal, loving and extremely supportive.'” – Carol
“We were coworkers at an internet startup and Jeff annoyed me on sight. He was always so rah rah, which is not my natural state when forced to work 12-hour days. It was clear I barely tolerated him. But I mellowed when he brought me a double blended Frappuccino. He’d noticed my coffee choice! Maybe ‘rah rah’ wasn’t so bad after all. That was eight years ago!” – Karyn
“The first thing my husband ever said to me was, ‘What sort of idiot wears white pants to a Goth club?’ My reply: ‘What sort of idiot can’t tell the difference between white and khaki?’ I can’t imagine being with anyone else.” – Leigh
“When I first saw my now fiancé, I was awestruck. There was just something different about him that I couldn’t really put a finger on. Starting with our first date — we talked and acted like we’d known each other forever. Three years later, we are still growing strong! I guess it was destiny!” – Vivian
See More: Real Brides Share: How We Made It Through the First Year of Marriage