On Saturday, November 9, 2024, I officiated Emily and Bryson’s wedding ceremony at Warwick Melrose Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Here are the remarks I shared with them and their guests:
The beginning of their relationship almost didn’t. Begin, I mean. Emily says: “Bryson and I matched on Bumble, and I sent him a message that he later told me was not a good opening line, however, he still replied so how bad was it really? I said ‘heyy’ and he wrote back a comment about my Halloween costume – Maverick from Top Gun. A few days later, he asked me out for drinks and later admitted I was his second date of the day.”
Wow. I bet you too are wondering; how does he dig his way out of that one? I mean, obviously he did, because, duh, we’re here, but how?
Bryson says: “Fun side note, Emily was technically my second date of the day but the only one of the two that I actually cared about.”
Nice save, bro, nice save…
Emily continues: “The plan was to meet at Harwood arms. Bryson was 5 minutes early and I was 5 minutes late. I went home from the date thinking that this was either going to be the guy I married or the greatest heartbreak. Thankfully, it is the former.”
So, why does Emily want to marry Bryson? She says: “Bryson is the most genuine person I have met. He is true to himself and does not let the outside world affect him. We are very different people with very different backgrounds, but I believe that makes our relationship stronger. Since the day we met, we challenged each other. He makes me approach situations differently and we have a good balance… Bryson makes me a better person and provides new perspectives, and I hope I do the same for him.”
And why does Bryson want to marry Emily? He speaks of some of the same themes Emily does, but he also says this: “When I was starting my professional career, I had a conversation with a mentor and he asked me what I wanted from a job (I promise this is relevant to the question). Trying to sound thoughtful and engaged I came up with a few different ideas but as I was talking, he stopped me and said: ‘You want a job that is fun’...
As time has gone on, I am more and more convinced he is right. More than that, however, I am fully convinced that it applies not just to my job but to my life and my relationship. And it is the main reason why I want to marry Emily.
Sometimes I think this answer is too simplistic and that I need a laundry list of reasons that I can rattle off when asked this question. But every time I think about it, I keep coming back to the fact that since the first night we met it has essentially been 3+ years of nonstop fun. Whether we are traveling, with family and friends, or just sitting in our living room with our dog, we find a way to have fun with each other. When I think of what I want in my life going forward, I could not think of anything better.”
What more can we wish for you, Emily and Bryson? May you continue to be genuine, balance each other out, make each other better, and always always have fun in the process.
