Qs and As
We’ve been receiving such an outpouring of love as we get closer to The Big Day. For someone who always questioned the institution of marriage, and made up her stubborn mind at age 26 that she would never get married, this has been a fascinating and sometimes awkward learning experience for me. The promise that my happily married friends have made to me over the years is that getting married is just as much about other people as it is about the two of you. It’s a chance for people to invest in your relationship, to share their wisdom, and to infuse your relationship with their love. It really is a pretty cool rite of passage.
For this blog post, we thought it would be fun to share some of the questions-and-answers from the questionnaire our wedding officiant sent us. She used these to write a custom ceremony for us that is absolutely beautiful. We didn’t get to read each other’s answers until she was done writing the ceremony, and it was fun to look at both perspectives! Here were some of our faves (there were a LOT of questions):
Where was your first date?
Jeremy: Our first date was at Cafe Roze. It was a really late-night date, because we were both so busy at the time. We dove right into potent conversations about personal growth, our past, and our recovery.
Sarah: Our first date was at Cafe Roze in East Nashville at 10:00 PM. We are both busy bodies and it was hard to find time to meet up in our busy schedules, but Jeremy rearranged some things at a show he was playing downtown in order to make this time slot work. I had spent that day shooting a music video and I was extremely exhausted, but so excited for our date! Thankfully the restaurant was open late because we stayed there until probably midnight talking!
When did you first fall in love? How did you know?
Jeremy: I knew super early into the relationship. I would say that I knew by our third date (or right before it) when she was gone for a meditation retreat. I had some incredibly serendipitous things happen while she was away, and when I saw her that night, I knew I was falling in love.
Sarah: I *knew* something about Jeremy when I first saw him across the room in that meeting, but I didn’t really want to know it. He seemed extremely familiar to me, too. And then when I saw him pop up in my Bumble feed, I had that same feeling. And after our first date I went home and sent a video to my friends joking that I was probably going to marry him, even though at the time I was trying to stay single and have fun dating. But it was probably after our second date that I knew this was going to be a life-changing relationship, maybe even that he was “the one.” Some part of me believes (now) that I knew him from the future, lol, so I would almost say that it was love at first sight way back when I saw him across the room and had that crazy lightning bolt moment, on some subconscious level. By the time we actually started dating, it was just a matter of waiting for the right moment to say it out loud.
How did you propose or accept the proposal?
Jeremy: I proposed at the Grand Canyon last year. I was going to wait until we got to Zion to propose, but we got up and watched the sunrise at Grand Canyon, and it was too perfect. I had the ring hidden in a bottle of Imodium AD. I dug it out, asked a stranger to take a picture of us, then whispered to him to video us, as I was about to propose. She said yes, then I dragged her along on one of the hardest hikes of her life LOL.
Sarah: We were on a two-week vacation out West and it was our first day at the Grand Canyon, which neither of us had visited before. We got up at like 4:00 AM to get there in time to see the sunrise. We were sitting on a rock huddled together in the cold, when he got up to go talk to someone down near the edge of the overlook, seemingly asking them to take a photo of us. But as I walked down I realized what was happening, as he pulled a small black velvet bag out of his pocket and began trying to dig something out of it. The ring was somehow stuck in the fabric of the bag so it took a full minute before he was down on one knee, which gave me time to process what was happening, thank goodness! It felt like a dream for those 60 seconds. He simply said, “Sarah Saturday, will you marry me?” and I said “Yes!” By that time a small crowd had gathered and they all cheered as we climbed back up to sit on a rock and watch the sun rise over the Canyon.
What does your partner do that always makes you laugh?
Jeremy: She makes up little songs about her dog. Those kill me! She’s really witty too. Great with puns and I love puns. Every once in a while she surprises me with an unassuming dirty joke. I love hearing her have a genuine belly laugh while watching a TV show or something online.
Sarah: Jeremy cracks me up when he makes up goofy songs, and with his dorky dad jokes.
What are your priorities in life?
Jeremy: To maintain an outlook of gratitude no matter what the circumstances are. To maintain my recovery and to help other people with theirs. To be a faithful and loving husband. To stay active as long as my body will allow. To continue making new accomplishments in my running career. To continue making new accomplishments with my music career. To be a great friend, brother, son, neighbor.
Sarah: Self-discovery, knowing my true self, recovery, friendships and connection, healthy intimacy, financial security, connecting with Mother Nature / my Higher Power.
Is there a person in history you greatly admire? Why? Who are your heroes?
Jeremy: Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Buddha, Mother Teresa, Mr. Rogers. People that truly made it their life purpose to make this world a better place.
Sarah: Thich Nhat Hanh’s books and teachings have had a huge impact on my life. Van Gogh’s letters to his brother were incredibly inspiring to me as an artist. Bill W. and his cohort for bringing the 12 Steps into the world. And Mr. Rogers is up there with the Buddha and Jesus as far as I’m concerned.
What are your hopes for your future together?
Jeremy: To grow together spiritually, emotionally and successfully. Travel the world together. Go to all the National Parks. Live comfortably. To help other people and to be philanthropists together. To grow into being better teammates. Accepting each other when we fall short.
Sarah: I hope we both continue to work on ourselves and stay invested in our individual journeys of self-discovery. I hope we continue to stay active and healthy. I hope we are able to have financial security and the freedom to travel more and spend more time with friends and family. Mostly I hope our relationship continues to grow and thrive, and that we fall more and more in love each year!