Matthew & Hunter: Hearts Grow Fonder
All photos by: Brizzy Rose and Emma @brizzyroseandemma
“Marriage has made being in a long-distance relationship even more difficult! It’s been even harder to say goodbye after a weekend together...” The ties that bind are the same ones that make it hard to be apart for newlyweds Matthew and Hunter.
The two were set up on a blind date in 2014. Set up by Matthew’s sister-in-law who was college roommates with Hunter’s dental school classmate, Matthew and Hunter first met for brunch. “I wanted to meet for coffee, but Hunter wasn’t having it.” So, brunch it was! “I thought Hunter was such a burly man in his thick sweater and full beard. And, he had such a cute laugh.” For Hunter, Matthew was “so cute, with his big eyes. He also liked food but loved sharing it! I knew this was going to be fun.”
Between their immediate chemistry and the fact that Matthew’s brother and sister-in-law had gotten engaged the night before, Matthew and Hunter’s relationship seemed destined for the books. Or at least the next 12-hours of their first date and… their first kiss!
For the two “it was so easy to open up to each other, develop inside jokes, and sit comfortably in silence together.” Maybe this is why, before even making their dating official, the two accidentally said: “I love you” just two weeks from first meeting!
As their relationship deepened over the course of five years of dating, it was inevitable that Matthew and Hunter would discuss a life together and getting engaged. “We always joked that Matthew would be the one to pop the question, since he’s the "Type A" in the relationship,” Hunter said. But Hunter had an ace up his sleeve or, as it turned out, in a photo album!
“We had just gotten back from a big trip through Spain so I had tons of pictures I wasn’t quite sure what to do with. A co-worker suggested putting together a photo album, and I thought that would be a perfect way to propose!” Hunter explained. With Matthew’s medical school graduation on the horizon, Hunter knew Matthew would be distracted with the ceremony and having family in town, and not suspect an engagement was afoot.
Right after the graduation ceremony, Hunter invited Matthew to their favorite bar where he presented the album. “It was so touching reliving the memories from our big trip, but I could barely focus the whole time because I had typed out the "big question" on the last page of the album! When Matthew came to the page, he read the question aloud while I got on one knee.” In a very clever fashion, it turned out that Matthew did, in fact, pop the question!
“Because we wanted classic bands for our wedding, we wanted to have a different sort of symbol for our engagement. We decided on matching bracelets with our initials engraved on them,” Hunter explained.
The two opted to get married in Louisville, KY, August of this year, in the city they had first lived together as a couple. And they opted for a quintessential Louisville wedding, which meant getting married at the historic Brown Hotel. Matthew described: “The venue itself is so beautiful, and we wanted our wedding to have that same elegant, timeless vibe. Our ceremony took place on the rooftop terrace, and our reception was in their Crystal Ballroom.” Both did say, however, that not living in Louisville while planning made for a lot of virtual meetings and a new-found appreciation for Google docs!
Matthew’s Uncle Tom, a gay man in a long-term relationship, served as the couple’s celebrant. “He has been a role model for us over the years and shared powerful words during our ceremony about love and commitment,” Hunter shared. Their readings included a passage by CS Lewis—reflecting on the difference between the emotion of being “in love with” and the act of “loving” someone—and a passage from A Feast of Love which described how one doesn’t choose which parts of someone to love but rather commits to loving every part of them -- their strengths and their flaws. Tom’s words and the readings served as nice compliment to Matthew and Hunter’s vows. About exchanging the traditional vows, Matthew admitted, “we were worried we would forget our vows if we’d written our own! But, to be honest though, once Hunter and I were standing together, I could barely focus on anything but him.”
Their profound ceremony gave way to a ‘bopping’ reception for which they set the bar with a “mothers and sons dance.” “After our first dance (to “Green Eyes” by Coldplay) and the dance with each of our mother’s, we all four danced to the Scissor Sisters’ “Take Your Mama!” From there, having told their DJ/MC to turn their reception into a big party, “he kept the bops coming all night and the dancefloor stayed full!”
Matthew and Hunter had agreed to soak in each moment of the day and not focus on the schedule, leaving timekeeping to two friends who served as wedding day coordinators. “We got to spend so much of our day together! So many people warned us that ‘the day will fly by’ or ‘you’re gonna get separated from each other’, so we built time in the day for the two of us to simply be together. I encourage other couples to do the same!” So, for example, rather than do a first look, the two got ready together. And right after the ceremony and family pictures and while guests were at cocktail hour, the two ate dinner together privately. “We were able to reflect on and celebrate what had just happened—after all this time, we were finally married!” And after everyone left, the two had one last dance all by themselves.
Despite being in different cities thanks to their respective residencies in Ohio and Kentucky, Matthew and Hunter recognize that distance does, in fact, make the heart grow fonder, starting from the first date: “We connected on a deep level. It felt like destiny that we would marry and build a life together.”
Follow Matthew and Hunter on IG (@matthew.hazle / @Hunter.Hazle)
Photographer: Brizzy Rose and Emma (@brizzyroseandemma)
Videographer: Toast Wedding Films
Venue & Caterer: The Brown Hotel
Cake: Plehn's Bakery
Apparel & Accessories: Indochino
Floral Designer: Denizen (@ShopDenizen / @ByDenizen)
