Who says romance is dead? Reddit asked happily married couples to share exactly when (and how) they knew they had finally found true love. The result is a collection of stories about sacrifice, sweetness, and straight-up quirky coincidences that will melt any heart. Shed a tear to these heartfelt stories of how successfully married couples realized they snagged “the One.”
1. You Marry One, You Marry All of Us
It was when my husband clicked with my family. He wasn’t afraid to spend time with them (and would actually suggest it). He greeted my grandfather with “Hello there, young man!” and then would help him out of the car or walk from a restaurant. He never got frustrated with a slow pace or the crazy that is my family. Plus, my family loved him.
They would call to talk with him or pull pranks on him. My parents even invited him to a cousin’s graduation in Wisconsin and paid for his airfare. It was his first flight and my dad and mom pranked him so hard about his “duties” on a flight. He took all of that with grace and smiles. He loved my family back. It made me aware that this crazy thing that we had going on could work long term.
2. Never Sick of You
I was really sick, going on day number four of high fevers and a bunch of other fun. She was taking care of me the entire time, running to the store to get whatever was needed and taking care of our dogs so I could rest. I woke up just craving a sandwich and asked if she could make me one. Without hesitation she made us both sandwiches and brought and came upstairs to the bedroom, put on a movie and laid next to me while we ate a sandwich, then she fell asleep on me.
We had already been together a few years, but this was the moment I knew I’d be a damn fool if I didn’t marry her. A few months later I took her to the ocean for the first time (we were living in Wisconsin, where she'd lived all her life) and proposed. That was three years ago, and we finally got married this past May at Mount Rainier in Washington.
She’s actually sick now, lying next to me in bed. It’s 3:26 AM and I’m going to run to the store shortly to get more soup and medicine. We’ve had a lot of great memories, but these moments matter most.
3. Having a Gas Forever After
I’ve told this story before but, another time couldn't hurt...A few months into dating, we were playing Scattergories with friends. The letter was “F.” The prompt was “Reason for Being Late.” We both answered, “Fart was poop.” We just celebrated six years together and almost three years of marriage. The fart/poop jokes have only gotten better.
4. Every Loss is a Gain, I Guess
My sister’s funeral. He was just so amazing during the whole awful process. I knew one day one of us would bury the other. An awful but amazing realization.
5. This One is Kind of Cheesy
We had decided we were going to take a crack at homemade pizza. We found a recipe online. We made a grocery list. We were standing over the case in the deli that had the pepperoni. The recipe didn't list how much pepperoni to get. I said, "How many packages?" He said, "Two? One for us to put on the pizza, and one for us to eat while we make it?"
It's stupid and silly, but that's when I knew, both because I realized he knew that I (and him, but mostly me—I love pepperoni and he apparently knew it) would graze the pepperoni as we cooked. And the mental image of the two of us together in the kitchen eating pepperoni and making pizza filled me with such warmth.
6. His Resume Was That Good
I knew right when I met him. He matched my three-page list of who my husband would be. We talked about marriage the first few weeks of knowing each other and got married at 19. Our 11-year anniversary is next month :) He’s my dream man, and I can’t believe he’s mine!
7. Total Eclipse of the Heart
I realized when the eclipse happened. My mom was sick at home, and I was at work. I asked him if he could go and sit with my mom instead of with me and he did. He sent me pictures of them, and they were both happy. They hadn't known each other long but it was as if they didn't need to get to know each other. My family just clicks with him.
I knew if a man cares that much about me and my family, he's special.
8. Why Wait for What’s Good?
My husband told me after a month of dating he will marry me. At the time, I laughed, and even told my friends back then that he could not be serious, and that I did not want to marry him. But then, I knew he was the one for me after a year, when I thought that being with someone else would just be too weird and bad for me.
He was the only person I could imagine living my life with. He also was caring and made me comfortable, which I never was with any guy ever...
9. What Has Four Hooves and Is In Love?
We'd fallen out of touch, living in different cities, hadn't spoken in over six months. Not for any reason other than we just had other things happening. I was bored at a friend's party, and my phone buzzed. She'd sent me a text. "If I were a bison, that would be neat.” I decided at that point I was going to make things work and move much closer to this bison.
We've been married for six years.
10. One Simple Question
I was in love with my best friend for a long time and could tell he had feelings for me too. We had been on one outing that could have been considered a date, and we spent long hours with just each other, talking in his car. I was afraid to admit that the nature of our relationship was romantic by explicitly confessing feelings.
Finally, I realized that some things are worth taking a risk for, and I asked him out with the oh-so-smooth phrase, "Hey, uhh, would you uhh, maybe like to go to a museum sometime? Like, as a date?" We held hands in the museum, went on a hike to a tower, and spent the end of the date wrapped in each other's arms watching The Fellowship of the Ring.
While we were cuddled up, we both had a moment where we saw our reflection in his skylight and thought, "Yeah, this is the person I'm going to marry." I'm typing this with him cuddled up next to me.
11. A Good Worker, A Greater Partner
My now-wife and I worked for the same company. She got Employee of the Year and won a weekend trip to Big Bear, California. It was a big cabin with three rooms, and her family and I went for the weekend. We were playing billiards alone in the rec area during heavy rain and I remember telling myself, “If I screw this up, I’m a fool.”
Proposed later that year.
12. Wallace and Gromit Play Matchmaker
We started dating my senior year of college after a brief friendship at the beginning of the school year. He was my first boyfriend, and I’d never even had a close friendship with a boy before. But we had such similar interests and the more time we spent together in those first few weeks the more in-sync we clearly were.
We’d say the same things at the same time ALL the time. Or one would make a random comment and it would literally be word for word what the other was thinking. Part of the getting to know each other phase was sharing movies we loved that the other hadn’t seen. He once mentioned wanting to show me Wallace and Gromit’s A Close Shave (sheep were our mutual favorite animal for some reason), but we didn’t get around to actually watching it and it sort of slipped out of mind.
Then one night a few weeks in, he was planning to come by to hang out. Before he arrived, as if tempting fate, I said to myself: if he brings the Wallace and Gromit DVD with him tonight, I’m going to marry him. He did bring it. And I married him.
13. The Biggest Fans of Each Other
I realized I wanted to date him when I found out Avatar the Last Airbender was his favorite show too. I realized I wanted to marry him because anytime we had a miscommunication or disagreement, he just talked it out instead of getting weird and distant. I didn't really have a real long-term relationship before him, and I just expected any hiccup to just cause us to part ways.
It took me about 2.5 months to figure out I wanted to marry him. We've been together for 5.5 years and have been married for three and counting. We're currently expecting our first kid. Don't be afraid to communicate and be honest people, it might just lead to true love.
14. He Had to Give Them Credit
We had talked marriage, but I had bad credit and didn't want it to mess up his finances so he couldn't buy a house. One day, he called me from work, and he had a mortgage broker on the phone with us who explained that our separate finances would stay that way, and in fact, my husband's good credit would help mine get better.
At the end of the call, my husband says, "So now will you marry me?!" We’ll be married 20 years come October and our credit scores are both over 800 now :)
15. He Can Pick Us Up Anytime
He had been working all day and was on his way home for some much-deserved sleep. But then I drunkenly texted him asking him to pick me up McDonald's. He not only turned around and bought my food, but he texted and asked if the friends I was with wanted anything while he was there. Unsurprisingly, they all did want something.
Obviously, you cannot ask a drunk, basic girl if she wants fries and not expect her to say anything other than of COURSE she wants fries. He then drove it to the bar we were at and made sure they all had Ubers or DDs before taking me home. I told him I loved him on the way home and never looked back.
16. Perhaps the Real Magic Was the Love Found Along the Way
He bought me the fifth Harry Potter book on the day it was released. He stood in line for over an hour and he wasn’t even a fan of them. He also wrote a note in it. He’d been planning it for a long time because about a week before, he gave me a sweet note on a bookmark. I treasure my HP collection, but book five is the best.
We’ve been married 15 and a half years and I love him more every day.
17. We’ll Meet Again…
I met my now husband 12 years ago at a party. We both had partners at the time, but when he walked in the door, I was instantly drawn to him, even though I knew nothing could happen. However, I always remembered that feeling he gave me. Fast forward five years ago, and I ran into him again. Again, that feeling popped up, but this time we were both single.
We started to hang out, and on our fourth date he ordered me Indian food, sourced my favorite Japanese beer, and let me swear at the TV whilst watching the Rugby Union World Cup. I knew then and there, if a man could endure that kind of display and unladylike behavior and still want to see me again, then he was the one for me.
Been married two years, have two sons, and I still wake up happy to see his snoring face every morning. Love doesn't adequately describe how fond I am of him.
18. Maybe Baby
I met my husband at work when I was a single mum to a young baby. We were friends first for a few months before we really started dating because, you know, you have to be sure when you have a baby...I was having a really difficult time, suffering a little with PND, impacted by the fact my ex-partner was on a pretty severe stalking campaign against me.
If it had been the other way around, I’m not sure I could have dealt with the drama so early on in a relationship. But he managed, because he’s literally the best man alive. He let me decide the pace we went at, when he met my son, etc. A few months into dating, things got really bad with the stalking, and I was struggling to sleep at night.
One evening, he arrived to my flat and let me know that he had just bought a house a few miles away with us in mind. Before we met, he’d been saving for his own place in a famous building in our town, but he’d realized that a city center flat didn’t suit the life he wanted to live now he had the two of us. He was driving to work one day and saw the development selling houses. He just knew that was “the one” and put in the offer.
I thought before that he could be The One, but I knew then and there that this was forever. It was just a logical step in his mind to make us a new home that we felt safe in; he just factored us right into his life plans like it was nothing. He proposed a few days later, we put my flat up for rent, and all moved in together into the new house. That was five years ago, we got married in 2017, and he’s just adopted our son.
Count my blessings every single day.
19. A Match Made Via Ethernet
We met online. After a few email exchanges I was fairly certain of one thing—he could spell and actually use grammar. On our first date, his car wouldn’t start, but he was totally unfazed. I’ve seen guys have complete meltdowns over considerably less. By our third date, we were finishing each other’s sentences and having complete conversations in Princess Bride quotes. People were asking how long we’d been married by the time we’d been dating three months.
Been together 22 years, married for twenty. Been to heck and back—we each lost a parent to cancer and I had a stillbirth the third year we were married. We survived that. We’re bulletproof.
20. Call It a Little Girl’s Intuition
I kid you not. We were 14 or 15 years old, and after a couple discussions with the dude about nothing in particular, I told my best friend I was going to marry him one day, totally sincerely. She nodded her approval and agreed, and then we proceeded with the rest of the day, as if this was a totally normal thing to just announce out of the blue.
She started jokingly calling me Mrs. Dudeslastname too. He and I started dating shortly after that and got married in our mid-twenties. He never knew about it. We're 32 now, and I mentioned this to my husband he was totally freaked out. He alluded to that episode of South Park where the girls have their own club/secret society due to their gender and frequently ask if whatever they agree upon "Sparkles" with everyone else.
21. Don’t Flip Out
When he flipped the pancake perfectly. We were in my little kitchen and he was super confident that he could make the flip. I was standing there like a panicky little bird going “Nooo, nooo, it’ll drop!” But he just went hop, and the pancake flipped over in the frying pan. Right then and there, I knew he was going to be a super fun dad to our future children.
22. Love on the Small Screen(s)
We once spent a Saturday on our computers together on the couch next to each other for about 12 hours. Our roommate came home that night to a totally dark room, save our glowing screens, and had to turn on the light because we were both too lazy to turn it on after it got dark. He called us strange and I then realized, “Oh, I will not find another person like this, who cares about me the way she does.”
23. I Would Go the Distance
When my significant other and I started dating, it was not supposed to be a long-term thing. I was preparing to study overseas, and I didn't expect to continue our relationship after my departure. I was not into long-distance relationships. Long story short, even though she knew that, she stood by my side until the very last day.
That last day, I was finishing packing my clothes and had to leave for a moment to get something. When I came back, she was finishing packing my stuff, saying that I had to make sure that everything was ok. That's when I knew I didn't need to look for someone else. Three years later, after countless challenges, we are living together.
24. Directorial Intent
My wife and I are each other's first and only everything (kiss, romantic partner, sexual partner, etc.). We met at 17, married at 18, and June will make 16 years of wedded bliss. I proposed because of Kevin Smith. I was obsessed with Clerks when we met. There truly are a million fine looking women in the world dude, but I knew she'd bring me lasagna at work, and never cheat on me. A girl who has your back no matter what, is the one you marry.
Oddly enough, we met at an Italian restaurant we both worked at, and she's not cooked for me once in the last 16 years.
25. Accepting No Substitutes
My S.O. and I were in a long-distance relationship—Australia to the US to be precise. We hadn't been together in person yet and, needless to say, as someone in their early 20s, it was a difficult time. Now, I'd always been ready to help friends and always had more female ones than male. I had an ex GF, who I was still friends with, ask for help with her laptop.
I headed over and noted she was dressed up with the makeup like she was going on a date. I just assumed she was going out afterward and didn't think much of it. Within a half-hour, the arm touching and smiles and subtle leaning over to display what she had was getting full-on. That's when she hit me with a "My on-again/off-again is away working and we're not really together…and your GF is all the way over there, maybe we can look after each other's needs."
I'd never been one to turn a woman down before this, but I looked straight at her and told her how I would love to but my GF means too much to me. The easiest it would have ever been to not only cheat on a partner but keep an ongoing FWB status/side chick happening, and I instantly refused. That's was when I knew. If she meant that much to me, she was the one I had to be with.
It was quite some years after that that we were finally together for more than a holiday/visit, three or four I think. We've since been married 12 years.
26. I Lost Man’s Best Friend but Found the Best of Men
My family dog of 15 years passed away one morning around eight. My dad was drunk and couldn't even comprehend that our dog died. My mom was in shambles, so it was up to my brother and me. I knew my SO (boyfriend at the time) had just gotten off a 12-hour shift at about 4 AM. But I called him anyway. This man picked up the phone after one ring.
I told him what happened, and his immediate response was, "How can I help?" I asked him for an extra shovel and his help. His next response was, "I'm on my way." That was it. No excuses, no hemming and hawing. With less than four hours of sleep, he showed up and helped us wrap up our doggo in a sheet and loaded her into our van.
We drove out of town to a local pet cemetery area looking over some mountains and buried her there. When we were done, he came back to my place, showered, napped for 45 mins and went to work. We've been married three years now.
27. She Was at the Top of My Bucket List
We had been dating for a little over a year when I was almost killed in a rock-climbing accident. While sitting there, looking at exposed leg bones and watching blood and bone marrow spill into the dirt, I realized I was really mad that I was going to die without marrying her. About 15 minutes later, I realized I wasn't going to bleed to death that day, and decided I'd marry her when I got out of that God-forsaken forest.
The wedding was almost a year later. I was still on crutches, strong pain killers, and IV antibiotics for a post-op infection during the ceremony, but I did it.
28. If You Can Share a Twin, You Can Share Anything
We'd only been dating for a few weeks, but he spent the night with me while my family was in Yellowstone (was living with my parents while I went to college to save money.) We were squashed together on my little twin bed. He had his back up against the wall and we snuggled all night. We both had a pretty restless night.
I apparently told him I loved him in my sleep. But when I woke up the next morning, all I could think was I want to do this every night for the rest of my life. And yes, once we got married, we slept on a queen size bed, thank goodness. It was either that, or when we watched Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood together.
29. From Real Estate to the Real Thing
I crushed on her for a decade. Was sure she could barely tolerate me. Timing finally lined up and we spent three days together. After those three days, I told her I would move to back home to be with her if she wanted me to. Then I told her I loved her because I was getting on a plane in a few hours and I wanted her to know just in case.
I said those two things way too soon, but she was not terrified. She was relieved. She had been feeling the same way. To this day, I am still blown away that she could have picked me after that minuscule amount of time. She is very sensible and down to earth. I am kind of a lunatic and full of ridiculous dreams. Thankfully we like similar movies, making pottery, and AFV.
30. A Tough Act to Follow, So Why Try?
I was on an amazing date with this handsome, sexy, intelligent, talented college professor, but the whole time I felt like I was cheating on my friend who lives in England. We’d talked every day for almost a year and had just gotten to be besties. As soon as it dawned on me that I would rather be on the phone with this dude who was over 4,000 miles away than on my incredible date, it just clicked.
I knew. Got on a plane shortly after to meet him in real life and Bob’s your uncle. He moved to the US with me and we’ve been married almost four years now.
31. Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving
We were just friends the whole time we were in college. We were talking about how we just want to run away from the lives we're living and go try something new. We did that cliché agreement, "if we're not married by 30 we will run away together." I knew right then that us running away together at 30 was exactly what I wanted.
We started dating not long after. Became exclusive after half a year. Moved in together after a few years and became common law (which is essentially the same thing as married where we live). Now we're almost 30. And guess what? Yup. We're moving to a different country together.
32. Ready to Admit When He’s Mr. Wrong
I was upset with him. He had asked me to come over after work, a 10-hour shift that ended at 11 pm. It was a 45-minute drive, so I made sure that he really wanted me to be there that late. I got there and the door was locked, and he wasn't answering it or his phone. I tried to get him to let me in for 30 mins before I gave up. It was a 45 min drive back to my house.
He called me at 3 AM and left a bunch of messages, he had fallen asleep in his computer chair. The next day before he came over, I prepared myself for a big blowout where he would blame me for everything (that's how my dad is, and all of my previous boyfriends). He came in, owned his mistake, validated my feelings, and asked what I needed to feel better.
That made me cry. I had never had that in my life before. I knew I needed to lock him down at that moment. He teaches me how to be a good person.
33. Married to Merriam-Webster
I love reading, I love literature, I love grammar, I love words. Yes, I'm weird like that. On our first date, he used the words "mushroomed" (as in, the housing development had just "mushroomed" around the area) and "remiss" (as in, would it be "remiss" of me to ask you to lunch?). That was me, hook line and sinker. One date and I told my mum I had met the man I was going to marry.
Okay, he was also hot, had great manners, beautiful eyes and the world's finest arse, but it was that damn mastery of the English language that got me over the line.
34. The Biggest Fires Burn Slow
Technically we’re not married yet, but with my fiancé and I didn’t have a huge grand gesture that made me realize. I was making myself dinner about six months into the relationship, and it just kind of hit me that this was the man I was going to marry. Not to be sappy or anything, but I realized that in older relationships I’d never felt like this.
I’m just comfortable around him, I don’t have to change anything about myself to avoid conflict
35. Couldn’t Live Without Her
We had been dating about 18 months and things were going pretty well. I could be my weird self around her and so could she. I was traveling for work. My flight coming home was about four hours, and when I landed I had about 20 missed calls from her, her roommate, and her parents.
Apparently, she had been involved in a car accident. My stomach dropped like something I’ve never felt before. I knew at that moment this was real. It turned out everything was OK after the accident, no serious issues, and we’ve been together for eight years, married for three. Love her to death, and I knew since that day.
36. It’s the Little Things That Add Up
I don’t really recall a single moment that made me realize she was my one true love and who I wanted to marry. The thing that stuck out to me was that she was always herself. She was never trying to be someone different, she's just an extremely genuine person. Who she is? Amazing, and I love just about everything about her.
For reference, on our first date we went to an Italian restaurant, and she ordered a small pizza for herself. Not a salad or something healthy like someone might order to try and pretend they love eating healthy. We were walking around after dinner and she spotted a frog randomly. Instead of jumping or being scared of it, she picked it up and admired how cute it is.
Because that’s who she is. Someone who loves pizza and frogs and isn’t afraid to admit either of those things—and I’m not afraid to admit I still love her an insane amount. We have a little girl who’s just like her, which is amazing too. It’ll be six years together this fall.
37. Enough is Enough, and Enough is Me
When I found out she really didn't care about what I didn't have. I had a low-end job to start, no car, living with my grandma til I was 20. Had to take the bus everywhere or hitch rides, which was annoying. Was in college but ended up taking a break from it because time was running out for my grandmother, and I needed a place to stay.
I even joined the military to make something of myself because I felt like I hadn't done anything substantial. I'm not with them anymore because of a technicality but she still didn't see me any different through all of that. She still dated me while I didn't have much. When I finally figured out that I didn't need to have everything to have her.
That's when I made up my mind. We'll be married four years in December.
38. You’re My Sugar Rush
I was 16 when we met and extremely underweight. Because of this, I ended up with a blood sugar issue. One day, I was alternating between surfing online and texting him. Since my phone was on charge, I had to keep getting up to text because my charger was on the other side of the room (ahh, the days before iPhone and charging from the computer).
As I was texting him, I had a sugar crash and passed out, hitting my head on the way down. Came too to find he had messaged again asking why I wasn't replying (he knew of the sugar issue). I told him I had passed out but was fine, didn't mention the head bang. He didn't know I was home alone. I wasn't good at asking for help and I always felt like an inconvenience to people, so I didn't tell him I wished he was there because I was always hazy after a drop.
He was the only one I felt comfortable with in those moments. He lived a 20-minute run away though, and he couldn't get a lift to my place. 10 minutes later, he was at my door, out of breath. He had wanted to make sure I was okay, especially since he knew how I got. We were engaged about five months later. Married when I was 23.
39. Hitched to the Other Side of the Tracks
I've posted this before, but we were about three months into dating, and I hadn't really told her what my parents did for work. Her parents own a successful business; I immigrated here, and my dad was a cashier at a convenience store. When she asked me, I hesitated to answer, and she immediately picked up on it and said, "You should never be ashamed of your parents. They've worked so hard to get you where you are; I'm so proud of them," and honestly, I cried.
I realized right then that I was going to marry this girl. No regrets at all. She makes me a better person every day.
40. The Best Kind of Life Sentence
I was in bed with a bad flu and listening to his radio show when I heard him casually mention his "life partner" for the first time. Confused, sick me was like, “Wait... what? Was that a reference to me? Actually, yeah, come to think of it, that does sound about right... I guess I am!" Over 18 years later, I can still remember that moment: me alone in bed with a stuffy nose, and my heart leaping.
But hey, sometimes romance isn't all that romantic by movie standards.
41. Broken Bones, Unbroken Bond
I crashed a motorbike/scooter thing I had rented in Vietnam with her on the back. It messed up her foot for about a week and was sore for longer. She took it in stride, didn't get angry or let it ruin the trip at all. I know so many people who would have let that ruin it. Instead, we did some of the truly spectacular ruins in Cambodia with a combination of crutches and piggyback rides.
It really made me realize how special she is. It always brings a smile to my face when I think of it.
42. He’s Worth the Down Payment
He had our first date all planned out, but it ended up going completely awry. I could tell he was trying so, so hard, but everything just went wrong. He put his arm around me during the movie—but by the time he got the courage, there were only five minutes left. Then, the place he tried to take me to for dinner closed the kitchen before we got there.
We went to Burger King instead, and I had to pay because he only had a hundred-dollar-bill on him and they wouldn't take it. He was the first guy to buy me flowers, and he had brought them at the start of that date, but I didn't have a vase. So, after Burger King, we went to Walmart to buy a one. As we were standing in the vase aisle, he said, "Pick any case you want, I don't care the cost."
I grabbed one that was only about $20, and when we got to pay, he had left the hundred in the car. So, I paid for the vase too. It was just comical by that point. We have been married over 10 years now and have three beautiful children.
43. A Cold Day in Hades Before I Say No
When I had Bell's Palsy on half my face, she taped my eye closed so I could sleep. It hit me, "I'm going to marry this girl one day." Then one day, before I was going to pop the question, we were in church, and I prayed for a definite sign that I was making the right decision, something that I would recognize immediately...when we came out of the church, it had begun to freaking snow. In southern Texas. Which is completely unheard of.
Ok God, no need to go "10 Plagues of Egypt" for me to get the message. Chill bro.
44. Worth the Waiting Room
We'd been best friends for years and were trying out a long-distance relationship. It was still in the phase where we wouldn't get affectionate around my daughter, who had just turned one. Well, he drove the 3.5 hours to spend a week with me and got there late at night. By 9 o'clock the next morning, my daughter was admitted into the hospital with a serious case of RSV that eventually turned into pneumonia.
I expected him to cut the trip short and head home, but he stayed with me as long as he could. He made sure I ate and showered and slept. I know I was a huge meanie to everyone around me, I was so stressed out and scared. One night, he brought McDonald's up to the hospital and downloaded a candle app on his phone so that we could go on a date during his visit.
I'd been in love with him for years, but somewhere in that week, I knew I couldn't live without him. I ended up moving closer to him shortly after that and he proposed three months after I moved. My daughter is now four, perfectly healthy, and he has been the best father anyone could ever ask for. They love each other so unconditionally.
We're welcoming our second baby tomorrow morning.
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