Cydnee & Wes Wedding Magazine

ee n d y C and y e l s e W january twenty-fifth two thousand and twenty

Cydnee & Wesley • 1

FOUR

Meet the Couple

2 • January 25, 2020

SIX

How We Met

EIGHT

Interview with the Bride and Groom

TEN

Relationship Timeline

T W E LV E

The Proposal

F O U RT E E N

Thank You

Cydnee & Wesley • 3

Meetthe Couple 4 • January 25, 2020

Cydnee Cristine Squire October 1, 1990 Highland, Utah E D U C AT I O N : Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University O C C U PAT I O N : working for dermatologists at the University of Utah FAVO R I T E M OV I E : Hunt for the Wilderpeople FAVO R I T E M U S I C A L G RO U P : Fleet Foxes D R E A M C A R : Jeep Grand Cherokee with all the bells and whistles D R E A M VA C AT I O N : Iceland B I RT H D AT E :

H O M E TOW N :

Wesley McNeill Marriott August 28, 1988 H O M E TOW N : Holladay, Utah E D U C AT I O N : BYU Business Degree O C C U PAT I O N : Board and Card Game Publisher (Gatwick Games) FAVO R I T E M OV I E : It's a Wonderful Life FAVO R I T E M U S I C A L G RO U P : Antonín Dvorák or Mumford and Sons D R E A M C A R : Audi A7 -- or now a Cybertruck D R E A M VA C AT I O N : Somewhere with Cydnee B I RT H D AT E :

Cydnee & Wesley • 5

A S TO L D B Y T H E B R I D E Toward the end of 2017, Wes started campaigning to run for Provo City Council. Because we had so many friends in common on Facebook, I saw his advertisements everywhere. I thought, “man, this guy is motivated, intelligent, and a total babe.” So I decided to take a chance and follow him on Instagram.

And… nothing came of it. For at least a few months anyway. After I had almost forgotten about him, in January 2018, he reached out to me via Instagram. We chatted back and forth for a little while and I was surprised how quickly I was able to open up to him about personal aspects of my life over messaging. He just had an easy way about him and he made me feel comfortable immediately. The conversation ended with him asking me on a date and me giving him my number.

Little did I know I was one of around five girls he had reached out to at that time to take out. To those who know Wes, he is a pretty experienced dater! When I first saw him in person, I felt a nervous excitement.

As we were sitting across from each other in that small Thai restaurant, I was again surprised by how easy it was to talk to him. After all, he was someone I barely knew! When the date ended, I was left wanting even more time with him.

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How

We Met

A S TO L D B Y T H E G RO O M So. There I was in Costa Rica. We were on one of those unique family vacations where only the adults show up and they leave the kids behind. I love these types of vacations except for one thing: most of my siblings are married. So while it’s fun to be with them, there is definitely romance in the air that the singles obviously can’t replicate. So. With the glaring facts in my face and no prospects of finding a Costa Rican wife, I turned to social media and dating apps. The dating apps were less than exciting and I don’t do the social media thing well. So I went to the easiest place possible.. who is following me? (I really don’t know or keep track of people who are following me) but then, I saw a beautiful woman following me and I literally thought.. “why is she following me?” (I didn’t know how she found me either) So I immediately looked through basically all of her photos, and devised a cheesy scheme to break the ice. I asked, “So are you engaged?” Bold. Shocking. Kinda weird?? Well I had to get her attention somehow.. she had a picture that was a little deceiving and it looked like her ring finger had a big diamond on it! But let’s be real I was just breaking the ice. And it worked.. we immediately got into a good conversation and chatted on the messenger for about 30 mins touching on life, family, and some good topics before I asked for her number. I was excited to see how things would go with her. Then I messaged 5 other girls also.. gotta cast a wide net. Well she won out. And I’m forever grateful she stuck with me through my cheesy approach.

Cydnee & Wesley • 7

Interview W H AT WA S YO U R F I R S T IMPRESSION?

Him: Whoa. She is stunning. Like so gorgeous.

Her: When I first saw a photo of Wes, I immediately thought, “he’s a total babe”.

When I met him, I was surprised about how confident he was and how sure of himself he was. I wasn’t sure what to think about that at first, but then his self-assurance quickly became very attractive to me.

W H AT D I D YO U D O O N YO U R F I R S T D AT E ?

Him: We went to a Thai Food restaurant in SLC, even though she doesn’t really like spicy food I found out later.. all I remember is that she invited me in to her house to chat more after dinner and I was stoked she did.

Her: When Wes asked me where I’d like to eat, I said I liked anything besides Indian food, which was a big disappointment for him, as it’s his favorite food! Instead we decided to get Thai food. I had such a good time talking with him that I was reluctant to let the date end after dinner. So, I invited him inside my house and we continued to talk. I loved how easy it was to have

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meaningful conversations with him.

reciprocated. Then he told me in the sweetest way, “Oh, Cydnee. Of course I love you.”

W H O I N I T I AT E D T H E F I R S T K I S S ?

Him: She did.. was trying to hold her off, but what can you do?

Her: I’m not even going to try and lie about it... I definitely initiated our first kiss on the third date! He was giving me the signs and being very cuddly and close that night. Then he said, “We better go or I might kiss you.” I replied with, “Well, I give you permission if you want to.” He didn’t need much prodding after that.

W H O WA S T H E F I R S T TO S AY " I L OV E YO U "?

Him: Basically her. I said it first but she was wanting to say it, although I don’t remember.

She tells me that it was smooth how I said it, I don't remember but I’m glad she does so it can make up for the many times I have put my foot in my mouth.

Her: Wes was the first to say I love you, though I probably felt it before he did. He tried to get me to say it that night, but I wouldn’t. I didn’t want to be the vulnerable one and say it first! I explained that it was a scary thing, and sometimes feelings are not

W H AT I S T H E M O S T I N T E R E S T I N G T H I N G YO U ' V E L E A R N E D ?

Him: She has a tattoo of a Mexican dragon on her shoulder. Just joking... But I was very surprised that she wanted to be Instagram famous. She had a very active Twitter page back when it wasn’t as popular with jokes and many re-tweets. She also had a daily blog full of confessions and crushes... I wasn’t included on the crush list but I’m sure if she wrote on the blog today at least my celebrity look-a-like would make the list.

Her: I was surprised to learn earlier in our relationship that Wes did ballroom dance at BYU. He is an incredible dancer and I have loved learning from him! We’ve now taken a few dance lessons together (for my benefit), and it has become one of our favorite ways to connect and have fun together.

W H AT I S YO U R FAVO R I T E M E M O RY TO G E T H E R ?

Him: We’ve gone on many short road trips together St George, California to see friends, etc etc and I love traveling with her, but

one of the best parts about traveling with her (beyond her amazing planning skills) is that wherever we go, we try to stop and go to the local Temple together. I love being in the temple with Cydnee. She absolutely glows when she is in there. I love sitting in the celestial room pondering on the eternities with her. And not to mention, she looks great dressed in white.

Her: One of my favorite memories with Wes happened this past July. It was the 24th, and we headed to Rock Canyon park to get a good spot for the fireworks. We cuddled up close on the grass and put on a playlist. As the song All My Days by Alexi Murdoch came on, we had a connecting moment reflecting back on how much we had improved and grown closer together over the past year. I always think about that night when I hear that song.

W H AT D O YO U L OV E M O S T A B O U T E A C H OT H E R ?

Him: One of her most incredible qualities is her loyalty. One of the crowning qualities of love is loyalty. She is dependable, a sure foundation for me, and will always uplift and support me. She believes in me, and she

spends time letting me know and showing me how much she is dedicated to us. She is the best kind of friend to have. Loving, loyal, true to you. I am lucky to have a large portion of that focus and deep love. Also I love how cuddly she is. I could cuddle her for forever.

Her: I love how Wes sees the potential in people. He sees goodness at their core and helps others to recognize that and achieve greatness. He never passes on an opportunity to serve someone else. He is the embodiment of goodness.

W H E N D I D YO U K N OW YO U ' D F O U N D " T H E O N E "?

Him: That one was a spiritual and long process for me. I have dated a lot and it wasn’t easy for me to get to this place. But I will say to those who have taken longer to figure it out, that there is hope, there is peace to be had. And I, after doubting in myself, the relationship, and the future of our relationship, have come to an amazing peace and excitement about being with Cydnee as my eternal partner. There is hope and happiness through the trials and striving, and I tell you that God is with you.

He blessed us through this path. And I am grateful for the feelings and the future with Cydnee!

Her: I don’t think there was a defining moment where I knew Wes was the one. I gradually was able to come to the conclusion that he would be a great choice and that I would have a happy and fulfilling life with him. I always felt at peace and excited when I imagined marrying him.

W H AT I S N E X T F O R YO U T WO ?

Him: 100% Babies!! I secretly hope there is a honeymoon baby or two (twins?). I’m probably the most baby-hungry guy around.

But on a side note, since I can work wherever I want because of Gatwick Games, we are also praying and seeking revelation on if we should live the millennial dream and move internationally for 6 months and start our little family! We’ll see!.

Her: This is a common question we’ve been asked. Wes and I are excited to live TOGETHER instead of commuting 40-50 miles each way to see each other. We are also very excited to grow our little family and continue our service as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Cydnee & Wesley • 9

F I R S T D AT E :

January 13, 2018

10 • January 25, 2020

FIRST KISS:

January 20, 2018

F I R S T VA C AT I O N :

March 23, 2018

F I R S T " I L OV E YO U " :

May 15, 2018

ENGAGED:

November 1, 2019

Cydnee & Wesley • 11

The Proposal A S TO L D B Y T H E B R I D E Before Wes left for a work trip in Europe in October, we went to the temple to fast about our relationship and to think about moving forward. We felt so much peace there and stayed in the celestial room for an hour and a half talking. We decided to start making tentative plans to get married in January. Wes gave me the ok to start looking at availability for venues, photographers, and videographers while he was away. The time apart allowed us to ponder about our relationship and we both felt so wonderful and excited about it. We had great talks while he was away, and planned to look at rings on the Friday evening after he got home. I couldn’t believe it! But, I still kept things quiet and close. He came home the day before Halloween and we spent a beautiful few days together.

On Friday, November 1, we had a fundraiser in the morning for Empowered Playgrounds and Wes informed me that we needed to get dressed up. We had planned to go up to his family’s farmhouse in Wallsburg to make lunch and talk about how we were feeling about our relationship. It was so beautiful when we got to Wallsburg; the sun was shining

12 • January 25, 2020

and the air was crisp. Wes brought me out back and was blabbering nervously about the weather and let it slip that he had been there the day before. But oblivious me didn’t pick up on it! We took a photo together and then Wes said we had to do a timer photo since we were all dressed up. He put on the “timer” and came back to pose, and in reality he had set up a video. After the “picture”, he kissed me while pulling a ring box out of his pocket! He got down on one knee and gave me the most sincere and sweet proposal. Then he asked if I would MARRY HIM! I was so shocked, my hands were shaking and I was nervously giggling. Of course I said yes. To be more exact, I said “ABSOLUTELY!” Inside there was a beautiful display of a dozen roses and decorations saying, “she said yes!”. We didn’t tell a single soul that we were engaged that day, besides the woman at the jewelry store as we were picking out my ring. The one he proposed with was a simple, sparkly number he had purchased in Portugal, so that he could completely surprise me. We had a blissful day, soaking up the reality that we would become husband and wife on January 25, 2020.

A S TO L D B Y T H E G RO O M Right before leaving on a business trip to Europe in October Cydnee and I began very tentatively talking about marriage. Tentatively because you didn’t get to 31 and single easily. Being indecisive as I was, I HAD decided that I wanted to want to marry Cydnee. That in itself was a tremendous thing. To want to want was the wonderful beginning of nourishing the seed of hope (read Alma 28:32-43). So we decided it was time to pray fast and go to the temple to be totally in a spiritual state as we went about this process. When I did it, I felt… normal. Like.. a simple peace. And so while sitting in the celestial room I said, shall we get married? And she and I talked for an hour and a half about our thoughts and feelings. I was actually starting to feel the excitement I had always longed for. Before leaving she said, “You feel good now, but I know what will happen 30 mins after leaving the temple..” We laughed at that. What followed in the next two weeks I will never forget as my excitement and hope for our relationship grew. I even scoured the streets of Portugal to find a simple gold ring to propose with (still had no idea if I could do the whole proposal thing, but I felt so right about it that buying it was easy). By the time I had gotten back I already had the whole thing planned. But not a soul knew. Not even Cydnee. She still thought there was a chance we would break up. But having felt the feelings I felt, I knew that it was right. Lacking the courage to call Dennis and ask

permission I listened to an Elder Holland talk. He threw down on me, and told me to go forward with faith. I immediately pressed pause on the talk and called Dennis.

Then after that, like a true dramatist I that I am, I went up to the tiny little farmhouse my parents own in Wallsburg and set up the engagement. I practiced where and how I would propose, planned how I would secretly film it from my phone. Even got on one knee to an imaginary Cydnee. I set up roses and things inside and planned to propose on the back porch before we went in.

When the day came. I was so nervous that I almost backed out. I thought, “No one even knows I set up the farmhouse!” But I knew that it was right. I kept feeling that mix of excitement and hope and I knew that she was the one. Needless to say, when I did it she was shocked and I was a babbling idiot on a knee. (I have it all on film — and no sorry, you can’t watch it. Too embarrassing) Anyway we didn’t tell a soul that day that it happened, we just spent time in Wallsburg laughing and giggling with excitement. to this day, it’s been one of my favorite days spent together.

One of my favorite things she said to me after proposing was, “Wes, I have to say.. I am so proud of you. That took a lot of courage to do.” We laugh about it now, but that was music to my ears and further testament to my good choice in a companion. She was thinking of my well being, when she could have been thinking about a million other things.

Cydnee & Wesley • 13

With Warmest Gratitude We are so incredibly grateful for the many family members and friends who have supported and loved us during this special time. So many of you have watched us grow up, babysat us, been a shoulder to lean on, been our roommates, or given us loving constructive criticism. You’ve laughed with us, cried with us, and celebrated our victories with us. And now we are together, celebrating two lives connecting forever. We feel so incredibly blessed by those who surround us. We hope that we can be a wonderful source of support and love to each of you as you have been to us. Above all, we feel profound gratitude to our Father in Heaven. Not only for bringing you into our lives, but for His gentle, guiding hand in our relationship. He has directed us, loved us, and helped us to become a better team. It is truly because of Him that we are where we are today. We are so full of love and gratitude. Thank you for sharing this joy with us.

W I T H S I N C E R E L OV E & A P P R E C I AT I O N ,

Wes and Cydnee Marriott

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Photography by Autumn Nicole Magazine design by Unlike Juliet