While some couples make it a point to see each other before the ceremony on the Big Day, the moment they see each other at the altar is extremely special. But what exactly is going on in the groom’s head during that nerve-wracking, emotional moment?
This question was posed to the Reddit community Wednesday by user excuses_that_I_know. She wrote, “My partner and I are getting married later this year, and I’m so nervous that he’ll hate the dress, ceremony, or worse, have second thoughts and may think of running far, far away. What did you think when you first saw your bride?”
Dozens of Redditors revealed what they were thinking when their brides appeared at the end of the aisle. Read some of the best responses below; then, tell us in the comments: What did you think when you first saw your bride?
Photo Credit: Julie Irene Photography
1. “Holy $%#@, this is happening for real, man.” “Good God she’s beautiful, how did I wind up getting this lucky?” “Wait, is her dad crying? I hope those are tears of joy… Oh, God, does he secretly hate me? Does he think we’re making a mistake? Please don’t let him say anything during the ceremony…” “Ok, now she’s here, hold her hand, don’t get sweaty… dammit, palms, stop sweating!” — FerdThePenguinGuy
2. “She was the only thing that I saw until we turned to walk back down the aisle together as a married couple. She was beautiful. I knew at that moment that I was the luckiest man alive.” — cinnamon_christ
3. “I literally couldn’t think. I just stared in complete awe and tried (read: failed) not to cry like a baby.” — Diphalic
4. “It’s mostly a haze for the first few minutes but I distinctly remember thinking that I’m smiling like an idiot and I’m supposed to say something to her parents but all I can think of is how beautiful she looks.” —WTFOutOfUserNames
5. “I teared up and got really nervous I was going to mess something up. And then she looked so beautiful and I was like damn I made the right choice.” — Canyoudigitsucka
6. “My exact thoughts were ‘my god she looks like a movie star.’ My second thoughts were ‘oh god she’s going to fall down in the loose stones leading to the patio.'” — DrinkinMcGee
7. “I just really needed to pee to be honest.” — wywywywy
8. “Nothing, not one single damn thing, could have ruined that moment for me. My first thought? ‘This is really happening, and it’s perfect.'” — Noexit
9. “That…that is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. Hot damn, let’s do this.” — mwatwe01
10. “‘Don’t trip down that hill… don’t trip down that hill… damn it, couldn’t her dad have at least gotten a haircut? Man, I hate that guy. He’s going to be the problem drunk at the reception. But oh man, she’s beautiful. I hope it doesn’t rain. Great, now I’m thinking about water and I kinda have to pee.’ I have ADD, if that helps put things in perspective.” — Red-helix
11. “‘How did I fool her into marrying me?’ Followed by: ‘Alright, walk a little quicker now. I want to get this over with.'” — lolmonade
12. “I won. I just felt like if there were a moment in my life where I had beat the final boss, saved the princess and got the congratulations screen, it was that moment.” — PenguinoMcDirt
13. “I didn’t have to fight tears until we said the vows. I don’t think my voice cracked, and I know I didn’t cry. But she could tell that I was close to crying. She told me she was making faces at me so I wouldn’t cry, but I didn’t notice.” — tsrtsrtsrtsr
14. “‘There’s my best friend, and the woman I’m spending the rest of my life with.’ Followed by… ‘Oh, no. Don’t cry. If you cry, I’m gonna cry. Keep it together. Phew. Good girl.'” — chinesewildman
15. “I looked at her and just said out loud, ‘She’s beautiful.’ The second I saw her, the nervousness was gone. The anxiety was gone. I was ready and I could not have been happier.” — jschild
This article originally appeared on The Huffington Post