The beautiful fairy-tale love story of Mari and Nathaniel Kuhlman ended way too soon, due to the tragic death of the groom on their honeymoon, but a moving video posted to Instagram yesterday marking the one-year anniversary of their wedding day is an amazing tribute to the testament of true love and the sacrament of marriage. 

Set to the emotive tones of the theme music from Pixar’s Up, the video shows the first moments between them, together as a couple after their wedding, as the two-that-are-now-one are shown basking in a beautiful glow of grace and love. 

“We just got married!” they both gleefully say, as Mari continues: 

“Truly so much fun. So perfect. I hope we get to watch this video back and just be able to feel the love radiated from where we are now. Even though we should be more in love than when we watch this ... even tomorrow.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Kulhman!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Nathaniel says. 

“I’m your wife,” Mari says as Nathaniel shouts, “I’m your husband!” 

Tragically, the hope that Mari had “to watch this video back” with her husband would never happen. She lost her husband just three days after their wedding, after a terrible accident while waterskiing on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. After several attempts to revive Nathaniel, doctors told Mari he wouldn’t make it. 

The two met in October 2021 at Franciscan University of Steubenville, when Mari was a junior and Nate was a senior. They got engaged in December 2022 and married on Oct. 28, 2023. 

In a poignant post alongside the video, Mari penned a beautiful letter to her husband for their first anniversary, writing: 

“Nathaniel, happy one-year wedding anniversary to us! Our wedding was everything we had prayed for and more — it was perfect and so holy. I’m forever grateful for the gift of being able to enter into this beautiful sacrament with you.”

“To be witnesses of Christ’s love, and bring others closer to his Sacred Heart, has been something we have been able to continue to do from different sides of the veil, which is all we ever wanted to do. So yes, in a way, we fulfilled our vows, but we are also still beautifully living them out,” she continued. 

Mari said her vocation as Nathaniel’s wife is different than her expectations. “I wish we were able to live in our apartment together with our big bean bag. I wish we were able to play pickleball after work every day; I wish I could just change what happened, but, alas, I cannot. Most importantly, I wish you could’ve lived out your dream of being a P.A., but most importantly becoming a father ...”

Although Mari and Nathaniel never went home together after their honeymoon, nine months later, new life was born with the birth of their son, Raphael. 

“Raphael is everything we ever hoped for in a son — he’s absolutely perfect; truly the best parts of ourselves in a tiny human,” Mari shared. “His demeanor is so peaceful but he can be a little crazy, in a fun silly way, when he wants, just like you!”

Now, Mari entrusts their son to his father’s intercession. 

“Our dreams may not have come true as we thought they would but you are still a father, constantly interceding for your son as he navigates this world. And I will make sure he KNOWS how much you love him, and desired to be the perfect father; it just looks a little different.”

And as Mari watches the video of her wedding and the testament they shared on that day, she is able to see so much grace with their “love radiating.” 

“Looking back at this video we took after our wedding day, I can’t help but smile. I can truly feel our love radiating from it and I can say that I love you more than I did then. So today I celebrate our love, for it has been such a gift, especially our wedding day, and you getting to unknowingly say ‘until we meet again’ to all those who loved you and whom you loved back harder. What a blessing it was for our friends and family to say goodbye for now by dancing the night away with us that day.” 

And she thanked him for the gift of his love, saying, “Nathaniel, I love you, with all my heart. Thank you for the gift of your heart. I will cherish it forever.” 

As we approach the month of November, remembering all souls and praying for those who have left this earth, may we keep Mari, Nathaniel and darling baby Raphael in our prayers. And we pray for the same love Mari has for her husband and respect for the great sacrament of marriage. May we strive to be as holy in our own unions and vocations, remembering these blessed words: 

“What God has put together, let no man put asunder ...”