A bride who waited until her wedding day to have her first kiss says that when she and her new husband finally locked lips it was 'like a Disney fairytale'. Rhalyn Murphy claims that when she was praying one day at the age of 17, God asked her to 'save' her first kiss for the day she married.
The 21-year-old agreed to the request and refused to smooch anyone until after saying 'I do' in a bid to prove you don't have to date multiple men before finding 'the one'. The worship director connected with Micah Murphy on social media last April.
Sparks flew despite their long-distance relationship, he proposed in December, with them tying the knot this June. The devout Christian said that when the time came to discuss the promise she'd made, Micah was 'totally on board' from the outset - and assured her that she'd be 'worth the wait'.
Rhalyn described the first time she and her 25-year-old husband locked lips as 'perfect' and 'everything she'd ever dreamed it would be'.
The HVAC [heating, ventilation, and air conditioning] technician said that saving the moment for their big day was 'extremely precious and sentimental' - but admitted it was hard to resist when they parted ways at the airport.
A touching video captured shows the celebrant announcing 'Micah, this is the moment you've been waiting for, you may kiss your bride'.
Micah then grabs Rhalyn's face to give her a big kiss - before her veil flies off and he punches the air.
Rhalyn, of Virginia beach, Virginia, US, said: "The first kiss was amazing. It was perfect, I couldn't have pictured it going any better.
"But then the more [we kissed] when we were taking pictures and stuff, it wasn't that it was weird, it just felt unnatural because I had never kissed anyone before.
"So it was just so new to me and it was just fun, it was everything I ever dreamed it would be."
Micah said: "When Rhay and I first discussed waiting for our first kiss, I didn’t really think much about it.
"I actually liked the idea, but it was definitely hard to not kiss her when we would have to drop each other off at the airport.
"When we first kissed it made the moment extremely precious and sentimental because of the purity behind the act of saving it for the day we became one."
Rhalyn said that she and Micah's parents have known each other for 15 years as they're both pastors.
But the pair only connected for the first time via social media last April.
They were living a 13-hour drive away as Rhalyn's based in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Micah was living in Clewiston, Florida.
They met for the first time two months later in June.
Rhalyn said: "Then things got a little bit more serious and he wanted to plan a trip to come here because we were long distance.
"He was my first boyfriend but I had talked to other guys before and I never felt like it should go any further.
"Honestly through prayer, peace [when she knew Micah was the one] and they say 'when you know you know' and it was just that kind of situation.
"We both knew we wanted this. He's 25 and I'm 21 but he was like 'I know I'm ready to settle down and get married', and I always felt like I was going to get married young.
"Everything was just lining up and our parents were in agreement and everyone around us was like 'this is right' and we just did it, and we did it quickly."
Micah popped the question last December and they were in a long-distance relationship until four days before they got married on June 11 this year.
Rhalyn grew up attending church and her parents opened the church she attends a year before she was born.
Rhalyn said: "I was 17 and was away at a ministry school in Alabama and I've always had a heart for other girls and wanted to help other girls and felt that's a part of what I'm supposed to do.
"I was praying one day and felt that the Lord just asked me if I was willing [to save her first kiss for wedding day].
"Even if it was just for one girl who needed to see that it was possible, see that it can happen and you don't have to date 500 guys before you knew it was the one and didn't have to kiss all these people.
"I just felt like that's what I was supposed to do and so I said yes to the Lord and that was three years before I met Micah."
Rhalyn had discussed what she wanted to do with her parents but had never done so with another man, until she met Micah.
Rhalyn said: "When I met him it was obviously something that I still wanted to do and it just came up in natural conversation in the beginning of our talking relationship.
"It wasn't in the context of 'this is going to be with you' it was like 'this is what I'm going to do no matter who it's with'.
"When he and I got more serious it was obviously like 'ok, this is going to be with each other' and he was totally on board.
"He said 'if this is what you feel called to do then it's what I'm going to do with you'.
"He just told me 'you're worth the wait' and 'let's do it'.
"It's almost like a Disney fairytale, that's how I knew he was different too.
"If I was previously talking to anybody else, I would always get nervous or scared to even have the conversation but with Micah I felt at peace and obviously he's just amazing.
"He was on board from the beginning and that's very, very rare."
After getting engaged Rhalyn said she felt compelled to share her and Micah's story so posted about their kissing ban.
Rhalyn said: "I did a post about what the Lord had asked me to do and how Micah and I's conversation went.
"Girls from all over the world reached out to me about how it had impacted them.
"They said I just helped them realise that they can live differently and they don't have to compromise and fall into what popular culture says that they have to do.
"There's people that are like 'I have kissed in the past but now I know this is something I want to do when it's my husband, I want to save that for that special day'.
"There are some ladies that have reached out to me and said 'I've never had a boyfriend or my first kiss and now I know that I'm supposed to wait until my wedding day'.
"Obviously you don't have to do that, but there's been so many encouraging stories about how women are like 'this is something that I want to do to make it this much more special on our wedding day'.
"It's just really encouraging as one thing that I felt was between him and I is now impacting so many other people."
She's since created a TikTok video about their special moment that's racked up six million views.
One wrote: "Didn’t wait to kiss but we waited to 'become one' until we got married. Best decision I’ve made and yes abstaining is very possible."
Another commented: "This is precious."
A third wrote: "So glad you made that choice for yourself but just a reminder that physical contact with a man doesn’t make you impure in any way!"
Another commented: "Where. did. you. find. him. This gives me hope and I am so happy for you two! Congratulations!!!"
A fifth TikToker wrote: "Full body chills. So happy you did what was best for you."
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