Even for two souls that are artistically inclined, it took some time for Megan and Arlen to see and recognize each other. While they knew each other casually on social media for a number of years, it wasn’t until the beginning of 2022 that they were drawn together.
When they did begin to connect though, it didn’t take long at all before they found the light in each other’s eyes and fell in love through the magic of online communication.
After months of chatting, calling, videos and other exchanges, they were completely committed to one another and spent as much time as they could together. They say that “Love is funny like that” and we couldn’t agree more.
Then some devastating news arrived. Megan discovered that she has a 50% chance of developing hereditary ALS in her lifetime. That revelation lit a fire in both of them, and as she puts it – they wanted to “stop wasting time on conventional crap”.
For Arlen and Megan, their favorite activity is simply to be together. They both love art, animals, nature, and travel, and want to share the rest of their lives with each other.
When they began to discuss moving their relationship toward a stronger union, their first instinct was to look into Megan traveling from the US to Honduras to be with Arlen. They would get married there, with friends and family in attendance, and all the trimmings of a traditional wedding.
However, as many international couples can attest to, things are not always that simple. When Megan found out about the daunting stack of paperwork and the amount of jumping through various bureaucratic hoops that faced them, she was terribly upset and was left crying and feeling hopeless.
Fortunately, a friend recommended Utah Online Weddings to them, and their hopes and dreams were salvaged with an easy online wedding ceremony.
Of course this new way of getting married can raise a lot of eyebrows! But both of their family and friends were supportive. Megan reports that her family “Basically expected it of me to be different and unconventional” and on Arlen’s side, his family were just happy to see that he was happy.
Following the wedding, the couple spent several weeks together celebrating their honeymoon in Honduras. Now, their plans for the future include loving their cat who lives with Arlen, and perhaps being able to open an art studio and offering lessons to children. They plan many camping trips and visits to art shows and events. They long to be on the road together to see all the world has to offer.
Moving forward, Megan has begun the long process of applying for a US spousal visa. She will be spending time with Arlen again this summer. Her advice to other couples can be summed up as follows:
If you plan to use this for immigration, make sure you visit with each other as soon as you can after the wedding. Save all your receipts and plane tickets, and take so many photos with each other and both of your families and friends. They want to see into your life, essentially. Love is love until the government has a say – unfortunately.
So we must fight for love. Be prepared. But have heart that it will be ok. 🙂
