A couple from Texas waited until their wedding day to share their first kiss ever and believe that holding out made their relationship “even more special.”
Keylin Akuchie, 24, went on her first date with her now-husband, Eleazer Akuchie, 25, in January 2022.
They vowed within the first two weeks of dating to hold off any physical intimacy—for religious reasons—until they got engaged.
However, when Mr. Akuchie got down on one knee a year later, they decided to wait even longer.
After waiting for 17 months, they shared their first kiss as husband and wife in front of friends and family at the end of the aisle on their wedding day in June.
Mr. and Ms. Akuchie met at Christ For The Nations Institute, Dallas, in 2019. Ms. Akuchie had the biggest crush on her now-husband. However, it wasn’t until the third year that they began to talk to each other when their friendship groups mixed.
Their friendship blossomed and Mr. Akuchie asked Ms. Akuchie on a date in January 2022. Very early into their relationship, they established a rule that they wouldn’t get physical during their courtship.
They also discussed their feelings on kissing before marriage. So, while dating each other, they would only share forehead and cheek kisses, hold hands, and hug but wouldn’t go any further than that.
They also never shared a bed or lived together until after they got married.
“For me, there was a pressure,” Ms. Akuchie said. “When I was questioning why we were waiting, I had to keep reminding myself it was a big deal to him and our relationship.”
For Mr. Akuchie, waiting meant a lot.
“I had never kissed anyone before, I wanted the first person I kissed to be the one I married,” Mr. Akuchie said. “It meant a lot to me although some people saw it as being extreme.
“It’s not something that is bad, it’s just something I wanted. There were times I wanted to kiss her, but more for her than for me.”
Unlike Mr. Akuchie, Ms. Akuchie had kissed someone in the past and thus would occasionally question the strong physical boundaries they promised to keep.
However, she would then be reminded of the promise they made to each other, which was to get to know each other and connect emotionally and spiritually before physical interaction.
To avoid giving in to the temptation, the couple tried to go out with a group of friends instead of alone.
However, if they were ever alone, Ms. Akuchie said they would immerse themselves in activities such as rock climbing, hiking, going out to dinner, or prayer.
While most people respected their decision, a few of them “raised eyebrows.”
“I think everyone thought our choice was weird, whether they expressed it or not,” Ms. Akuchie said. “A lot of people were asking ‘What if they’re a bad kisser?’ but I knew I had to keep my word.”
The couple got engaged in January 2023.
“We thought we'd made it this long, why not wait six more months?” Ms. Akuchie said.
While they finalized their wedding for June 26, the pair counted the days until they would become husband and wife.
Needless to say, when the most awaited day came, Ms. Akuchie said: “I remember walking down the aisle and thinking everyone would see me kiss him—what if we miss our lips?
“It was nerve-wracking in front of everyone but it turned out surprisingly well.”
Mr. Akuchie said although it did seem a bit weird at first, the experience was “nice.”
Since their wedding, the newlyweds have enjoyed a romantic honeymoon in Alaska.
Reflecting on their decision of setting up physical boundaries, the couple feels that it’s made their relationship stronger as it’s allowed them to build a better emotional connection.
“Since the wedding, we have shared a million bazillion kisses a day,” Ms. Akuchie said. “Now we get to enjoy the physical aspects of marriage, and it’s even more special to have waited.”
After going through this experience, Mr. Akuchie’s advice to couples is to pull back on the physical intimacy while dating, as it allows you to build emotional connection and develop stability.
“Physical intimacy can be like a band-aid covering up issues—but not having that encouraged us to mature emotionally towards each other,” Mr. Akuchie said.
