If you haven’t seen Anthony Carbajal’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, grab a box of Kleenex and watch it here. Then keep that box of Kleenex handy, because the 26-year-old (who is living with ALS) just got married, and we have a look at his gorgeous wedding photos.
Sam Hurd
Carbajal, whose mother also suffers from the disease, shared his story over the summer to help raise awareness and fundraising for the cause. His ice bucket challenge now has more than 16 million views.
Because of his condition, he was apprehensive about asking girlfriend Laarne Palec to marry him.
“I was cautious to ask Laarne to spend the rest of her life with me because this disease requires a lot of care,” Carbajal tells Brides (which helped the couple throw their dream wedding). “I don’t want to be a burden on anyone. But throughout my diagnosis, Laarne made it clear that she wasn’t going to leave my side.”
He adds, “She told me that she wanted to be with me through the good and the bad that’s inevitable. Then I got down on my knee and proposed. Having her tell me that she loves me unconditionally was priceless and I think, looking back, I needed that.”
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Sam Hurd
The couple married on the scene of their first date, back to the Grind Coffee Shop in Riverside, California, and created a warm environment for their guests, who sat at long wooden benches. They also eschewed a formal seating chart and place cards for an open seating plan so everyone could mingle. Carbajal selected a brown suit and plaid tie, and his bride stunned in a white silk gown with beading at the shoulders.
“We just wanted all of loved ones to feel like they were at home, have a good time and celebrate our love with us,” Carbajal says.
Sam Hurd
What’s he most excited for now that he’s a married man? “Laarne’s family is very conservative. So I’m looking forward to going on a family vacation and sleeping in the same room together,” Carbajal shares. “I look forward to having a place to call our own and getting a dog. I’m just excited to wake up with her every morning and have a cup of coffee.”
And his will to live is even stronger. “I’m doing whatever I can to change my outcome and be on this earth longer with Laarne,” he says. “I think that’s the hardest thing — I found my soulmate and ALS might take me away from her earlier.”
For more on their wedding, visit Brides and click here to donate to ALS research. What do you think of the couple’s relaxed wedding vibe? Are you inspired by their story? Share your thoughts below.
–Brittany Talarico
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