David & Julia Lutz: A Graceful Wedding

Photos by Amy Riley Wobser, Amy Riley Photography

David Lutz and Julia Bond first met in 2010 during their freshman year of college at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. The pair had a few mutual friends but had never crossed paths until they were introduced.

“I distinctly remember meeting him in the cafeteria as he was eating three different bowls of Fruit Loops,” Julia says. She remembers thinking it was kind of funny, but she didn’t have contact with him again for three years. In May of 2013, Julia had transferred to Auburn University while David was still at UCF, both finishing their junior year of college. They reconnected through mutual friends. At the time, neither David nor Julia was interested in dating, especially not dating someone who lived nine hours away, Julia remembers.

But there was something that drew David and Julia together. They connected on many levels, says Julia, but what really drew her closer to him was his heart for the Lord. “He was a leader, a servant, intelligent, confident, and bold. Everything about him screamed, ‘man of my dreams!’” After a month of phone calls and three visits, David knew that Julia was the one. For two years they would have endless phone calls, texts, Skype dates, and many Auburn football games. It was a challenging time in their lives, they recall. “We had to practice grace daily and be patient, very patient and work on communicating with each other. We had really rough days and really sweet reunions, but through the roses and thorns of every day we remained a team, we stuck to our truths and, we loved each other,” Julia explains. The couples’ love of Jesus helped their relationship succeed. “The more we sought after Him, the deeper we fell in love with each other. He was the glue that held us together,” Julia confides. The couple got engaged on September 27, 2014 during a fourday mission trip to Haiti.

“He was a leader, a servant, intelligent, confident, and bold. Everything about him screamed, ‘man of my dreams!”

While the wedding was planned, there would be another life-changing event they would have to face. David’s father, Don, became ill and needed a kidney transplant. Julia recalls that David stepped up and said he would give him a kidney when the time came. The time did come and David underwent the surgery exactly one month before the wedding. “Both surgeries went as perfectly as possible. The doctors said that David’s kidney was the healthiest kidney they had seen in eight years and this was the smoothest transplant they have had in 10 years!” Julia remembers. She feels that this has made their marriage extra special because it was something that they went through together at the very beginning of their marriage. “It strengthened us, taught us, and made our love deeper than we ever thought it could be,” Julia says.

David describes Julia as compassionate, sweet, and joyful. “She is the easiest person to talk to and loves meeting new people. Jesus is her best friend and first love.” Julia admires David’s passion and leadership. “He is goofy and fun — he never fails to make me laugh.” David works as a structural engineer for an engineering firm in Tampa and Julia works at an inpatient rehab facility in Lakeland.

Julia will be starting graduate school at the University of South Florida in the fall of 2016. The couple will also be adding a new member to the family soon — a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Hampton. The couple doesn’t feel a whole lot has changed since tying the knot, adding that the only real difference is now they live together. “We have always felt like we were best friends and that has carried over into our marriage,” Julia says. For grooms- and brides-to-be, she emphasizes the importance of being selfless in a marriage, and to affirm to your spouse that you will love and honor them.

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Parents of the Bride

Anthony and Beverly Bond

Parents of the Groom

Don and Sally Lutz

Maid of Honor

Mallory Bond

Bridesmaids

Hayden McGee

Christine Hermansdorfer

Allie Pilcher

Brenna Seymour

Tiffany Walker

Jana Lutz

Sarah Lutz

Best Man

Thomas Lutz

Groomsmen

David Bohner

Matthew Lord

Logan Stealey

Robert Velasco

Luc Lacombe

Anthony Melillo

Curtis Starbuck

Wedding Coordinator

Rachelle Youd

Venue

Panama Country Club, Lynn Haven
[/box] [box type=”info” align=”aligncenter” ]If you would like to have your wedding featured please send an email to wedding@panamacityliving.com.[/box]