Nate and Mariana Kuhlman, from Ohio, tied the knot on October 28, 2023.
They traveled to St Lucia for their honeymoon, where Nate d!ed in a waterskiing accident on October 31.
Two GoFundMe pages were set up to help contribute towards funeral expenses and the donation target was exceeded, with one page raising more than $30,000 (£24,228) and the other over $42,000 (£33,921).
The bride paid tribute to her husband on the GoFundMe page, writing: “Nate was a wonderful husband, friend, son, and brother in Christ. He was able to thoughtfully encounter every person he met and those who had the blessing of a relationship with him would be able to tell a list of stories detailing what a fun, kind, and adventurous soul he was.”
“Nate tragically lost his life three days after his wedding. Words cannot describe the heart break there is for his story and for his family. We kindly ask for help to assist for funeral cost and travel of the family,” the fundraiser adds.
Nate and Mariana met through mutual friends, according to their wedding site.
Donors flooded both fundraisers with comforting comments. One said: “Words cannot express how we feel about your tragic loss. Charlene enjoyed her honor to work with Nate at her office as he was pursuing his career in medicine – he was tops both as an individual and a budding medical professional. The world has suffered a horrible loss.”
Another message said: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.” And a third added: “Nate was a great person with such joy.”
The late groom’s mother, Heather Kuhlman posted a tribute on Facebook.
“Nate’s d£ath took all of us by surprise and just took our breath away,” she wrote.
“By God’s grace, we are ok. It’s so hard and painful, but we are walking each day one moment at a time.”
“I am sad that Nathaniel is no longer here with us, but I know he is very much alive in heaven and will be praying for us,” she added.
