Bryan Abasolo Shares the Moment in His Wedding to Rachel Lindsay That Nearly Made Him Cry

Before former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay walked down the aisle at her wedding to Bryan Abasolo at the Royalton Suites Cancun on Aug. 24, she reminded herself of two things.

“I was just thinking, ‘Remember your vows, and don’t lose it,’ ” Rachel tells PEOPLE exclusively. “But it went by so fast. The ceremony was almost a blur!”

Rachel, 34, stayed dry-eyed, but her husband-to-be nearly didn’t.

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Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo | Clane Gessel
Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo | Clane Gessel

“She almost had me,” Bryan, 39, says of Rachel saying her vows. “When she was reciting, I lost my breath for a second, but I kept it together!”

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Says Rachel: “I did a portion of the vows where I thanked him. I thanked him for allowing me to be myself and respecting me for who I am. That’s something I struggled with in past relationships but I’ve never had that issue with Bryan. He’s so comfortable in who he is and who I am, and in what we have together.”

RELATED: Newlyweds Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo Are Ready for Babies ‘Sooner Rather Than Later!’

Bryan Abasolo and Rachel Lindsay | Clane Gessel Studio
Bryan Abasolo and Rachel Lindsay | Clane Gessel Studio

It’s a relationship that has remained steadfast since the couple met on The Bachelorette in 2017. “We clicked the first time we met,” says Rachel, who gave Abasolo the coveted first impression rose. “I was impressed.”

The wedding, planned by Mikie Russo of Michael Russo Events, was a celebration of their journey thus far — and of the one they’re about to embark upon.

“The show was one [part of our lives],” says Bryan. “This is the next chapter.”