During the first week of April, just five weeks before Michael Bryan Beard and Michael Shane Hutsen were to be married, Mr. Beard suffered a spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak. Doctors weren’t sure of the outcome, the couple said.

But after several days in the intensive care unit, the medical team at Houston Methodist Hospital found and repaired the leak. “The doctors told us to be prepared for months of rehabilitation following the surgery,” Mr. Hutsen said.

Instead, Mr. Beard awoke after surgery “fully coherent,” said Mr. Hutsen, who goes by Shane.

When the two met 18 months before, they could never have imagined going through such a harrowing experience together. On Oct. 17, 2023, both were playing in Pride Sports League pickleball games at Bumpy Pickle in Houston.

Mr. Hutsen’s teammate, Tim Surratt, who has known Mr. Beard for 30 years, was also playing that day, and Mr. Beard recalled him saying, “‘Come watch my team. We are terrible.’”

When the two met, Mr. Beard “said to me, ‘Wow you look so athletic,’” Mr. Hutsen recalled. “He was very charming and handsome.”

The attraction was mutual, and the two regretted not exchanging numbers. Instead, Mr. Hutsen found Mr. Beard on Instagram that night “and awkwardly dove into his DMs,” he said.