In the 1980's my handsome first cousin married his cousin, from the other side of the family. He was considered to be a "catch" at BYU, until girls found out that he wanted 12 children--no negotiating, no flexibility. My Utah aunts and uncles were actually excited! The girl came from a great family, and everyone knew each other. What a great fit! (They had 11 children, and lost 4 babies at the end, while shooting for the 12th.)
I thought my cousin was just being overly-affectionate with me. He did kiss our second-cousin (his double-second cousin) waaay too much, though, and not friendship kisses.
He was such a narcissist, that I thought he couldn't marry himself, so a close cousin was the next-best thing.
One of my aunts on my dad's side was first cousins to her husband. Their only daughter moved as far away from her hometown as possible when she married to escape the constant teasing and ridicule she endured growing up in her little Mormon pioneer community. The kids were merciless to her and her siblings. She still gets really touchy about her parents being first cousins to this day, and she's like in her 70's now.
She can't even mention it or discuss it. Her parents were a favorite pair of aunt and uncle of mine. She is like a total complete stranger to me. Her parents were inactive Jack Mormons, who knew how to be genuinely kind and warm people. She's uber TBM to this day, and as uptight as can be about things her parents would honestly have scoffed at. They were really decent people.
But then they didn't have to endure all the teasing she did either, so I really don't know what she went through that made her so anal. Other than her religion which doesn't seem to help her any.
We had a falling out over that discussion lol. She was getting on my nerves, and I got on hers just by bringing up the subject of first cousins! I thought it would when I did. She was making me mad. Yep. She and I are first cousins, and only girls. You'd think we had some sibling rivalry going on between us. She kept trying to one up me. And I let her have it (on FB.) It's that Welsh-Irish-Scottish connection I tell ya! She kept going on and on about being our grandpa's favorite granddaughter. And I was like, who was she kidding? He loved all his grandkids. He didn't know how to show favoritism. My grandpa was the best.
Now he and my grandmother's children were "double first cousins," to their siblings children. That's because grandpa's sister married grandma's brother. Their children were as close as any siblings could be without being directly related. They grew up together. Moved together by covered wagon as children from Wyoming to Idaho. When my dad died two of those "double first cousins" spoke at his funeral. They were the last ones living then to be able to do that. Really nice people. If all Mormons were as good as them, the church would be phenomenol.