The father-daughter dance at any wedding is usually pretty emotional – especially for the dad! Unfortunately, that wonderful moment isn’t always a possibility for every bride on her big day. For the daughters of officers who have fallen in the line of duty, even the thought of a father-daughter dance brings up emotions too strong to bear.
For one bride-to-be not that long ago, fellow officers stepped up in a really big way on the big day.
Kourtney Krietemeier was getting married a few years back when one of the most beautiful events happened at her wedding.
Krietemeier is the daughter of Denver Police Department Det. Donnie Young, a man who lost his life in 2005. Det. Donnie Young was serving his community and was killed in the line of duty, leaving his wife and two little girls behind. Although it was years later, Kourtney Krietemeier still felt the sting of his death, especially around life events like her wedding.
Kourtney and her husband, Tanner Krietemeier, added a few small things to their wedding to make sure her dad was remembered on her big day.
“I had my dad’s necklace wrapped around my bouquet. Tanner and I did a shot of Patron during the ceremony in his honor. We tried to make it fun — smiles, happy memories,” Kourtney told KDVR.
Still, they made do, and the ceremony was beautiful, just like it should have been. Her mother walked her down the aisle, with two of Det. Young’s close friends following close behind. While this was all planned, what happened next was a surprise for Kourtney.
Kourtney’s mom had arranged for Young’s fellow officers and close friends to dance with her during the moment the father-daughter dance should have gone on.
Although her mom knew it was coming, Kourtney did not!
“I was shocked. The look on my face in the video was like, ‘Oh no.’ I just knew the tears were going to be flowing,” Kourtney said.
Over the next minutes, officers took turns dancing with the now-bride on the floor, giving her words of encouragement and assurance.
The officers each told her something special, adding gravitas to the already emotional moment.
The song that played during the ceremony? A Paul Simon song that Kourtney’s dad played for her when she was little and gave her a replica badge with his number on it for Christmas.
“When I was super young, my dad got me small replica of his badge with his number on it for Christmas. He played that song when he gave it to me,” Kourtney told KDVR.
By the emotional end, it was clear that it was a success.
For Kourtney, the wedding day was made absolutely perfect by the people who were there for her. As she states:
“These are good, amazing people that put their lives on the line for us every single day. You never know what’s going to happen, you never know if they will be there tomorrow, so make sure you tell them how much you appreciate them.”
Check out the video below to get a closer peek at the heart-tugging, special dance!
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