Weddings are a time to celebrate the love between two people in front of family and friends. There’s nothing quite so special as being able to watch the people you love celebrate their new bond together.
In November of 2017, one couple in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania was eager to tie the knot. When it was time for the bride to say vows, she turned to face the crowd and made a startling demand. The whole church was holding its breath…
When Katie Hild met Jeremy Musser four years prior, they’d only been dating for six blissful weeks when Jeremy told Katie something shocking.
He told Katie that he had a son, named Landon. Katie was a little taken aback, as she was only 20 years old, but she decided to be calm about it. She asked Jeremy, “How old is [he]? 2?”
She wasn’t ready for his response when he told her his son was just three weeks old. Katie didn’t know what to think. They had been dating for six weeks and this was the first time he decided to tell her about his newborn baby?
As one can expect with a new baby, the tension was high. Jeremy was stressed in his relationship with Landon and his mom, Casey Jo Booker. And when Jeremy’s ex-lover and current lover met, they didn’t get along.
Katie knew that if she was going to spend her life with Jeremy, as she hoped, she and Casey would have to be in each other’s lives forever. They needed to make things work. She decided to reach out to Casey.
It wasn’t easy at first, but they agreed to go on “mommy dates”. Katie asked Casey to meet her for a cup of coffee. Waiting for Casey, Katie got even more nervous, but she knew this was a step they had to take.
They continued to try and work things out, and life kept happening, too. Eventually, Casey met her now husband, Tyler. He too had a difficult time adjusting to this tricky family dynamic…
When Katie and Jeremy decided to tie the knot, Jeremy knew he needed to reach out to Tyler. He sent him a message thanking him for being there for Landon and ended it by inviting Tyler for a drink, but they never went.
Finally, the wedding day arrived. Jeremy and Katie couldn’t wait to say their vows at their beautiful fall ceremony. They were surrounded by friends and family, and Katie’s mom was the officiant.
It was time for them to say their vows to each other, but when it was Katie’s turn she didn’t turn to Jeremy, she turned to the crowd and asked Casey, to stand up. No one knew what to expect, surely Katie and Casey were no longer enemies?
No one knew of Katie’s plan to call out Casey. Still, everyone turned their heads to witness the interaction that was about to happen…
As Casey stood up in front of the crowd gathered there, Katie started to speak. She said something stunned everyone: she told them all about how she and Casey hated each other…
But for the sake of the little boy in both of their lives, they were able to move past it. On their special day, Katie invited Casey to do the first look. She wanted to give Casey a sunflower bracelet, like the ones her bridesmaids wore, to let Casey know how important she was.
The past was the past, and Katie was ready to move forward and start her life with Jeremy. They were just about ready to recite their vows when Katie asked Casey to stand up. After everything the pair had been through, Katie’s words were truly moving.
“First, I want to thank you for accepting me as your friend and allowing me to be a part of Landon’s life. I promise to be an amazing mother to your son. I promise to respect, work, listen, and communicate together as co-parents. I will love you guys no matter what. We are one family.”
Katie then turned to Landon. She said, “I promise to love daddy with all my heart, I promise to be a best friend to mommy and your daddy Tyler. We will be one big family that I promise you will have for the rest of your life. I love you so much.”
Katie knew she needed to “say her vows” to Casey and Landon first before she could turn to Jeremy and promise her life to him. From the beginning, four years ago, Katie knew it wasn’t going to be just the two of them in the end.
As the wedding came to an end, Tyler approached Jeremy with his white flag raised high. He said, “After all of this is over, let’s go get that drink.”
Katie shared her story in a Facebook post to illustrate how much time and effort it takes to build a supportive blended family and that it’s truly a blessing.
She ended her post with this final thought, “It’s possible to get along, communicate, and give the same rules/love/respect on both sides for your child/children. Go against the norm. BE that CHANGE.”
It’s not always easy to get along with family, especially if you’re marrying into a blended unit. Katie made it work and wanted to share her journey with others going through the same situation.
Share this bride’s loving wedding vows with your friends below!