Weddings are supposed to be a time of celebration in front of family and friends.
A turning point in your life where you have now dedicated yourself to your partner and will now live out the rest of your lives together. But what if an important family member wasn’t able to show up? Like a father?
Kirsten had a difficult time planning her wedding. Although it was at an incredible venue, the beautiful Kelley Farm in Bonney Lake, WA and it went swimmingly, there was something wrong…. something was missing. It’s a very common tradition that the bride is escorted down the aisle by her loving father who then leaves her at the alter with her partner. But Kirsten wasn’t going to be able to experience that.
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A few years earlier, in 2009, Kirsten’s father, Deputy Walter “Kent” Mundell, Jr.point 255 |
, suffered a tragic fate when he was killed in the line of duty.point 51 | He was working for the Pierce County Sheriff’s department at the time.point 116 | When Kirsten was planning her wedding she had no idea what she was going to do and it was making her wedding planning even more stressful.point 229 |
That’s when the local law enforcement officers heard about her father’s fate and decided to step in.point 96 | point 96 | 1
During the ceremony a seat in the front row was dedicated to a fallen hero, Kirsten’s father. This allowed him to be there in spirit and to be remembered.
Kirsten realized the next best thing to walking down the aisle with her father would be to be walked down the aisle by a fellow police officer.point 285 |
So she asked Seattle Police Detective Don Jones if he would be so kind as to walk her down the aisle and dance with her at the reception.point 110 | He happily accepted, but he also wasn’t the only one…point 166 | 1
It was time for the traditional father-daughter dance. That’s when Don Jones and three other Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies, where Kirsten’s father worked, each danced with Kirsten. The touching moment was so powerful that everyone in the audience were brought to tears.
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With each police officer dancing, new tears were brought to the surface. To see those who put on the blue uniform go the extra step to support the family of a fallen police officer is truly incredible.
Not only did these police officers give Kirsten a memory that would last a lifetime, but they also were able to give her the warmth, comfort and friendship she needed.
Thanks to the amazing photography done by Angela Lyons, we are able to share the amazing moments with the world. They are truly beautiful and like Angela Lyons says herself, the photos really do speak for themselves. Perfectly capturing the emotion of the dance.
In an amazing tribute to her father, Kirsten had her wedding dress laced with a blue ribbon. Symbolizing the Thin Blue Line, this tribute allowed her father, Deputy Mundell, to be with her in spirit. We are sure he is watching from heaven, with tears in his eyes.
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Have a loving marriage, Kirsten.