For most of us, our wedding day is one of the most important days of our lives. We always make sure it can be as close to perfect as we can possibly make it happen. One very important factor that determines how significant a wedding is, would have to be the attendees.
We always want our loved ones and the people close to us, be present there with us, to witness the union in holy matrimony. This bride decided that she wanted the groom’s ex to attend their wedding. She ended up doing something that completely took everyone by surprise during the wedding…

1. A Strange Beginning

Most married couples, usually meet in college or high school and the star of our story are no different. Katie Hild and Jeremy Musser met around four years ago while they were both studying in college.
From there very first date, they knew this wasn’t just a “casual thing”. Katie felt like there could be something really special between the two, so she wanted to see how things went with this guy she was falling for.

2. Reciprocating

Even for Jeremy, the connection and spark that he had with Katie was not something he could ignore. He appeared to share those feelings too and the two quickly started their courtship.
It became more serious in a matter of a few months too. However, there was something that was a little nontraditional about the relationship that the two lovebirds share. So what could this be?

3. Relationship Struggle

Well, this couple was a little different than the typical couple because of the fact that Jeremy had recently become a dad. He had a baby with the woman he was previously involved with.
Even though he was not romantically linked with Casey, who is the mother of his child, he had no choice but to still keep her in his life, This was something that truly complicated the relationship with Katie.

4. Too Many Complications

There was also a problem on Casey’s side as well. She had been quite hurt and upset because of the fact that the father of her kid was no longer interested in building a relationship with her.
She actually resented Jeremy being able to move on so quickly. The thought of her son being raised by another mother was something that truly made her feel uncomfortable. Judging from all these, it would be hard for Katie to fit in.

5. Building Bridges

It is situations like these that usually confused everyone and lead many couples to break-up. However, Katie from the start loved baby Landon. Even though she admired and cared for the baby boy, she was still worried about striking the wrong note with Casey.

Fast forward a year and she and Jeremy were both certain that this relationship was meant to last. And that is why they were both determined to have a cordial relation with Landon’s mother.

6. Olive Branches

It must have been quite risky for Katie because this was the woman her boyfriend had a baby with, the mother of his son. If something went wrong with her, there would definitely be some serious consequences.

Even though Casey did not let Katie in right away, because she insisted, the two slowly started talking. This was both a weird place for the women to be standing in, but they slowly warmed up to each other.

7. Becoming A Family

The two women started spending a little time together, with the intention of burying the hatchet. In the beginning, they were bonding solely for the purpose of Landon but things slowly started changing.
The pair soon found out that they had a lot more in common than they both realized. “We bonded on so many more levels than just Landon,” said Casey later in an interview when asked about their bond.

8. Bonding Tighter

The two of them became good friends quickly as they shared so many common interests and outlook. Even they were surprised themselves to see that they were alike in so many aspects.
So soon, Casey lost her resentment towards Katie. She soon met the man she went on to marry named Tyler. The time was coming for Jeremy to pop the question too as the couple got more serious.

9. A Huge Step

Since the couple had been romantically linked for over a year now, it came time for the two to make it official. When Jeremy asked for her hand in marriage, Katie replied with a yes immediately, having no hesitation at all.
She had been dreaming of this for a long time and it was finally happening to her. Even though she felt happy, there was a rush of anxiety and self-consciousness that would take over Katie soon.

10. A Stepmother

Katie was glad to be getting married to Jeremy. However, that automatically meant that she would become a stepmother. This was something she had been worried about for a long time now.
She was fearful that she might not get it right. It was clear that this was a huge role that she was not entirely sure she could handle. It also meant that Katie would now have a relationship with two people too, whether she liked it or not.

11. Co-Parenting

It was inevitable for Katie to be in the lives of both Casey and the baby boy. Since she was getting married to Jeremy,  she would be Jeremy’s wife, a stepmother to Landon. And also, Katie would be a co-parent along with Jeremy, Casey, and Tyler.
While extremely unconventional, it was what it was and she would have to deal with it, whether she liked it or not. If truth be told, It was the role of a parent that was the most frightening part for Katie.

12. Katie’s Plan

Katie was nervous because she did not want to be a negative impact on the boy. She was still unsure whether she would be able to handle the disagreements and tension that co-parenting entails.

She did not have a kid herself, so she was not confident if she was capable or not. She was trying to mold herself to be able to do this and soon an idea came to her that she thought could possibly make it easier.

13. Writing Her Vows

After weeks of planning, the time came for Jeremy to wed Katie. It was a beautiful ceremony where Katie knew that her life was going to change forever, for not only her but also Landon.
And when the time came for her to write down her wedding vows, Katie was clear that she had to be serious about it. When she marries Jeremy, she would also take on a lifelong responsibility to be a parent for the young boy.

14. Self Reflection

The two getting married would also mean that she would have to raise the child along with three other people.  Katie was apprehensive about her skills as a parent since she had no experience at all in that sphere.
She did not really know how to reflect upon herself although she knew she wanted to be considerate about this very complicated situation. She loved the kid and was willing to be her best self for his sake.

15. The Right Decision

That was when Katie realized that there was something she needed to do for her wedding, someone she had to invite. It was someone whom no one expected her to actually send an invitation to, but she did anyway.
“Then I realized I’m missing something, the piece that helped shape me and Jeremy’s relationship and helped us both grow up,” Katie added, “I needed Casey to know how thankful I am to her.”

16. A Hidden Agenda?

Since she was sure she wanted her to be there, Katie eventually invited Casey and Tyler to attend their wedding. As their wedding day was nearing, Katie was feeling a lot more at peace.
This was a decision she knew was right. She felt positive about it so she did it. And she was also planning something for her wedding that not even the groom was aware of. Whatever could that be?

17. The Wedding Day

And the time came for Jeremy and Katie to finally tie the knot and make things official. The lovers were finally going to be unified. And on the day of the wedding, the ceremony went by smoothly.
There were no issues that caused a hindrance during the wedding. The guests, the decorations and the bride were all something to marvel about. The ceremony started and now came time for the vow exchange.

18. Facing The Crowd?

And so Katie was the first to read her vows. She did a very surprising thing because, as she started reading her vows, she was not even facing Jeremy. She was not even directing her vows towards him.
So, where was she looking? Well, Katie actually took a step back and faced the guests who were all sitting. Why was she doing this and what was she going to say? Everyone present was confused and a little concerned too…

19. Unorthodox Vows

While everyone thought that Katie would just start saying her vows, something very strange happened. The minister for the wedding ceremony handed Katie a piece of paper and announced via the microphone.
“To start their vows, I’d like to invite Tyler and Casey Bender to stand.” What were they trying to do and why would Casey and her husband be invited to join them there?  Something was off…

20. Handing The Mic

As soon as the minister spoke those words, everyone present turned towards the backside of the church. They were all trying to spot Landon’s mom and stepfather who soon got to their feet an marched towards the stand.
None of the guests were aware of what was about to happen nor could they guess. And when the two stood next to the bride and groom, the microphone was given to Katie by the minister.

21. The Promise

Everyone was leaning in to hear what the beautiful bride wanted to say. “First I want to thank you for accepting me as your friend and allowing me to be a part of Landon’s life,” Katie began.
 “I promise to be an amazing mother to your son. I will guide, teach, and love him every single day.” She was directing her message to none other than the son of Jeremy and his dear mother.

22. More To The Speech

Everyone in the church could not believe what had taken place. To say the whole room was emotional would be an understatement. The wedding attendees began to get teary eyes but Katie was not done with her speech.
She had a lot to say and it was clear that she had been thinking about what to speak about and confess during her wedding. Her vows included some other things too besides promising to be a caretaker of Landon.

23. Respecting And Listening

Katie continued with her speech and she let out the things that she wished to share with Jeremy and Casey and her husband. “And I promise to respect, work, listen, and communicate together as co-parents”
“I will love you guys no matter what comes our way. We are one family, always,” she concluded. She wanted to let them know that she was willing to give her all so that they all enjoy bringing up their wonderful son together.

24. More To Address

Her speech was so moving and touching that it left everyone crying, shocked and overwhelmed. She was giving such a powerful speech that the sniffles could be heard from all the corners of the church.

They were so touched to see that Katie took being a parent so seriously, that her love for their son was real and strong. But Katie was not done giving her speech. She had one more person, who was not Jeremy, she had to address.

25. A Vow To Landon

After she was done with her vows, the minister then called Landon to come over. Then Katie bent down to face the boy and took his hand too. Let’s just say, at this point, there were no dry eyes!

“Landon,” she emotionally declared “I love you more than you will ever know. I’ve had the privilege of knowing you since the beginning.” Even from the start of her speech, everyone started getting emotional, fighting back their tears, trying to compose their emotions…

26. A  Tearful Room

Katie was revealing all of her inner feeling, the love that she had for little Landon. “I’ve loved watching you grow and I will for the rest of my life. I’m so happy that now I officially get to be your bonus mom,” she continued.
Landon looked directly into Katie’s eyes and the people present there were immensely touched at not only the thoughtfulness of Katie but her bond with her soon-to-be-son. She was also holding back her tears, finding her words, trying to express herself.

27. Husband And Wife

She explained to Landon what she was willing to do, “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.”
It was clear from her speech that Katie did not take this parenting role lightly, that she was determined to break away from the norm and wanted to leave a positive impact on the boy who now had 4 parents.

28. Not Just For 2

After she told him all that she had to get off her chest, Katie gave Landon a huge hug and stood up. She and Jeremy continued with exchanging their vows. Then the couple finally got married.
It was a wonderful wedding ceremony that now connected not only the two of them but 3 other people. Katie and Jeremy were officially husband and wife. It was certainly an event that resulted in a lot of lifelong connections.

29. Family Of Six

When they first knew about each other, Katie and Casey did not expect there would ever come a point where they would be as close as they are now. “At the time, I thought we would be able to be cordial and co-parent”
Casey revealed, “Never in a million years did I think she and I would be the very best of friends,”. This confirming how close she felt to the father of her son’s new wife. They odd-pair usually pose together for Christmas cards.

30. Family Goals

This was not even the best part yet. It was such a win-win situation for little Landon. Why? you ask. Well, he gets to be raised by two mommies and two daddies. And despite how stepmother and stepfathers have been portrayed in storybooks, all of his parents love him and each other.
They are all one big happy family that is willing to work together to make things work, to keep each other happy and healthy. They are truly family goals if ever there was such a thing.

31. A Weekly/Monthly Family Night

As children grow older, it gets tougher to find time to spend together as a family. They are no longer toddlers who need to be under constant care. They have their own activities and hobbies that they attain the older they get.
If you want to spend time with your kid, you need a constant and properly scheduled time that you can spend as a whole family. You can keep aside all digital gadgets and play board games or discuss topics you want to talk about and spend quality time together.

32. Dinnertime Together

The family dinner table is another place that can help you and your family grow closer together. Everyone knows that food is the best tool that can bind family members together, that everyone cannot pass up.
If we sit at the dinner table, good food and a loving atmosphere can always bring everyone together. You will realize that the family dinner table is the one place where everyone can enjoy a meal and rejoice in togetherness…

33. Daily Devotion Time

If you spend some amount of time to hold family devotions, it will certainly help your family to stay rooted. It gives the family a good time to strengthen the faith and beliefs we share when we hold devotions.
You must teach your children to be able to lead devotions as it will help them be a better individual in the future. We must inculcate in our children the importance that religion and spirituality has…

34. Date Nights

You must always set aside a night when you and your partner can share some quality time. This does not include your kids, but it is crucial that you and your partner build a stronger bond, be intimate and grow closer together.
It will benefit the whole family as you can work together as a team. The health of your whole family branches from how you and your partner work. This then reflects on the children.

35. A Community Service Project

If you do a community service project together at least once a year, you will be quite surprised to see the effect it has on your whole family. You should find a cause that speaks volume to your family, one that aligns with your beliefs and values.
You can always help the less fortunate or visit an orphanage. You will get to learn a lot of lessons and appreciate what you have. Both parents and kids can benefit from such activities.