crying bride
Jade Small
Jade Small
December 22, 2023 ·  4 min read

Bride Cries While Dancing With A Cop, Then They See The Back Of Her Dress

Planning a wedding is never an easy thing to do. It’s even harder when the people you expect to be around to help are not able to be there. Decorations, catering, seating, and the most important aspect- the wedding dress. It’s a journey filled with tears of love, joy, and hope. Even though Kristen Mundell’s wedding didn’t have everyone in attendance she would’ve liked, her friends made sure the event was extra-special.

The event was held in 2015 at Kelley Farm in Bonney Lake, Washington. Kristen had gone through every detail and planned her wedding to be as close to perfect as she could get it. Of course, there was something missing. Or rather, someone— her father.

Six years prior, Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Kent Mundell responded to a domestic violence call. Sadly, he was shot in the line of duty and passed away seven days later. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Kent had served in the police department for 10 years and was an exemplary officer. His loss was felt throughout the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, and the community. Most of all, his family experienced a devastating sadness that is still being felt to this day.

The Wedding Dress that Left Everyone Speechless

When Kristen and her husband concluded the ceremony, they headed to the reception. Kristen had planned this event with special attention to the role her father would’ve held. “Any wedding is a big deal, and not having my dad there was a lot harder for all of us,” Kristen told KOMO. The wedding had special seating for those in attendance, with one chair reserved for Kent. “It’s hard realizing it’s been almost six years and he’s not going to be there and that chair,” she said. “It’s his chair and he’s there, but he’s not. It meant a lot knowing that we were able to save a spot for him and knowing that I felt him there I knew he was there.”

wedding chair, seating, memorial
Angie Mitchell Photography

Read: This gay couple’s mindblowing first dance at their wedding shocked their guests

Kristen had no idea how she would handle the heartbreaking situation of not having her father at her own wedding. However, she quickly came up with the idea to have Detective Don Jones walk her down the aisle. He was also the one to carry out the father-daughter dance. While Kristen and Don were dancing, the tears began to fall. The wedding dress Kristen chose to wear had a thin blue ribbon laced down her back, to represent the thin blue line of the police force. She honored her father and his profession every chance she got. Suddenly, the emotion of the event swept through the crowd, and other officers wanted to dance with Kristen.

 Wedding dress with 'thin blue line'
Angie Mitchell Photography – Wedding dress with ‘thin blue line’

Not a Dry Eye in the Room.”

Kristen has Det. Don walk her down the aisle
Angie Mitchell Photography – Kristen has Det. Don walks her down the aisle.

“We’re sitting there dancing and then all of a sudden someone taps me on the shoulder and says, ‘Can I cut in?’ I was shocked. I didn’t know how to react, how to respond,” Kirsten said. “He said, ‘there’s a whole line of us,’ and right as he said that is when the next officer cut in, and I just broke down.” She never expected those officers to step in and show their respect for Kent as they did. The overwhelming response from the crowd was a heart-touching one.

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“There wasn’t a dry eye in the room,” Detective Jones told People Magazine. “I mean, the photographer was crying at that point. Everybody was crying, it was very moving.”

Kristen never expected the outcome of her wedding. Her wedding dress was just one way to remember her father. Others in the community are still holding his memory close, even to this day. “People need to know that their family’s lives go on but they’re still affected by it every day,” Kristen said. “I know they’re always there for me if I need them. I never thought they’d just show up. It was the best wedding surprise ever.”

Officers with Kristen at wedding
Angie Mitchell Photography

The video of the wedding is beautiful. If you’d like to watch it for yourself, check out the video below:

Kristen’s wedding dress is still a memory and tribute to her Father. What do you think about this heartwarming story? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Keep Reading: 9 Years Later, Couple Finally Open the Wedding Gift an Aunt Told Them Not To Open

Sources

  1. Slain Cop’s Colleagues Dance With His Daughter On Her Wedding Day.” Little Things. Barbara Diamond. September 22, 2015.
  2. “Four Officers Dance with Fallen Deputy’s Daughter in ‘Best Wedding Surprise Ever’.” People. Tiare Dunlap . September 22, 2015.
  3. Daughter of Wash. deputy killed on duty gets wedding day surprise.” Idaho News. Russ Bowen. September 22, 2015.
  4. Cops step in to share wedding dance with fallen officer’s daughter.ABC News. September 22, 2015.
  5. Deputy Sheriff Walter Kent Mundell, Jr.” Officer Down Memorial Page.