Bride's Father Passed Away In Line Of Duty So His Colleagues Fill In At Her Wedding

Dec 02, 2019 by apost team

Weddings are an incredibly special day in someone's life. This makes it even harder when those we love are not there to witness it, for whatever reason. Heartbreakingly, that was the case for one Colorado woman, whose police officer father wasn't at her 2019 wedding since he had been killed in the line of duty in 2005. 

Instead of having a father-daughter dance, Kourtney Krietemeier chose to have a mother-daughter dance. But then halfway through, her family surprised her when seven of her late father's colleagues at the police station took turns and completed the dance with her. The emotional moment was captured on video and has since gone viral, as it proved that family can include those who aren't necessarily blood relatives. Let's take a look at her story.

Krietemeier was always a daddy's girl. One year when she was a young child, her doting daddy gave her a small replica of his police badge with his number on it. As he presented her with the token, he played the touching song “Father and Daughter” by Paul Simon. From that day on, the tune became their special song.

Years later, following her father's death, Krietemeier even told Today: "We did everything together. He was my best friend."

But in 2005, tragedy struck. Krietemeier lost her beloved father when Detective Donnie Young died while in the line of duty with the Denver Police Department. He had served that department for 12 years when he was shot and killed in a tragic incident on Mother's Day of that year.  

Despite having a loving mother by her side through life, Krietemeier still struggled with having to go through life's major moments without her father there with her. She told Today that "not having him here for big moments is always really hard.” So when Krietemeier became engaged, her aunt thought it would be a special moment to have Det. Young's former police colleagues walk her down the aisle. On the day, her mom ended up walking her down the aisle but two police officer colleagues of her father's followed close behind them. 

Then, during the reception, it was Krietemeier's mother who stepped in to share in the father and daughter dance. However, the glowing bride was in for a touching surprise when the song abruptly changed during the middle of the dance. It did not take long for her to realize that the new song was her special tune that she shared with her father. And what happened next brought everyone in the room to tears.

One of Det. Young's fellow police officers walked up to the bride and Krietemeier's mother stepped aside, as she allowed the two of them to share in the special moment. But it wasn't just one of Det. Young's police officer colleagues who stepped up in a big way to honor their late friend — one by one, each of the seven men Young called brothers on the force took turns as they danced with Krietemeier. What's more, they danced to "Father and Daughter," the song that held a special place for Krietemeier and her father. 

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In her interview with Today, Krietermeier revealed:

“I was excited to dance with my mom, but I kept thinking about my dad. I wanted him there too. I was kind of dreading that moment."

However, thanks to the police officers and their sweet actions, the moment ended up being one of the most special of the night. The moment was orchestrated by Krietermeier's mother since she knew her daughter had struggled with how she would feel during the dance. Krietermeier admitted that she "ugly cried." She added:

"Having them tell me they were proud of me and how proud my dad would be, it was so comforting.”

Meanwhile, Officer Danny Veith reflected on the special song's lyrics, as he told the news outlet:

"The lyrics are a snapshot of the infinite, indescribable love Donnie had for Kourtney."

After the wedding, the Denver Police Department posted a photo of Krietermeier, her husband and all seven of the officers on its Facebook page under the caption, "Dancing for Donnie." The post read:

"Last month, Kourtney Young got married. Kourtney is the eldest daughter of the late Denver Police Detective, Donnie Young. Donnie was killed in the line of duty on May 8, 2005. Several Denver Police officers attended the wedding, and while Donnie can never be replaced, the officers in attendance took turns dancing with Kourtney for the traditional father/daughter dance. The moment was one for the books and a reminder that law enforcement is family and family is forever."

The actions of these men that day are truly heartwarming. 

What did you think of the special moment when seven police officers danced with their deceased colleague's daughter at her wedding? Let us know, then pass this on so others can see it too.