When it comes to a wedding, it's about two people. But when it comes to being a family, this bride knows just how to make it.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on October 7, 2019. It has since been updated.
Weddings are always special. After all, it's the moment you and your partner decide to share each other's lives with love, surrounded by your close family and friends. So the idea of having your partner's ex present can send even the most confident bride into a breakdown. But not for this bride.
Katie Musser was more than excited to be tying the knot with the love of her life, Jeremy Wade. But for her, there was one other person at the wedding who was just as important — Jeremy's ex, Casey Bender who also happens to be the mother of his first son, Landon. So on the day of the wedding, the groom's guests were in for a shock when the bride decided to address her in a speech, while at the gathering. It was a speech that moved people to tears and might make you shed a few too.
After all, Katie hadn't pledged her vows to just Jeremy. She made special ones for Casey, her husband Tyler and most importantly, to Landon. Katie said, "I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing. I not only vowed to Jeremy. I gave a vow to Casey and Tyler. Then I vowed to Landon, and then to Jeremy. I wasn’t just going into a marriage with Jeremy and needed his trust and respect, but I needed Casey's and Tyler's, too."
But it wasn't always so easy for the bride and her fiance's ex.
Initially, Katie was not on good terms with Casey. "Landon's mom (Casey) and I hated each other," she recalled in a Facebook post, according to the Daily Mail. "So many stories, rumors, and judgments, but what would you expect? That's all we ever saw. That's the norm. You don't like the 'other person.'" Katie adds that the feeling was mutual at the time. Speaking to ABC News, Casey revealed, "Our relationship started out very rocky. The rumors fly and things were said and we did not like each other. But we didn't have a reason. It was like Katie said, it was just the norm."
However, it was Jeremy's little boy Landon who changed everything for the two. Both women absolutely adored Landon and as a result, they slowly started becoming closer. It took patience, trust and a lot more to get them to like each other. “One day, I woke up and thought, ‘I truly hate who I have become.’ I wanted to trust Jeremy fully and I didn’t want this for the rest of my life. So, right before Landon’s first birthday, I reached out,” she admitted on Facebook, according to CBS Local. She wrote, "I spoke nothing but truth to her. It was not easy. You can't trust someone in a second. Eventually, we started having 'mommy dates' and talked about everything from ourselves, Landon, and even old relationships."
So when the big day arrived and she was standing next to her husband-to-be, Katie singled out Casey in the audience and said, "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 will guide, teach and love him every single day. I will love you guys no matter what comes our way. We are one family always."
Then, calling her little stepson forward, Katie crouched down and said, "I promise to stand by you, listen to you and love you every day. I promise to love Daddy with all my heart. I promise to be a best friend to your mommy and your daddy Tyler. We will be one big family that I promise you will have for the rest of your life."
While Landon was overwhelmed and gave his stepmother a tight hug, his father was moved and had tears in his eyes as Katie made her vows to the important people in his life.
But Jeremy wasn't the only one emotional as the guests were seen wiping a few of their own tears away. However, it was Casey who was the most shell-shocked as she watched Katie whole-heartedly call them family as they were about to start a new chapter together. "I was completely blindsided in the most wonderful way," Casey said. "Looking back, it doesn't surprise me because that's the kind of pure person Katie is. She wants everyone to know that you can do this. It can be easy and you can love the co-parent of your child."
To Katie, these weren't just vows for the wedding. They were a promise for one family. She said, "One thing I promised, was to be ONE family, always. I know without hesitation, we will never break that promise. I know I can speak for us all, parenting is hard yet amazing; but co-parenting? It’s a blessing."
The wedding was indeed special for this family and it looks like Landon is never going to want for love because he's getting plenty of his from his "one family." Watch the heartwarming video here:
References:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1726455347376856
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5067147/Bride-recites-vows-groom-s-ex-stepson.html
