Excited brides put a great deal of time and energy into planning their weddings, doing their best to cover each minute detail. Usually, the big day is a celebration about the union of two people who found true love with one another.
With blended families, it’s often that and much more. Katie Hild (now Musser) understood that. As she stood at the altar reciting her vows to her husband Jeremy, guests had no idea that she had something else in store. There were more vows to follow.
Jeremy was already a father to a newborn when he met and started dating Katie. His son Landon was just a few weeks old and things were rough between him and his ex, Casey. Both Jeremy and Casey moved on in new relationships, but tension and discord tainted the relationship between the parents and their significant others.
No one got along. Then Katie decided she wanted things to change, so she made the first effort in trying to create peace while Landon was still a baby. She and Casey were finally able to find some middle ground, and eventually became dear friends.
It took more work to get Jeremy and Casey’s eventual new husband, Tyler, on good terms. But after some time, things mellowed out, and a loving co-parenting environment was established.
As a way to acknowledge the bonds between this blended family, Katie wrote two other sets of vows. One was for Casey and Tyler, and the other for Landon. She asked Casey to stand up and said to her:
“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. . .”
Tears welled up in everyone’s eyes as Katie continued, and then she turned her attention to four-year-old Landon. Stooping down in her flowing dress, she looked him in the eyes as she spoke:
“Landon, I will love you more than you will ever know. I’m so happy that I now officially get to be your bonus mommy. . .”
To hear all of Katie’s heartwarming words and the promises she made to her bonus family, watch the video below and allow the tears to flow. No one knew ahead of time what Katie planned to say, so her loving gesture caught everyone off guard – including Casey, who thought it was a very selfless and kind thing to do.
Katie wanted to be an example of what successful co-parenting looks like, even if things start off rocky. What matters most in the end is the love you have for the child. Though she shared the video and pictures from the ceremony on social media earlier this month, she didn’t know it would go viral.
It’s not always easy to adjust to new family dynamics, but these parents found a way to make it work. Now Landon has two sets of loving parents to support him for the rest of his life.
Did Katie’s vows move you to tears too? Have you ever had to deal with a blended family or co-parenting struggles?