It should have been Kristen Mundell’s father who walked her down the aisle to give her away. Six years after his death, Pierce County Sheriff’s deputy officer Kent Mundell may have been absent from his daughter’s wedding, but his memory lived on through Kristen’s tributes.
From the blue lacing on the back of her gown, symbolizing law enforcement, to the front row chair he would have sat on during the ceremony, over which placed his police jacket and a framed photograph of a 3-month-old Kristen held by her beloved father.
“I knew he was there and watching over me, and proud and happy,” Kristen said.
When the time came, a close family friend and fellow law enforcement officer took her by the hand and began the father-daughter dance.
But what Kristen didn’t know was that her father’s brothers in blue intended to pay a special tribute themselves. They rose, and one at a time, cut in and danced with her.
“I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I was so confused. There were so many mixed emotions. I was so happy to see them but confused at the same time,” she said.
After the first officer tapped her on the shoulder, the two danced and spoke briefly.
“He was telling me that they’re always here for me, and then I said, ‘I can’t believe you’re here,’ and he said something like, ‘There’s a whole line of us.’ And that’s when the next officer came up.”
“That’s when it really hit me. Oh my gosh, these guys really are always here for me, and they want to show their love and support for me and my family, and they want to honour my dad and make this the best wedding day for me.”
Kristen was 16 when her father was shot responding to a domestic violence call in December 2009, dying from his injuries seven days later, according to his memorial page.
The wedding photographer, Angela Lyons, described the reception as “a collision of emotion” for all in attendance.
“It was so sweet and touching but at the same time, your heart was just breaking,” said Angela. “The way they were dancing with her, the expression on their faces, you could tell they were trying to soak in her pain, just like her real father would.”
Don Jones, the Seattle Police detective who walked Mundell down the aisle and began the tribute dance, said that “Kirsten can share her story and her father’s memory to all these people who don’t know her and to see there is life after tragedy.”
Kristen, surprised by the global reaction she received about her wedding story, says that it’s allowed her to think about how she can help those in similar situations.
“I’ve always wanted to do something to help law enforcement families that happen to go through tragedies, and I never could have imagined the possible opportunity would have come up through my wedding pictures,” she said.
“It started with one surprise to make my wedding day more special, and them showing me that they still thought about my dad and they were still there for my family, even though it’s been almost six years,” she said.
“They’re always there for us. It really is a huge family. I’m so happy it’s gotten attention because it shows the good side of police and law enforcement.”
Images via Angela Lyon’s Facebook page.
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