‘I Practiced For Several Weeks.’: Bride Surprises Groom by Signing Her Wedding Vows For Deaf In-Laws. 

When people get married they usually exchange vows that promise to love, honor, and support their significant other. They also vow to accept their significant other’s family as their own. This often comes with learning to compromise and make sacrifices for the sake of everyone in the family. It is not always possible to please everyone but one woman named Kelsey Kulick found a way to do just that, through her wedding vows. 

A Heartwarming Story Built Out of Love.

A story covered originally by GoodMorningAmerica, back in January tells of a woman from Alabama. Although there is nothing significant about a fall wedding, other than the spectacular colors, Kelsey’s circumstances are unique. Her inlaws are deaf, which has the tendency to create some language barriers. However, in a heartwarming gesture, she chose to learn how to do her vows in sign language. Her hope was to bring smiles to everyone on such a joyous day and she was completely successful. The story has gone viral and been viewed, liked, or commented on more than 700,000 times since being posted.

Covering All the Bases. 

Kelsey ran the idea of signing her vows to her future husband shortly after his proposal. She wanted to show him and his family how much love she had for them and she wanted to make sure she didn’t come across as insensitive or disrespectful. Michael, her now husband, thought it was a great idea. With Michael’s blessing, she recruited the help of his aunt. Although not hearing impaired, she is married to a man who uses ASL to communicate. Kelsey wrote her vows and then asked Michael’s aunt to record herself signing the vows. Kelsey then imitated the video and spent weeks practicing. She soon realized Michael had forgotten about her idea which made the surprise even better!

Read: Bride leaves empty seat for her late son, then cries seeing who showed up at her wedding

A Sweet Surprise. 

Their wedding day arrived and the only other person who knew of Kelsey’s plan was the videographer. On the day of their wedding, Kelsey and Michael stood before their friends and family and exchanged vows. Chandler Smith, the videographer captured the ceremony and later posted the beautiful vow exchange on the internet. When Kelsey began to sign her vows Michael was completely touched because he had forgotten this was her plan. Her secret plan had worked and his parents were just as surprised. They were so touched they told Michael over and over again how special they think his new bride is. 

Hopes For the Future.

Although Kelsey doesn’t speak ASL herself, she hopes to learn more and become fluent in ASL. She wants to be able to communicate more easily and grow closer to her new family. Kelsey has also expressed the desire for her future children to learn ASL in an attempt to eliminate the language barrier her future children may face when communicating with their grandparents. 

There was a time in society when people who were disabled or impaired, were ridiculed and treated unfairly. This likely stemmed from an instinctual response to evolution, survival of the fittest, or natural selection. We’ve come so far in our developments that there are countless classes and programs offered to assist those living with disabilities and impairments and their loved ones. Through these resources many people today, just like Kelsey, are learning to honor and communicate with those different from themselves. 

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