Most brides can’t wait to have their first turn on the dance floor after getting married.
The crowd clears away and the spotlight is on for the couple of the night. It’s a tradition few go without.
But for one new bride, there was a first couple dance – but it just wasn’t her and her groom. It was for her parents.
You see, when Chris and Jacque Ford’s daughter recently got married, they didn’t know it at the time, but their own marriage was something on Zoe’s mind.
“As some of you may or may not know, my parents ran away when they were 18 and got married in secret, and they never got their own first dance,” Zoe said in a now-viral TikTok video.
So, we would like to give that to you guys as a thank you for always being there for us and supporting us.”
An emotional Chris and Jacque Ford got up to dance, and the crowd joined in the celebration, as they swayed to “Your Song” by Ellie Goulding.
Chris and Jacque Ford. Photo by Raven Berlin Photography
And the shock on the parents face, and the pure emotion, said all anyone needed to know. But more importantly, something Jacque never thought she’d needed became the very thing she did want. The first dance with her own husband, Chris.
@debloemco♬ Your Song – Ellie Goulding
The California couple began their romance in high school at the age of 15. At 18, the lovestruck couple tied the knot at the county courthouse in 1988.
“We just wanted to be together,” said Jacque, who works as an event florist specializing in weddings.
They tried to keep the marriage a secret, but when the tax year rolled around, Jacque said, her mother found out from the accountant.
“She tried to claim me and her tax lady was like, ‘Oh, you can’t claim that social security number. It’s married.'”
The couple said that while they renewed their vows in 2017 in Israel, there had never been a ceremony that involved their friends and family.
Chris and Jacque Ford. Photo by Raven Berlin Photography
“We were like, ‘We don’t need a wedding,’ Jacque said. “But to have that moment Zoe gave to us … that fulfilled me in a way that I didn’t even know I wanted or needed. It was a beautiful moment to have with him.”
The moment not only brought tears to the wedding guests, it also brought out the emotional side of the thousands of commenters on TikTok.
Wow this made me cry INSTANTLY – what a beautiful family founded on so much love,” said one viewer.
In addition to their daughter, Zoe, Chris and Jacque have another daughter and a son. The pair have been together for more than 25 years.
I’d say the elopement was a good idea for these lovebirds who have made themselves quite a wonderful life. Watch below for a look at this amazing duo.
