Bride honors the 15 most important men in her life by having them walk her down the aisle

Every bride wants their fathers or any significant male member of their family to escort them down the aisle on their wedding day. But Ivy Jurgensen was blessed to have not one but fifteen men who substituted as a father figure on her big day instead in the absence of her biological dad. Jurgensen, who resides in Washington, found the perfect way to honor every important man and "father figure" by having them walk her down the aisle on her big day. 

According to Good Morning America, the 28-year-old bride credited each of these fifteen men for guiding and protecting her ever since she was a child. "They've played huge roles in my life, in protecting and providing for me when I didn't ask them to," Jurgensen told the outlet. "So, for me to honor them and for everyone to see them and who they are to me was very special for me." Among the men who took turns to walk Jurgensen to her newlywed husband Tristen, there was her biological brother and uncle, her brother-in-law, some close family friends and her coaches from youth sports.

The list of esteemed guests also included a school resource officer who had saved Jurgensen as a child. The new bride revealed that the officer is the one she confided in when she was a teenager and was subjected to abuse at her home. Behind her the build-up to her big day, Jurgensen has a harrowing history with her biological father who was a criminal. About a decade ago, Jurgensen's father was convicted of abusing and sexually molesting a child and was sentenced to prison, per court records. The officer who arrested him was also present at the venue.

Even though Jurgensen grew up with a distrust of law enforcement, her encounter with the school resource officer was a turning point in her life. "I started to trust my school resource officer and I realized that he had a big heart and he loved his job and that he really he did care about the students in his school and the community he served," she said and added: "That fostered a friendship with my school resource officer was vital in me in starting to escape and find justice." The man ended up inspiring Jurgensen to pursue a career as a school resource officer herself.

"Without them, I don’t think I’d be where I’m at today in my life," Jurgensen added, "It was very heartwarming and just a special moment that I’m very grateful I got to share with them." Moments from the wedding were shared by the wedding organizer for the event, Karrah Perez, on her Instagram, as well as, her TikTok account. Even though Jurgensen was not expecting this emotional moment from her wedding to go viral, she is glad that it did and hopes that it inspires others like her who survived an abusive childhood.

"I hope that what people take away from my story is strength. That they are able to gain the courage to get and receive the help that they deserve and to no longer be voiceless," she said and added, "You are not alone and deserve to be heard and get justice. Saving yourself could be saving other unknown victims." The new bride revealed to the outlet that she is planning to write a book about her experiences and share her journey of healing her trauma by helping others. "Trauma does not define you and you can still overcome it and use your trauma to help other people escape and be free from their trauma so that they can move forward. My trauma does not define me. It shaped me," she concluded.