Kourtney Krietemeier experienced great joy at her wedding to her husband Tanner when the men in blue during the traditional father-daughter dance took the place for her own father: Denver Police Department Detective Donnie Young was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2005.
“I was shocked. The look on my face in the video was like, 'Oh no.' I just knew the tears were going to be flowing," Kourtney told FOX31 Denver.
She added that on the dance floor they told her “pretty much how proud they were of me, how special my dad was to them, just how excited they were for us.”
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Officer Danny Veith was the first cop to dance with Kourtney.
“It was very emotional. I felt despair like Donnie’s being robbed of this moment. Then I took stock of all that has happened in the last 14 years and looking at Kelly and all she has accomplished in the last 14 years since Donnie’s murder and then seeing Kelsey and Kourtney are these beautiful young women. Little girls no more. So the emotions finally ended up with joy, seeing how happy Kourtney and Tanner were and the future they had," Veith said. "I just told her how Donnie was and is proud of her. Being the first to dance with her, I got to see every other officer walk out, very proud, happy fathers. And then as they turned their back to Kourtney to return to our group, every single one of them was crying. At that moment, I was just so proud of these guys and how far they have come in the last 14 years.”
Kourtney’s new husband was happy to see his new bride supported on their special day.
Tanner said, “It’s a pretty amazing thing to watch how they come together wrap around and support Kourtney and her family, it’s a special thing.”
Kourtney said she and her husband Tanner wanted to include her father in any way they could.
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“I had my dad’s necklace wrapped around my bouquet. Tanner and I did a shot of Patron during the ceremony in his honor. We tried to make it fun -- smiles, happy memories," Kourtney said.
“Big life moments are hard not having him here," Kourtney added.