They carried out their wedding duties with pride.
In her first year with a class of her own, Kinsey French, a special ed teacher in Louisville, Kentucky, developed a special bond with her students. That’s why when it came to her wedding day, she invited the class to join her bridal party as flower girls and ring bearers. “They were like family to me,” Kinsey told local news outlet WLKY of the students, ages seven to 11. “ They were my first class and they’ve been my only class, and so I knew I couldn’t have a special day without them.”
Kinsey, whose wedding took place on June 3, has taught children with Down syndrome for the past three years at the Christian Academy’s Providence School. Her now-husband, Josh, was involved too—in fact, he proposed to Kinsey in front of the class, knowing how much it would mean to her, writes CNN. The wedding went viral after photographer Lang Thomas Leichhart shared photos of Kinsey in her dress, surrounded by her students. “I was brought to tears many times during the day,” he told CNN. “You can tell how genuine she is to these kids.” And while the children loved carrying out their wedding responsibilities and partaking in photo opps, they told WLKY that their favorite part of the night was the dancing. For Kinsey, it was making memories that will last a lifetime. “It was so exciting,” she told WLKY. “It was really special for Josh and myself just to have them a part of the day, and have them come with us and celebrate with us.”