Everyone wants their wedding day to be memorable, right? Well, couple-to-be Jill and Kevin certainly did a great job of making theirs just that, when the video of the very special entrance made by them and their wedding party on their special day went viral back in 2009. Since then, the couple’s wedding dance has become so famous that it has its own Wikipedia page, was recreated in an episode of The Office, and was even recognized by Time magazine as one of the greatest YouTube videos ever.
Whilst every aspect of the wedding no doubt felt very special to Jill and Kevin, the reason it became so popular online was that the couple decided to surprise their guests by dancing down the aisle rather than walking. Watching the video – which has reached a whopping 105 million views since its upload, by the way – at first, everything seems normal, with the ushers closing the church doors in readiness for the ceremony to begin. Soon, however, we discover that this is no ordinary wedding.
At this point, instead of the traditional ‘Wedding March’ or ‘Bridal Chorus’, the song ‘Forever’ by Chris Brown plays, before the groomsmen and bridesmaids progressively burst through the open doors and start to boogie their way down the aisle, much to the surprise and delight of their guests. Next, the groom emerges and does a forward roll towards the altar while the guests cheer him on. Finally, it’s the bride’s turn, and she does a funky dance down the aisle with a huge grin on her face.
And if one version of Jill and Kevin’s wedding entrance isn’t enough for you, check out this video showing how the happy couple and their wedding party recreated their iconic entrances live on a special edition of the Today Show. “Their wedding video was practically the biggest thing happening on earth during the summer of 2009,” commented one viewer, whilst various others came forward praising the joy on the faces of the couple both in the original video and the subsequent recreation.
Jill and Kevin’s unique entrance might have broken with traditional wedding etiquette, but it has certainly gone down in history as one of the most joyful YouTube videos the internet has ever seen. The fact the video went viral also arguably made the couple’s wedding day even more special than it would have been otherwise, and no doubt they will be relaying the story of how they and their wedding party danced down the aisle for many years to come.