On Tuesday, America honored its veterans. On his wedding day, veteran Sgt. Joey Johnson honored his bride by standing for their first dance. Standing for such a moment would only seem customary, but for Johnson, who uses a wheelchair, it required a master plan.
Johnson and his friends created a system that included a harness and allowed Johnson to stand eye-to-eye with his bride, Michelle, as they danced to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri.
"When Michelle walked in, the whole room was quiet; she had no idea what was going on," photographer Jennifer Davis of LinneaLiz Photography said. "She saw Joey standing, and she had a giant smile on her face, which quickly turned to tears. Everyone was in tears. Joey had been planning the dance for months, and having his military groomsman literally supporting him added even more to the emotion in the room. The dance was a beautiful moment to not only capture but to experience.”
Johnson, an Indiana native, has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder since returning from 10 months of service in Afghanistan. Upon his return from duty, he found that riding motorcycles relieved his stress, but it was a motorcycle accident on Aug. 12, 2012, that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
Joey and Michelle Johnson met four months before his accident, but it did not deter them from becoming engaged in April 2013.
"Our family and I have been through so much, but we all know that Joey is still the same person, funny and loving guy he was before," Michelle told ABC News. "He had to learn a different way of life with him and his chair: from showering, getting dressed and trying to function every day. But we are soul mates."
Joey & Michelle Dancing from Jennifer Traynor on Vimeo.
Email: mjones@deseretdigital.com