Groom spent months learning ASL to recite his vows in sign language—left the bride and her deaf parents in tears
The smallest gestures meant to show inclusion might mean the world to people. So, when a groom spent months learning ASL to include the bride's deaf parents as he signed the vows, all of them were left in tears. The parents didn't know that the man, Zachary Swain, was planning this surprise for them. That's why, when he began signing his vows, the wedding party was quite stunned, per a video shared by their wedding photographer, who goes by @films.by.ry on TikTok. The clip received over 18.6 million views.
"The groom secretly learned sign language to sign his vows...so the bride's deaf parents could be included," the text overlay of the video read. Zachary signed the vows as he read them to Hallie in the video. The extra effort for her parents, Paul and Gina Kulick, left Hallie in tears as the vows began. "My parents were completely surprised when Zach signed his vows. It truly touched them. It showed them that he sees them, that he’s thinking of them — not just as my family, but as part of his now too. That moment meant more than words can say," Hallie told PEOPLE. Halllie had an idea that Zachary was going to sign his vows, but she hadn't imagined that the moment would feel so emotional in reality.
"Every word felt like it came straight from his heart. It wasn’t just romantic, it was personal and intentional. What made it even more special was that my parents had no idea he was going to sign," Hallie expressed. "It was a true reflection of not just his love toward me, but of respect and connection to my family. That moment captured exactly who Zach is and it reminded me why I chose him and why I’ll keep choosing him for the rest of my life." Hallie's brother helped Zachary with any questions or doubts he might have as he prepared for the big surprise. The photographer called it "One of the sweetest wedding moments I’ve ever had the privilege of capturing" in the caption.
"It was an incredibly special moment. The vows were a heartfelt surprise, but what made it even more meaningful was revealing that I had spent months learning American Sign Language at the Dallas Deaf Action Center," Zachary continued. In another clip, the photographer shared the bride's parents' reaction to the groom's gesture. The man gifted them his ASL Certificate during the ceremony. Both parents were in tears as they thanked Zachary after the ceremony and accepted his gift. The caption read, "So happy everyone is loving this moment as much as I do." People applauded the groom for his efforts in the comments section of the video.
@kriddycentt wrote, "I don't know if y'all know the stats, but around 80% of deaf people grow up in families who refuse to learn sign language. This is huge." @karlofwindhelm commented, "To know your daughter is being loved by a man who is thoughtful enough to learn your language so he can communicate with you and truly enter your family… that has got to be just the best feeling." @apreston2018 remarked, "The fact that deaf people have parents, siblings and other family members who don’t learn sign to communicate with them, but he did it for his in-laws! This is beautiful."
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