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Best wedding processional. Ever. Now, the backstory...
Deacon's Bench ^ | July 25, 2009 | DEACON GREG KANDRA

Posted on 07/26/2009 2:23:25 PM PDT by NYer

Well, the couple who launched this terrific wedding video are speaking out about their exuberant nuptial boogie.

They popped up a couple days ago on TODAY:

Most couples wait until the reception before breaking out into the Funky Chicken on their wedding day, but Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson figured, why wait to unleash their unbridled joy?

The 28-year-olds floored their wedding guests by having their whole bridal party — including seven bridesmaids, five groomsmen and four ushers — boogie down the aisle in a choreographed dance more at home in a Broadway musical than in a somber church.

Groomsmen split into sides as Heinz did a somersault in front of the wowed crowd — and the gown-clad Peterson quickly followed, shaking her hips to Chris Brown’s “Forever” while pumping her bridal bouquet into the air during the June 20 ceremony in St. Paul, Minn.

Of course, some things are too good to keep to yourself. And when Kevin posted the wedding dance routine on YouTube, it quickly became a viral hit — some 700,000 people have already shared in the couple’s novel way of showing their matrimonial joy.

Heinz and Peterson (she’s keeping her maiden name) appeared live on TODAY Friday to tell their story of how their artistic self-expression on the biggest day of their lives captured America’s imagination and made them Internet stars.

After watching the video, TODAY’s Matt Lauer told the couple, “If that was a ceremony, I don’t know how you survived the honeymoon!” He then asked the couple who came up with the idea.

“It was mine,” Jill told Lauer. “I danced growing up and was a dancer through college and loved dance as a way to express yourself and share joy. So it was something I always thought about doing.”

The dance was bride Jill Peterson's idea.

It didn’t take her fun-loving husband Kevin long to agree to the idea, saying the decision to dance was “the first thing we really decided about the wedding that he wanted to do.”

They then broke the news to the parents that their wedding processional wasn’t going to take on the more reserved joy of a typical wedding. Jill admitted that her mom “was maybe a little nervous,” and Kevin said his parents were “definitely apprehensive,” but didn’t try to talk the two crazy kids out of their plan. They swore them to secrecy so other wedding guests wouldn’t know what they were up to.

Next up was a dance rehearsal for the wedding party. Anyone seeing the YouTube video might think the whole party was composed of dance professionals — the bridesmaids alone, with their waving-hands routine at the altar, are worth the price of admission. But Jill said it was actually more seat-of-the-tux than the final result would indicate.

“We [practiced for] an hour and a half,” Jill told Lauer. “A lot of that, people were sort of making up as they went, people just got really into it and went for it. We just gave them a general layout.”

The wedding party rehearsed the dance for just 90 minutes.

While guests were clearly overjoyed at getting a floor show even before the champagne flowed at the reception, Kevin and Jill are adamant they weren’t seeking a quick kiss of fame by posting their dancing high jinks on YouTube. Like many other viral video sensations, it was originally intended for friends and family.

“I put it up because her dad had been really harassing me to get it out to some of his other family members, and it exploded,” Kevin said.

TODAY’s Meredith Vieira noted that fans of the video are in for a special treat — the whole wedding party will appear on TODAY Saturday to do an encore of their now-legendary aisle dance.

Lauer was clearly amused by the couple and their video.

“If you can have that much fun at the wedding, that much fun will carry over also into your marriage,” he told them. “What a great sign and what a great gift.”
UPDATE: Mike Hayes, the venerable God Googler, has his own take on this controversial conga-among-the-congregants. Check it out here.

And if you just can't get enough of the "Forever" dance, check out the live perf the wedding party recreated for the TODAY show (personally, I like the original a lot more, and I'm starting to think their 15 minutes are just about up...):



TOPICS: Current Events; Religion & Culture; Worship
KEYWORDS: dance; music; pharisees; procession; wedding
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To: MrEdd
2 Samuel 6:16 - 6:23

I guess it wouldn't do to pass up an opportunity to condemn dancing as being sexually suggestive, now would it?

I'm not quite clear on your point. Are you condemning dancing as sexually suggestive, or condemning those that condemn?

81 posted on 07/26/2009 6:27:02 PM PDT by Minn (Here is a realistic picture of the prophet: ----> ([: {()
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To: Lurker

>>Catholicism...sucking the fun out of Christianity for 2,000 years..<<

Heathens and Liberals — demeaning and belittling marriage since the 1960’s.


82 posted on 07/26/2009 6:27:37 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (Communism comes to America: 1/20/2009. Keep your powder dry, folks. Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: Lurker
You're confusing your personal sexual fantasies...

What kind of twisted mind ever associates grade school nuns with anything sexual? Yours I guess.

Out of curiosity, where did you pick up the hatred of the papists; some unbalanced and sick relative? Does your hatred also extend to Jews, blacks, and other non WASPs?

83 posted on 07/26/2009 6:33:24 PM PDT by Minn (Here is a realistic picture of the prophet: ----> ([: {()
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To: Minn

The second.

The dancing in question is pretty tame.


84 posted on 07/26/2009 6:37:10 PM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: Lurker
Quoting Scripture out of context is the crutch of the illiterate. We are all to judge behavior, particularly ignorant behavior like yours. Your eternal sentence will be handed down by the Almighty. You'd best acquire some humility and do some penance lest ye perish as Saint Luke repeatedly counseled.

Your arrogance and ignorance are the greatest impediments to your much needed conversion but you'd best fervently pray that your defective gray matter will be the mitigating factor in your particular judgment. When you're vomited out, you'll have no one to blame but yourself.

85 posted on 07/26/2009 6:37:32 PM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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To: Coleus
unruly teenagers going to the prom 10 minutes before they made a lifelong covenant oath with God.

I guess we'll be able to judge the validity of your assessment as the marriage unfolds. Or maybe a little fun during a ceremony has no effect on the solemnity of the occasion or the commitment to the oaths taken.

86 posted on 07/26/2009 6:38:48 PM PDT by Minn (Here is a realistic picture of the prophet: ----> ([: {()
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To: A.A. Cunningham
We are all to judge behavior, particularly ignorant behavior like yours.

Ignorant? I don't think so. One thing is for damned sure, I'm not ignorant of Catholic doctrine. I know it quite well actually.

Your eternal sentence will be handed down by the Almighty.

I'll take my chances with Him thanks very much.

As to the rest, blah, blah, blah. Another Catholic who's butt cheeks are clenched so tight you couldn't pull a needle out of your ass with a tractor.

L

87 posted on 07/26/2009 6:42:28 PM PDT by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
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To: Colonel_Flagg

EEUUWW....no, you’re NOT the only one appalled. What disrespect for the institute of marriage and of God.


88 posted on 07/26/2009 6:51:30 PM PDT by luvie (A Free Iraq is possible because of the presidency, policies and patriotism of George W Bush!!)
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To: Colonel_Flagg
I’m probably the only person on FR who is completely appalled by this spectacle.

Unfortunately, you surely are not. There's a very real strain of "anything fun violates my constipated sense of decorum, and God agrees with me" around here.

89 posted on 07/26/2009 7:12:36 PM PDT by Minn (Here is a realistic picture of the prophet: ----> ([: {()
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To: Lurker

‘twas a joke, Lurker.
Actually I was once accused of being a Hitchens clone
on FR because of my ambivalence toward Mother Theresa,
a position I came to before I knew who Hitchens was, which goes back a good 15 years. But I am not gonna beat
the dead horse of that argument either.


90 posted on 07/26/2009 7:14:32 PM PDT by supremedoctrine (Time is the school in which we learn that time is the fire in which we burn.)
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To: AnAmericanMother

[... Um . . . . No..]

There ya go. Spoiling the point AND
the spirit of a good comment. Try
reading my mind instead of my words.

Where is Claire Voyance when you need her?

Sheesh!


91 posted on 07/26/2009 7:36:59 PM PDT by Jo Nuvark (Those who bless Israel will be blessed, those who curse Israel will be cursed. Gen 12:3)
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To: Jo Nuvark
Dang. Sorry. Our family is as spiritually sensitive as a collection of cast iron Clydeside boilers . . . . :-D

Plus of course I'm always ready to box 2-3 rounds on the subject of music, which is one of my hobbyhorses (the others are retrievers and, oddly enough, horses).

92 posted on 07/26/2009 7:42:16 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother (Ministrix of ye Chasse, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment))
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To: PapaBear3625; mware
And I just remembered (but it's BEEN 32 years, o.k.?) that at the time the Episcopal Cathedral had an absolute ban on any non-sacred music being used for a marriage ceremony. I mean, absolute. Like you not only couldn't get away with a popular dance song like "Forever", you couldn't even get away with semi-sacred stuff like the mushy solos that are often warbled by bad sopranos at weddings ("The Voice that Breathed O'er Eden" or "Because" or (I kid you not)"I'd Rather Have Jesus").

We conspired with the organist to have a suite of 14th century dances for the incidental music because, as he put it, in those days there weren't any clear lines between the sacred and secular. Besides, the Dean was particularly unmusical and unliterary (although he was a faithful Christian and though retired for years stood up on the side of the orthodox in the recent controversy), and wouldn't have noticed.

93 posted on 07/26/2009 7:59:48 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother (Ministrix of ye Chasse, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment))
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To: mware

Yeah, that one is better!


94 posted on 07/26/2009 8:32:46 PM PDT by netmilsmom (Psalm 109:8 - Let his days be few; and let another take his office)
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To: NYer

Not quite the church scene from “The Blues Brothers,” but pretty good for amateurs!


95 posted on 07/26/2009 8:51:45 PM PDT by PLMerite (Speak Truth to Evil.)
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To: mware

Very Cool


96 posted on 07/26/2009 9:00:10 PM PDT by StilettoRaksha
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To: bushwon; Ready4Freddy
LOL, I was grinning all the way though! And started clapping as the bride entered, just about the same time she got the standing O from the guests.

A wedding that no one will ever forget.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me. too.

Traditionalist that I am, I was suprised to find myself really liking it.

I guess it was because they were truly enjoying it all; guests, and the wedding party—no jitters, etc that I had for my very traditional wedding/cathedral length train, etc. Not that I did not enjoy my wedding, but I sure did not have as much fun.

I hope the joy stays with them for many years to come.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me, THREE!!!

Except... when the camera swung back to the bride I was all smiling and welling up with tears like a gurlieman.

I always do that at weddings. Can't help it!

97 posted on 07/26/2009 9:33:22 PM PDT by Rodamala
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To: mware
To be perfectly honest I am amazed that it was permitted in a religiously service.

ELCA churches are not very religiously anymore.

98 posted on 07/26/2009 11:57:56 PM PDT by iowamark (certified by Michael Steele as "ugly and incendiary")
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To: MrEdd

Best Wedding Processional ever?

No.

But they got what they wanted.

Attention whores.


99 posted on 07/27/2009 5:38:06 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Colonel_Flagg
I’m probably the only person on FR who is completely appalled by this spectacle.

No, you're not.

But I expect we'll be criticized for being a bunch of frumpy, fuddy-duddies.

100 posted on 07/27/2009 5:40:06 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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