A Marine veteran decked out in his dress blue uniform celebrated his marriage July 4 with a uniquely themed wedding that honored, among other things, the 45th president of the United States.
The matrimonial festivities, held in Kalamazoo, Michigan, produced quite the spectacle.
The groom posed for photos in his blues while holding a firearm, groomsmen were decked out with “Don’t tread on me” cufflinks and President Donald Trump’s familiar red “Make America Great Again” hats, the bride wore American Flag-painted nails, and reception tables were decorated with anti-abortion “heartbeat bill” petitions.
And then there was the wedding dress, which was “actually made out of a MAGA flag,” now-Mrs. Audra Johnson told Michigan’s Fox 17.
“It looked like America threw up all over my wedding and I’m not sorry," the bride said.
Johnson told Fox 17 that despite the theme, which some invitees — including the groom’s father ― found offensive, political affiliation did not factor in determining who the couple planned to invite.
Her maid of honor happened to be a staunch Democrat, she said.
“We were gonna do our photos with the Trump hats and [the maid of honor] said, ‘You know I love you, but I can’t wear the Trump hat,'" Johnson told Fox 17.
"I said, ‘It’s OK. It’s OK. Just wear a red hat. We still love you. We can have completely different opinions about everything and still love each other.”
That love was unfortunately obstructed by the presidential theme when it came to the principles of the groom’s father.
“He sent us a text message,” said Johnson.
"It said, ‘As long as you support that racist in the White House, I won’t be attending your wedding.’ Which is sad but we did have a lot of people that loved us and showed up.”
Ah, wedding season.
Jon Simkins is the executive editor for Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
