Groomsmen Lift Groom From Wheelchair For Emotional First Dance With Bride

A wheelchair-using groom stunned his bride by standing for their first dance, with help from his groomsmen. Andy Teodoro, 34, spent months secretly preparing the gesture, which left his wife Michelle speechless and guests in disbelief. Andy, who lives in San Francisco, was struck by a stray bullet during a gang shooting in March 2019 while walking to meet friends for dinner. The bullet ruptured his spleen, diaphragm and left lung, clipped his spine, and remains lodged in his left chest wall. He nicknamed it Kevin. The injury caused a T10 ASIA A spinal cord injury, and he has used a wheelchair ever since. Andy and Michelle, who are originally from the Philippines, had their first date in December 2022. He proposed in February 2024, and the couple held a civil ceremony in California that June, ahead of a bigger wedding celebration back home. Andy wanted the first dance to be unforgettable. After finding a video of a wheelchair-using groom lifted to his feet for his first dance, one that brought him to tears, he decided to do the same for Michelle. He trained for months with his personal trainers at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and used a standing desk for paraplegics to build enough strength in his legs. On February 27, at Blue Leaf Pavilion in Taguig City, Philippines, none of the guests knew what was coming. As the first dance began, coordinators placed chairs on either side of Andy's wheelchair. His best man and one groomsman sat down and strapped his legs to theirs with Velcro, while a third groomsman stood behind him. On the count of three, they lifted Andy to his feet. Michelle walked over and wrapped her arms around her standing husband as they shared their first dance, while friends and family watched in disbelief.

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