JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – A Jacksonville couple’s beach wedding turned into a surprise viral moment after hundreds of teenagers -- on the sand for “Senior Skip Day” — ended up witnessing the ceremony on March 27.
The event at Jacksonville Beach drew heavy police presence and led to several arrests during the unofficial event, according to Jacksonville Beach Police.
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But the couple at the center of the viral video said what they experienced during their ceremony was the opposite: loud support, followed by respectful silence as they exchanged vows.
@_.definitelynothim._ They got married on the beach during our senior skip day, I hope they have a happy life #wedding #beach #skipday #jaxbeach #fyp ♬ original sound - ⓘ Redacted ⓘ
Dawn Moore and Zack Stover planned a beach wedding behind their hotel on Jacksonville Beach. Moore said they knew the beach was a public space — but they weren’t expecting to share it with a massive crowd.
“Well then I’m upstairs getting ready and one of my sisters comes up and she’s like there is a whole bunch of people out on the beach,” Moore said.
Moore said their photographer soon told them it was Senior Skip Day — an unsanctioned gathering that had drawn large crowds of students to the area.
“One of the cops had told our photographer that we might want to go down a mile,” Moore said. “I was like there’s no way that we can do that… we’re all barefoot… and I have on a really tight wedding dress."
Instead, the couple decided to go ahead with the plan.
When Moore and Stover stepped onto the beach, “all the teenagers just started cheering and clapping,” Moore said.
The crowd reaction was captured on video and quickly spread across social media, racking up hundreds of thousands of views and turning the wedding into an unexpected feel-good moment tied to a day that had also generated serious concerns for law enforcement.
Moore said what surprised her most was what happened once the ceremony began.
“They got quiet and they were really respectful… it turned out to be really good,” she said.
The couple said they expected about 140 guests, but they estimate the beach crowd watching from behind was much larger. Stover told News4JAX it looked like about 800 to 900 people.
Moore said some of the teens later told them it was the first wedding they’d ever seen.
“I thought it was wonderful,” Moore said. “I went through a lot of weddings when I was younger and it made me want and know what I wanted when I got older and I’m happy to have given them that.”
News4JAX spoke with Moore and Stover over Zoom while they were on their honeymoon at Disney. Looking back, Moore said the unexpected cheering and support is what she’ll remember most.
“You never expect that at your wedding,” she said. “Thank you to all the seniors that were there on senior skip day. You all made it amazing. Very memorable.”