Bride and Groom Stun Guests With What They Do Before Kissing Each Other

A newlywed couple found a unique way to celebrate their first kiss as husband and wife that may be inspiring others to do the same.

Colette and Eli Erickson were determined to have a wedding that reflected some sense of their shared personality as a couple.

They are not alone in pushing for that either. According to a survey conducted by the wedding planning app The Knot, canvassing 12,000 couples who got married in 2022, 33 percent incorporated their own unique theme into their big day.

Colette Erickson told Newsweek their wedding day was full of little moments tailored to their personal preferences. They wanted to include certain friends and family members in elements of the wedding that they wouldn't usually be part of.

"I got to do a couple first looks with my husband, my dad, my brother and my bridesmaid and that was super special to me," she said.

It was those little touches that "made her day so special." However, it's one little touch in particular that has helped the couple go viral.

In a video posted to the newlyweds' TikTok account, colette_eli, Colette and Eli can be seen exchanging vows at the altar. The celebrant can be heard to declare: "You may kiss the bride."

But, rather than share the ceremonial embrace, both the bride and groom turn to their respective wedding parties, as "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang begins to play. Several of their watching guests begin to cheer, while Eli gets prepped for the kiss by each of his groomsmen in turn.

His suit is brushed down and his shoes get a quick polish, while some aftershave and a little breath spray is applied. Though Colette isn't visible in the clip, she was going through a similar thing with her bridal party.

Eventually, when he is good and ready, Eli turns around and dashes back to Colette, embracing her in a moment that elicits more "woos" from their guests.

Posted alongside the caption: "This was such a perfect kiss," the clip has been watched over 340,000 times, with many evidently eager to do the same at their wedding.

"I love this," one viewer wrote, with another commenting: "I want to do this." A third said: "I'm doing this at my wedding" with a fourth agreeing: "I wanna do this sooo bad."

Erickson said they have been blown away by the response to the clip. "We love doing social media and we want to try to make it a full time job," she said. "I am a nanny and he works in construction so we both are ready to do this full-time."

Although it might have appeared natural, she was also keen to stress that the routine took a little work. "It was rehearsed a few times we had to make sure we were doing the right things and making sure everybody knew what they were supposed to do."

Ultimately, they just wanted to do things a little differently. "We wanted to show people fun ways to do their first kiss at a wedding," Erickson said.

Thankfully, it was well received by friends, family and social media alike. "It was really special, and the guests absolutely adored it," she said.