A “first look” is meant to be that sentimental moment on a couple’s wedding day when they first see each other, away from the eyes
of family and friends. For Michael Taylor and Amanda Zhang,
their “first look” on Nashville’s John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge involved a little more leather than they had anticipated.
“So, we’re walking on the bridge about to take pictures after our first look, and I look over and see a huge swarm of bikers coming towards us,” Zhang said. “It was very obvious they were in a motorcycle club and I just thought to myself, ‘oh great.'” According to Zhang, the Nashville newlyweds had no idea what to expect when they saw roughly 400 bikers approaching them on July 21, a few hours before their wedding ceremony.
Michael Taylor and Amanda Zhang receive
a blessing from Bikers For Christ on the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge.
“We were going to let them just pass by so we could continue with our pictures,” Zhang said. “Then, all of a sudden, they were all screaming and yelling, ‘congratulations’ and this guy comes up and says, ‘we’re with Bikers for Christ, can we pray over you?'” Surprised and a little confused, Zhang said they both agreed to the bikers’ blessing before being surrounded by a sea of bandannas and sunglasses.
“They all got around us and their leader started praying for us,” Zhang said. “At the end, everyone was cheering and they gave us all these little mementos. Then, we took a big group photo with them and they just went on their way. It was so random, but so cool.”
The day after their wedding, Camille Waldron, a Bikers for
Christ member, posted on Taylor and Zhang’s wedding website, “Congratulations Amanda and Michael! May God bless you both with a lifetime of love & happiness. Thank you for letting us pray with you on your special day!”
“It’s kind of like we got inducted as honorary members of their gang,” Zhang said.
Pastor-Z’s reply was: 4 4 4
“It was definitely one of the most unexpected things to happen and honestly, probably one of the most memorable, too. I mean, it was already the best day ever but that just kind of put it over
the top.” Sometimes, it’s important to keep an open mind on your wedding day, according to Zhang.
‘It just goes to show you, you should never judge anyone,” Zhang said. “When I first saw them, I was kind of annoyed, but it ended up being one of the coolest things to happen that day.”
Michael Taylor and Amanda Zang pose for a group photo with Bikers For Christ on their wedding day.
By Michael W. Aldrich
for the Nashville Tennessean (Published with permission)
