A woman was abused by her father for most of her young life until she spoke up against him and got him arrested and convicted. Years later, on her wedding day, 15 extraordinary men lined up to give her away!
On July 21, 2023, on the Instagram page of an event planning company, Karrah’s Creative Events, footage of a bride named Ivy getting married to Deputy Sheriff Tristen Jurgensen was shared. What stood out about the clip was that Ivy Jacobsen was escorted down the aisle by not one, but several men.
The men were lined up in pairs, and each pair held the bride’s arms at one point, leading her closer to her groom. The wedding came years after she struggled with being prey to a monster—her father.
The day was happy and memorable for Ivy because she could finally breathe easily after living a hard life. Here’s the bride’s story that began in darkness and ended like a fairytale!
Ivy’s Dark Past
As a Lake Stevens High School senior, Ivy was thought to be perfect and confident. However, before becoming that person, she struggled with insecurities and body issues. She was shy despite her many friends.
In middle school, her classmates picked on her because she appeared very naive. One of her teachers, Larry Palmer, suspected it was due to a sheltered life. Ivy had, in fact, spent most of her time with her father, who taught her how to cook, ski, clean, snowboard, and her favorite sport—basketball.
However, her father also had a dark side. He prohibited Ivy from using the internet or having an email account. She was not allowed to have specific numbers on her phone, and he chose her clothes, banning anything “girly.”
Ivy hid all this as if roleplaying, but her father was also sexually abusing her since the sixth grade. He would even ask her for sexual favors in exchange for simple things like basketball shoes. Her mother, Jennifer Jacobsen, claimed not to know about the abuse, as her father didn’t allow them to do activities like grocery shopping together.
Finally, in her sophomore year, Ivy told her best friend, and at the age of 16, she was instrumental in sending her father to prison. She testified in court against her father several times over her sophomore and junior years of high school.
In 2013, he was finally convicted and went to prison to serve a 16-year sentence. Ivy was finally free and could buy the clothes she wanted and live the life she wished by becoming her authentic self. When high school graduation came around, she was selected to be one of the speakers.On stage, the teenager spoke about her abuse as if she was talking about someone else, only revealing it was her in the end. After graduation, she worked three jobs and took online classes before moving into her own place.
Ivy wrote a book about her experience. Her mother hailed her for being “an inspiration to many.” “But she is truly my hero,” she added.
On her wedding day, 15 of the “most important men” in her life walked Ivy down the aisle. The men included her uncles, brother-in-law, the policeman who arrested her father, and her childhood coaches. It was a touching moment seeing all 15 men dressed in white, taking turns in escorting the blooming bride towards her groom.
In 2023, Ivy, a Washington police officer, created a GiveSendGo fundraising account, to raise money to publish her book. She shared the viral clip of her wedding day and explained that the outpour of love she received led her to write her book and tell her story.
The follower admitted to struggling with that issue for days and hadn’t planned her wedding because of the “father” issue.The policewoman hoped her story would reach other victims and empower them to find their voices. She thanked her school’s resource officer (SRO) for protecting her and arresting “the monster who preyed on [her].” The SRO also inspired her to become a policewoman, protecting and serving the youth and her community.
Social media users who saw the viral clip couldn’t help but share their support for Ivy. People were moved by the video and the bride’s incredible gesture to the men in her life who became more like a father to her than her own.
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