Katie Gaudreau ties knot with Devin Joyce one year after losing Matthew and Johnny in fatal accident before her wedding ceremony

Nearly a year after her world was turned upside down, Katie Gaudreau has finally said “I do” to her high school sweetheart, Devin Joyce. The couple, who had originally planned to marry in August 2024, were forced to put their big day on hold after a tragedy that no one saw coming: the heartbreaking loss of Katie’s brothers, Johnny and Matthew, just one day before the wedding.

The accident happened on August 30, 2024, when an alleged drunk driver hit the two brothers while they were out biking in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. Johnny, a 31-year-old NHL player, and Matthew, a 29-year-old hockey coach, were set to be groomsmen at their sister’s wedding the next day. What was supposed to be a weekend of love and joy became a time of unimaginable grief.

More about Katie Gaudreau’s emotional wedding

Katie and Devin then married on July 11, 2025, at St. Mary's Church in Gloucester City, New Jersey, their hometown. The wedding became an instant online favorite, not just for its beauty, but for the fact that it was the culmination of last year's pain, healing, and strength it took to get there. What made it truly special was the manner in which the couple respected Johnny and Matthew throughout the wedding ceremony and reception.

Instead of the original venue, they chose The Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia to share a tighter and cozier space, wherein individuals could be close to one another and support each other. Katie Gaudreau yearned for everyone to be in one secure location, connected, and together. Planning the re-wedding came with tidal waves of emotion, especially for her parents. Katie Gaudreau's father walked her down the aisle, but her newlywed husband Devin graciously offered to walk her mother, Jane, in a moment of soft beauty and love.

Memorials to her brothers permeated all the way from the digits 13 and 21 (their numbers) sewn into flower arrangements and embroidered socks, to their photographs sewn into lining of coats, and even the handwritten notes they penned sewn into Katie Gaudreau's veil. Every small detail held meaning.

During the reception, when Mr. Brightside was played a video montage of Johnny and Matthew lit up the screen behind the band, keeping them present in spirit and memory.

Trending

The wedding went viral because it wasn’t just a celebration, it was a testament to love that endures loss. People saw strength, family, and community. Vendors donated their services, friends stood in as groomsmen, and Katie Gaudreau and Devin’s story became a symbol of how deeply love can carry us even when life doesn’t go as planned.

As Katie Gaudreau put it, the love her brothers gave hasn’t gone anywhere. It lives on in every step she took down the aisle, in the vows exchanged, and in the hearts of everyone who stood by her.

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