Boy do we have a treat for you, ladies and gents… today’s real wedding is a special one to say the least. For those of you who don’t already know about Chris Norton and his inspiring story, he is a former college football player left paralyzed after a game accident when he was 18 years old. Doctors gave him a 3% chance of ever walking again, but Chris was determined to walk for two milestones: his MBA graduation (4 yards), and his wedding (7 yards). Against all odds, he accomplished both – with his dream girl by his side. Now parents to seven children, Chris and Emily’s incredible love story truly brings us to tears. Read on for an interview with Chris and Emily, as they talk to us about the details of their wedding day, what’s next for them, and their recently released documentary, 7 Yards: The Chris Norton Story.
To see all the photos from their beautiful wedding day planned and designed by GRO Floral and Event Design – check out the full gallery, all taken by Sarah Kate!
Chris: We met online initially. I formed a deep connection with her right away because she wasn’t afraid to ask me vulnerable questions about my injury. Emily is not a surface level person, she wants to understand people on a deep level. Then we met in person at a public place in Ames, Iowa. I think my jaw dropped when I first saw her in person as she was even more beautiful than her pictures.
Chris: What I admire about Emily is how selfless she is. She will do anything for those she loves and even strangers that need someone. How she is able to connect, love, and give her time to others in need is inspirational to me. The way she takes care of our whole family is incredible. Also, I admire her morals and values. She knows who she is and what she believes in and will always do what is right, never compromising her values. What’s amazing about that is she has been like that since high school. The standard she sets to live a life of strong values for our family has made us all into much better people.
Emily: What I admire about Chris is how hard of a worker he is. He’s constantly working to get better, be a better dad, husband and friend. He works so hard to make others’ lives easier with the things that he learned through his struggles. I love how he was able to not let his injury define him in a bad way but was able to use it and not only make himself better but the people around him. Something that I also really admire about Chris is how he started a foundation to help others with neurological disabilities and does motivational speaking to help others. He’s the most determined person I know.
Chris: I felt like Emily could be the one after the first night of meeting. She had the looks, intelligence both academically and socially, a passion to serve others, and the morals and values I would want in a wife. She is the total package and I felt like she was way out of my league! I was in love instantly but tried to play it cool lol.
Emily: From the very beginning we had an instant connection A few months after I met Chris, I knew he was the one when I just felt this peace that if I was with him that we would get through anything life threw at us. We both really wanted to help others and make this world a better place. Chris had faith in God and great morals and values. I knew we would be unstoppable together.
Chris: Put God in the center of your relationship and to always put in the work to keep a strong relationship. Life is constantly changing whether it’s with family or career but to keep each other a priority is important and something you have to always work at.
Emily: Put God first in your relationship. Pray together every day. Relationships take a lot of work and you have to constantly work at it. Communication is so important. Make sure to handle things head-on and not brush them under the rug because it always comes out.
Chris: Sharing communion together and looking up at the clouds. We went behind the altar and had our backs to our guests. It felt like we were the only two people in the world at the moment. I was filled with so much peace and joy.
Emily: It’s hard to pick just one favorite moment from our wedding day. A few moments that were really special were when Chris and I just took some moments for us. Just like Chris explained, the moment we took communion was very special. We also snuck out of the reception for a few minutes and sat under the stars. We got that advice from somebody to take some time for you to sneak away where it’s just the two of you because there’s always so much going on and we’re so glad we did because those moments were really special, meaningful and something I will always remember. The wedding walk was also such a special moment. It was pretty cool to accomplish something that we had worked so hard for together as a married couple. We wanted to do the wedding walk to help others know that no matter what you go through there’s always hope, God is always with you and when you go through hard times you just have to keep taking one step at a time.
Chris: There were so many design details that I don’t know where to begin thanks to Fotolanthropy enlisting the help of GRO Floral and Event Design to create our dream wedding. One of my favorites they created was an aisle walkway for Emily and I to walk seven yards with the words “Above All Else Love Each Other Deeply.” These seven words were each separated by one yard so I knew exactly how far to walk down the aisle to reach my seven yard goal.
The guest sign in was this beautiful Bible and the guests wrote their name next to their favorite verse. Also, Emily loves the piano and wanted one at the wedding. Instead of getting a large grand piano on the lawn of the golf course, which would have been a nightmare and would have needed tuning, GRO designed a faux grand piano that would sit on an electric keyboard. It was incredible. The flowers were breathtaking. They put a chandelier above the spot we were married and then gifted us the chandelier to have in our home. The attention to detail they have was unreal. Plus, they organized the whole wedding which made it so Emily and I didn’t have to worry about anything other than enjoying the day.
Chris: My hope is that my documentary gives people the courage to choose faith over fear, to see your abilities and not a disability, and to recognize your blessings instead of what you don’t have. The miracle of fostering and adopting. That you are capable of so much more than what you realize. It’s also been amazing to see how people have been inspired to be a better parent, sibling, friend or spouse as a result of watching the film. 7 Yards showcases how instrumental my support system was for me to get to where I am today.
Chris: Right now we are parents to seven kids so our main priority is raising our kids to know they are loved, special and children of God. We hope another adoption will take place in 2021. I will continue to inspire and show people how to overcome obstacles and uncertainty through my motivational speaking business and video courses. I also hope to grow my nonprofit, the Chris Norton Foundation, and expand my wheelchair camp for kids with physical challenges and their families.
[iframe https://www.youtube.com/embed/-qWkNlzWmsU 600 338]
From Jodi at Fotolanthropy… Chris and Emily Norton’s wedding was literally years in the making. Not because of all the planning, but rather because of all the practice. Chris was paralyzed playing college football and told he would likely never walk again. He chose to believe in faith and after years of physical therapy and training, he successfully walked across his college graduation stage with his then fiance (Emily) by his side. Shortly after, the couple set the ambitious goal to walk seven yards, side-by-side down their wedding aisle together. They spent hours each week for years practicing their walk, with Emily even wearing a “practice wedding dress” at times. Eventually a wedding date was set and they practiced even more. Their wedding walk was worth fighting for and an accomplishment that they hoped would symbolically represent all they’ve endured and what they can do together.
The couple chose to get married on the sunny Abacoa Golf Course in Jupiter, Florida. It was a beautiful outdoor location and the perfect setting for the wedding walk they had planned at the end of the ceremony. The wedding day was designed and coordinated by the renowned Nathan Johnson of Dallas-based GRO Floral and Event Design. He used 1,500 hydrangea, 200 stems of orchids, 100 stems of tulips, 1,000 roses, and 1,000 stems of stock to transform their ceremony and reception into the wedding of Chris and Emily’s dreams. In addition to a stunning floral altar that featured a hanging chandelier, Nathan’s showstopper at the ceremony was an aisle he specifically designed for the wedding walk. Made of acrylic, it was level enough for Chris to walk on, but also beautiful to look at. Taken from scripture, the seven-word phrase, “Above all else love each other deeply” was written on the aisle with each word being separated by one yard.
Another incredibly special part of Chris and Emily’s wedding involved family. Emily has long had a heart for helping youth and despite Chris’ injury, the young couple chose to say yes to being foster parents. Their foster children, including an older teenager and sibling set of four sisters, all served as members of the wedding party.
Chris and Emily’s story of determination is profiled in the much-anticipated documentary, “7 Yards: The Chris Norton Story,” that is available now on Apple TV and Prime Video. Footage from their ceremony is featured poignantly in the film, allowing viewers to take in exactly how meaningful their wedding was. Video of the wedding walk has been viewed on social media more than 25 million times, capturing hearts around the world.
Photography: Sarah Kate, Photographer | Cinematography: Fotolanthropy | Event Design: Gro Designs | Event Planning: Gro Designs | Floral Design: Gro Designs | Wedding Dress: Mikaella | Cake: Johnson's Custom Cakes | Ceremony Venue: Abacoa Golf Club | Reception Venue: Abacoa Golf Club | Bridesmaids' Dresses: David’s Bridal | Catering: Lynch BBQ | Hair: Lori Pfeifer | DJ: TIU Deejays | Groom's Attire: Express | Groomsmen's Attire: Express | Men's Attire: Express | Transportation: Streetrod Golf Cars | Accomodations: Courtyard by Marriott | Beauty: Artistry by Adriana | Location: Abacoa Golf Club | Music: Jordan Kahn Music Company | Photography - Assistance: Josh Aull | Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Stadium Grill | Rentals: Atlas Event Rental | Rentals: DFW Dance Floors