Groom Got Up To Make A Speech, Then The Bride Realized He Had A Trick Up His Sleeve

When Jeff Althoff of Blaine, Minnesota, married his partner, Jenna, he wanted to do something that his new wife would never forget. So when he stopped his wedding to make a "controversial" announcement, his guests couldn't believe their eyes...

A special surprise

Jeff and his partner, Jenna, got married on March 4, 2017. And on this already very special day, lucky Jeff woke up to an amazing surprise. Yes, his wife-to-be had left him a new set of golf clubs as a wedding day gift.

The mystery gift

He was delighted, of course, but little did Jenna know that Jeff had a surprise of his own up his sleeve. It wouldn’t be until after the wedding ceremony that Jenna would receive her mystery gift, though. And his surprise would even surpass the high bar that Jeff had already set with his incredible marriage proposal.

Early surprise

To pull off that particular feat, Jeff seemingly got help from the radio station then known as Buz’n (now 102.9 The Wolf). It happened in April 2016, when Jeff took Jenna to see one of her favorite country artists, Canaan Smith.

On-stage proposal

And after Smith performed what Jeff described in a YouTube video of the event as "their song," Jeff and Jenna walked out on stage. Jenna probably knew what was coming at that point — but she was still overwhelmed when Jeff got down on one knee.

She said yes

Luckily for all involved, Jenna said yes! "I had no idea and was in complete shock," Jenna later wrote on Facebook. "And, [as] anyone [who] truly knows me knows, I hate surprises — but this was seriously THE BEST surprise ever!"

A long time coming

But as there was almost a year between the proposal and the wedding, Jeff had likely been planning his next surprise for a while. He even made sure there was a film crew around to capture the event. And the resulting video was eventually posted on YouTube, so the world could see the big moment too.

The big speech

The video begins with Jeff, surrounded by his groomsmen, making a little speech. "First off, I'd like to thank each and every one of you guys for being part of my big day," he says. "I really appreciate you guys taking the time to be here." So far, so standard. But then things get interesting.

Pre-game

"That being said, I'm gonna tell you guys what the big surprise is," Jeff continued. "She's not gonna know. She's not gonna know you guys know until she sees this video later on." He even went as far as calling it “the wedding gift of her dreams.”

Putting the word out

He made it seem as though he was about to tell them what the surprise was going to be, and they were hanging on his every word. But Jeff was only teasing and told the disappointed groomsmen to simply “stay tuned.”

The ceremony

“Jenna has been nothing but amazing to me and deserved her dream gift,” Jeff told Inside Weddings in 2017. But before they even got to the gift-giving part of the ceremony, the Minnesota couple had to have their dream wedding.

Exchanging vows

As you see from the video, the couple walked down the aisle in front of all of their family and friends. The church was packed to the rafters, and everything seemingly went off without a hitch. At least, there was no sign of Jeff's surprise... yet.

Happy couple

As is customary, the happy couple then left the church — hand-in-hand — and got ready for the next part of their big day. Jenna took the time to share a lovely moment with her grandma, too. It's clear at this point that a wedding-gift surprise is the furthest thing from her mind.

Snap happy

The traditional wedding pictures came next. For some brides and grooms, this can be their least favorite and most time-consuming part of the day. And it's easy to think that Jeff was probably already getting nervous about the surprise he had planned for later on.

Ladies' night

You know how these things go, though. A wedding can't just skip from the church straight to the speeches. You've got to have some food, some drink, and some dancing before you get to that part. But from the clips seen in the wedding video, everyone had a great time.

Dancing queen

Particularly this guy. Then, after the main ceremony, Jeff decided that it was finally time for the big reveal. So during the wedding reception, he takes to the stage, nervously clutching a microphone.

The big reveal

"First off, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for coming out and celebrating our big day," he tells his expectant audience. "I'm a little bit nervous up here right now because I'm about to give Jenna a big surprise... But she doesn't know that."

Up front

Jeff then takes Jenna by the hand and guides her to the middle of the dance floor... Out in front of the entire crowd. The blushing bride has no idea what is about to happen... and neither do many of the guests.

Confusion sets in

Jeff keeps talking to the crowd of family and friends, calling Jenna “the most beautiful bride you’ve ever seen.” He waits for their friends and family to give her a round of applause... teasing out his surprise for as long as possible.

Special wedding gift

Jeff then tells his bride that he had been wanting to get her a special wedding gift. He jokes that it would not be hunting- or fishing-related — the things he is interested in. Instead, it would be a gift especially for her. It would be “everything that you want,” he says.

Puzzled bride

He then asks Jenna, “Would you agree with me that the last few hours have been the best hours of your life as a family of two?” The puzzled bride nods and agrees... even if Jeff's wording is a little strange. What was he doing?

An unusual announcement

And Jeff’s next sentence is even more bewildering. He says, “Well, I’m proud to announce that we have now become a family of three!” And if Jenna hadn’t been confused already, she definitely is now. After all, she knows that she's not pregnant!

A family of three

So what on earth could Jeff mean by, “We have become a family of three?” Then the friends at the table behind Jenna gasp and applaud; one of them covers her face in shock. They have seen something that Jenna hasn’t...

Secret revealed

Jenna, still in the dark about the nature of her surprise, slowly turns her head to the right. And there she sees it — the amazing secret finally revealed! The whole room erupts into applause.

Overwhelmed

So, what was the huge surprise? The video shows a woman walking towards Jenna holding something tight in her arms. Then she places the gift into the arms of Jenna, who hugs it tight. It is a truly heartwarming moment.

A new addition

It's a new puppy! Over the moon with her gift, Jenna hugs the doggy tight. The new addition to the family then quickly becomes the center of attention, and guests practically line up to gush over it.

Gushing comments

And since the video was uploaded to YouTube, it has received over 4.7 million views and thousands of likes. Some of the comments left beneath the video gave a sense of how special a moment it had been.

Over the moon

One comment read, “Amazing video! Amazing gift! Amazing reaction! Congratulations, Jeff and Jenna!! Looked like a beautiful wedding!” Clearly, then, Jeff had totally nailed it.

The story continues

“My favorite part of the night,” wrote one of the wedding guests, impressed by Jeff’s wonderful surprise. So not only had he made his wife incredibly happy, but he’d also made some of the guests’ day! And fortunately, the couple have gone on to have a happy life together.

The future

You'll probably be glad to hear that they still have the dog — who is no longer little. He's a British Labrador, and the couple named him Bear. The other big news was this family of three has grown even more.

Lucky lady

Yep, Jeff and Jenna have had two kids together since their wedding day. And their professional lives — as well as their personal lives — have seemingly gone from strength to strength, too. All in all, then, it's basically a fairytale ending.