Paralyzed bride WALKS down the aisle in episode of Say Yes to the Dress
For most brides-to-be, finding the perfect wedding dress can be one of the hardest aspects of planning the big day.
But for Katie Breland Hughes, a Louisiana fitness instructor who hit the headlines after she was left paralyzed from the waist down following a horrific car accident in 2011, seeking out the ideal gown for her wedding was all the more important - because she was determined to wear it while walking down the aisle.
So Katie, 27, turned to the experts on TLC's hit reality series Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta in the hopes of finding a gown which she felt completely comfortable and confident in - and which wouldn't hamper her efforts as she took her first steps towards her husband-to-be, programmer Odie Hughes.
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On a mission: Louisiana fitness instructor Katie Breland Hughes enlisted the help of TLC stars Lori Allen and Monte Durham to help her find the perfect wedding dress
Style selection: Katie, who was left paralyzed after a car accident in October 2011, bought three different wedding dresses before turning to the TLC reality series for help
'I actually bought three dresses [before going on the show],' Katie told the Today show. 'I didn’t like any of them.'
But thanks to the help of TLC stars - and wedding dress experts - Lori Allen and Monte Allen, the fitness fan found the ideal design.
'Everything about it was perfect,' she said of the gown.
And it wasn't just Lori and Monte who helped Katie with her search, but also her beloved strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis, who surprised the bride-to-be by turning up to help her make her final decision.
'Katie's had such a hard time finding a dress, and I know she must be frustrated,' Lori explains in the episode, which is due to air on TLC on January 2. 'But luckily, I've called in a little back-up.'
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Surprise! The 27-year-old was delighted to receive a surprise visit from her strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis, who helped her make her final dress decision
Firm friends: Mike helped Katie to train for three years so that she could fulfill her dream of walking down the aisle
'She's a great kid': Mike was incredibly excited to be a part of such an important moment in Katie's life
After seeing Mike walk into the store, Katie exclaims: 'Mike, I'm so happy to see you! I'm so glad you came.'
She later adds: 'Oh my gosh, I was completely shocked.'
'She is too important for me not to be here,' Mike tells Lori and Monte.
'When I met Katie, she really couldn't move anything from her bellybutton down. After a few months, she was able to start moving her legs a little bit.
'Now she's really able to put braces on and walk with her knees locked.
'I came down to show my support and I wouldn't miss it for the world. She's a great kid.'
Katie eventually opted for an illusion lace neckline with a full gown, which gave her enough room to walk comfortably down the aisle alongside her father and Mike while wearing a pair of sturdy leg braces, having spent three years training for her special day.
The blushing bride: Katie stunned the world when she walked down the aisle at her wedding to programmer Odie Hughes on September 20
Elation: The groom was overjoyed when he saw his wife making her way towards him
'I told my sister from the beginning, I will not get married - whoever it be to, or whenever it happens - I will not do it until I can walk down the aisle,' Katie added to the Today show.
'I just won’t be in a wheelchair. So that was always a goal.
'I didn’t know the next year it would actually happen.'
Katie's accident occurred in October 2011 when she missed a stop sign that was turned sideways.
Her Nissan was hit by a truck and she flew through the windshield and across the road, landing in a ditch, with her car landing on top of her.
Lean on me: Katie had the support her father and her strength and conditioning coach Mike (both pictured) throughout the day
Overcoming her fears: The beautiful bride admitted that she was incredibly nervous ahead of the ceremony
The happy couple: Katie and Odie celebrated their marriage alongside their family and friends on September 20
It took an emergency crew 33 minutes to extract her from beneath the engine.
Severe burns covered three-quarters of her body and two vertebrae were shattered.
Katie was in the hospital for 100 days and had many surgeries, including skin grafts and a surgery where rods and plates were placed to hold her back together.
She and Odie met around three years ago when a mutual friend introduced them shortly before her accident.
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