When Lisa Yang and Wek Hernandez got married earlier this month, they looked beyond the standard repertoire of wedding traditions and tried something new-- the tandem deadlift.
The brides, who said their "I dos" on October 1, in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, performed a tandem deadlift of a bar and plates that weighed 253 pounds mid-ceremony while in their wedding gowns. They performed the lift three times, according to Women's Health.
The women, who are Olympic weightlifters, toyed with several ideas for their wedding be arriving at the deadlift.
"We thought about the usual candle lighting, tree planting, sand pouring, and none of those things represented Wek and I," Yang told Women's Health.
"We were joking about doing a tandem deadlift. At the time, it seemed ridiculous because we're Olympic weightlifters, deadlift isn't even our main sport. But a snatch or clean-and-jerk in dresses might be a bit dangerous, so we settled on three deadlifts."
Weightlifting is a big part of who they are as couple, often incorporated the sport into date nights, so it was the perfect fit for the wedding.
"Weightlifting to us is very special," Hernandez said. "We lift with our local team in Brooklyn. They're family to us, and the whole weightlifting team was at our wedding."
But the deadlift wasn't just for show since both women can lift the 253 pounds individually. The women really considered what they're tandem lift symbolized.
"It was meant to not only be a symbol of unity but also a statement -- Individually, we are strong, capable women, but together we are stronger. 'Til deadlift do us part, right?" Hernandez said.
Here's how social media users responded to the happy couple.