Two summers ago, Zach Swain took his future father-in-law, Paul, to shoot some hoops, but he had an ulterior motive — he wanted to ask permission to marry Paul's daughter, Hallie Kulick.
“He was like, ‘Of course you have permission to marry my daughter — but there are two conditions,’” Zach, 29, recalls in a Zoom interview with TODAY.com. “‘You have to love her for the rest of your life, and you have to learn sign language.’”
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Many classes and tutoring sessions in American Sign Language (ASL) later, Zach made good on his promise. During his wedding to Hallie, also 29, in July 2025, Zach surprised her parents, Paul and Gina Kulick, by delivering his vows in ASL.
Courtesy Danica Tamura Courtesy Danica Tamura
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Soon after the couple wed in the bride's home state of Alabama, a video of their vows went viral, quickly amassing over 3 million views. In it, Zach takes the time to sign out his vows, ensuring all onlookers — his in-laws included — were included in the ceremony.
Because both of Hallie's parents are Deaf, Hallie and her brother both learned how to sign before they learned how to talk.
For Hallie, finding a partner willing to learn to sign was a non-negotiable. Signing would be how Hallie, her brother, their spouses and their future children would communicate with their parents and stay connected as a family unit.
“I knew that in order for Zach to have a great relationship with my parents, that it was going to be necessary for him to learn how to sign,” she says, sitting next to her now-husband.
The moment at the wedding “meant the world” to her parents.
“They said that it made them feel like Zach sees them — sees that we’re all a family. They said it made them feel even more confident that Zach was the right choice,” she says.
In a written statement to TODAY.com, Paul and Gina Kulick expressed what the moment symbolized.
“We were completely surprised when Zach began signing his vows. It truly touched our hearts. In that moment, he wasn’t just marrying Hallie, he was reaching out to us, too. He made it clear that he sees us, includes us, and embraces us as part of his family now. That moment meant a lot to us and we are thankful to have him as a part of our family,” the bride's parents wrote in the statement.
A video also captures a conversation between Zach and the Kulicks after the wedding.
Paul Kulick said Zach followed through on his promises “wholeheartedly,” and “that’s how we knew we weren’t just welcoming a son-in-law, we were welcoming someone who truly understands the meaning of love and commitment.”
Hallie wasn't surprised by the gesture — she knew Zach was planning to sign his vows all along. He went to class at the local Deaf Action Center weekly and met for one-on-one sessions with the tutor to make sure he had it down. But Zach's words themselves still came as a surprise.
“I started tearing up. Every word felt like it came straight from his heart. It wasn't just romantic — it was really intentional, and it included my parents, which made it even more special. It reminded me why I chose him and will continue to choose him every day,” she says.
Zach credits Hallie's brother, Michael, with fine-tuning the proposal — and his sister-in-law, Kelsey O'Neal, with the idea. She too surprised the siblings' parents by signing her vows at their wedding in 2020 in a video that also went viral.
“I think he was very happy to see that the kind of the tradition continue,” Zach says of Hallie's brother.
The couple included two interpreters throughout their ceremony to make sure other Deaf wedding guests were included.
Since their wedding, the couple has been “overwhelmed” by the “love and kindness” they've received as a result of the video.
“We didn't expect it to be such a moment for everyone else too. Seeing how many people connected with it has been really emotional,” Hallie says. “The fact that people feel seen, especially in the Deaf community, has meant a lot to us.”
Moving forward, the couple says ASL will stay part of their lives — which means Zach is back to regular lessons.
“There will be no question that our children will learn sign language and it will be a part of their upbringing. My grandparents were very influential in my life, and I would like the same for our kids,” he says.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
Awayfone on August 8th, 2025 at 14:47 UTC »
the article doesn't really make sense.
It opens with an ultimatum from FIL that the groom must learn sign language to marry his daughter. Which as an aside, kind of hurt the theme of painting the inclusive vows as a sweet gesture.
But then later in the article its the bride saying knowing sign was non-negotiable in a relationship. But that seems unture? She was discussing marriage with a man who didn't sign nor made any effort in learning?
Serious_Lie1207 on August 8th, 2025 at 14:04 UTC »
Sooo did they think he was just winging it all the way up until marriage?
mypostisbad on August 8th, 2025 at 14:01 UTC »
To be fair, he already knew her ASL.