KENT COUNTY— Subtlety was never the intent of the wedding decor for Audra and Jeff Johnson's nuptials.
The couple married on July 4 in Kalamazoo, surrounded by friends and family donned in "Make America Great Again" hats.
“It looked like America threw up all over my wedding and I’m not sorry," bride Audra Johnson said.
Johnson says in addition to celebrating their love, she and her husband decided to use their wedding day as an opportunity to celebrate President Donald Trump. No detail was overlooked, down to the groomsmen's 'don't tread on me'" cufflinks. Each reception table featured a petition for an anti-abortion "heartbeat bill." Even the bride's nails were painted to look like American flags.
Rebecca L Photography
As is the focal point of every wedding, the bride's dress stole the show.
“The dress is actually an Andre Soriano original," Johnson said. “It’s actually made out of a MAGA flag.”
Soriano is known for his custom "Trump gowns." His designs have been featured on the 2017 Grammys red carpet.
Despite the theme, Johnson said all were welcome. This includes her lifelong friend and maid of honor, who is also a Democrat.
“We were gonna do our photos with the Trump hats and she said, ‘You know I love you, but I can’t wear the Trump hat,'" Johnson said. "I said, ‘It’s OK. It’s OK. Just wear a red hat. We still love you. We can have completely different opinions about everything and still love each other.”
Not everyone in the couple's life was as accepting. The groom's father refused to attend.
"He sent us a text message," Johnson said. "It said, ‘As long as you support that racist in the White House, I won’t be attending your wedding.’ Which is sad but we did have a lot of people that loved us and showed up.”
Johnson said if she were invited to a President Barack Obama-themed wedding, she would be happy to attend.
