Kristin Schnacky was 3 years old when her father, Ken Marino, a New York City firefighter, died responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center. Her mother, Katrina, never remarried.
As a child, she thought she would elope because she wouldn’t have anyone to walk her down the aisle. But when she got engaged to singer Noah Schnacky and they traveled to Manhattan, something changed. Her father’s body was never recovered, and she feels that he is present in that city. She looked at Noah and suggested they get married there. He said yes right away.
When she emerged from the Plaza Hotel dressed as a bride, active and retired firefighters from Rescue 1 were waiting for her, standing in line in uniform. Kristin burst into tears. Her mother and brother Tyler hugged when they saw her. Then they took her to the venue in a fire truck, with the sirens on and Ken’s jacket hanging over an empty seat.
“I know my father was smiling down at me from heaven”, she wrote.