When Justin Reid and Victoria Hemenes said they were each other’s “ride or die,” they truly meant it.
The South Lake Tahoe couple, aged 36 and 31, didn’t let a devastating crash stop them from getting hitched in a Harley-Davidson-themed wedding. Just three weeks before their big day, the pair collided head-on with a deer while riding their beloved Harley, leaving them with serious injuries but unwavering spirits.
Justin was left with dislocated bones and had to undergo a painful skin graft, while Victoria suffered a concussion, whiplash, and stitches in her knee. Despite their harrowing experience, the couple was determined to stick to their wedding plans.
“We weren’t about to let a little thing like a crash ruin our day,” Justin joked. “Even if we had to be rolled down the aisle in wheelchairs, we were going to make it happen.”
The couple, who run a property maintenance business together, had originally envisioned a weekend-long celebration, complete with motorcycles roaring up the aisle. The accident may have altered some details, but not their resolve.
Just weeks after the crash, Justin and Victoria tied the knot at Silver Fork Ranch in Kyburz, California. Despite still recovering from their injuries, they walked down the aisle—Justin with his arm in a cast—and celebrated in true biker style.
“We’re lucky to be alive, and that made the day even more special,” said Victoria. The couple’s groomsmen and bridesmaids even rode their bikes up the aisle, adding a unique touch to the ceremony.
Their friend Bobby Real officiated the wedding, playfully asking them both if they would take each other as their “ride or die.” The couple, of course, said yes, sealing their vows with a kiss.
The wedding cake featured a biker couple and a nod to the deer that changed their lives, while gifts from Battle Born Harley-Davidson, including helmets and jackets, added to the celebration.
Justin, who’s still recovering, is already itching to get back on a bike. “As soon as I can bend my elbow, we’ll be riding again,” he said.
Victoria, who will be right there with him, added, “Riding together is something special—it’s a feeling like no other. We’ll be back on that bike soon. It’s part of who we are.”