Katie Gaudreau plans to honor her late older brothers Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau at her rescheduled wedding.
“Forever with me now. J & M,” Katie wrote via Instagram Story on Saturday, September 7, sharing a photo of her wedding band.
The silver band has been inscribed with “J&M,” a nod to Johnny and Matthew’s initials.
Katie and her fiancé, Devin Joyce, initially canceled their Labor Day Weekend wedding after her siblings were struck and killed in a car accident in New Jersey. Johnny and Matthew were 31 and 29, respectively.
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau’s Brother-in-Law Pays Tribute: ‘I Loved You’
The Gaudreau brothers are survived by their parents, sisters Katie and Kristen and their respective wives and children. (Johnny, an NHL forward, and wife Meredith Gaudreau share daughter Noa and infant son Johnny. Matthew, meanwhile, was expecting his first baby with wife Madeline Gaudreau.)
“To know these two was to love these two. There are absolutely no words I have to express the bond my family shared,” Katie wrote via Instagram on September 2. “The entire world knows there would never have been a John without Matty or Matty without John.”
She added, “The absolute best big brothers a little girl could have asked for. This will never be a goodbye post because I will never stop saying your names and honoring you both. I’ll take the best care of mom, dad, Kristen, Mer, Madeline, and your babies.”
Days later, Katie further reflected on learning of her siblings’ deaths ahead of her would-be wedding date.
“Right in the middle of getting ready for the best day of my life the unthinkable happens that will change my life forever,” Katie wrote on Thursday, September 5. “I remember a week ago being in the hotel sitting with family and texting Devin about how we forgot to practice our dip. To think that was our biggest worry at this moment when in just a split second and a phone call later our lives would forever change.”
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau’s Tragic Bike Accident Case: What to Know
Katie concluded, “Remember to tell your people you love them. I would do anything to tell my big brothers I love them one more time.”
Madeline replied at the time, writing, “Love you.”
Johnny and Matthew were struck by a drunk driver while they were riding their bikes. The man has since been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and will remain in police custody until trial. (A pre-court hearing was postponed earlier this month.)
