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Teacher invites 20 students to be in her wedding

Two tiny flower girls from a wedding (stock photo). James Brokensha Photography/Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS — A bride is thanking 20 kindergarten and first-grade students for making her wedding day extra special.

>> Watch a video about the ceremony here

Indianapolis teacher Marielle Slagel Keller, 25, tied the knot on June 24. She knew the day wouldn't be complete without including her 20 students and their families, who helped her through the wedding planning process, ABC News reports.

>> See photos from the wedding here

"They mean the world to me," Slagel Keller told WTHR. "The kids and their families were part of the whole wedding planning process with me and gave me so much support along the way. They are a huge part of who I am, and it would not have felt right to not have them there."

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The kids all wore white and walked down the aisle just before their teacher, holding garlands. Photos captured the touching moment.

Husband Mike Keller said he had some reservations at first but admitted that everything went perfectly.

"I said, 'This is lovely,' but in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, 'There's a 25 percent chance this will go according to plan,'" Mike Keller told ABC News. "But she really had a passion for it on this special day, and I'm glad she went with it. It ended up being perfect."

Slagel Keller said having her students be a part of the day made it even more special.

“To have those kids walk down the aisle for me was really special. There were a lot of tears,” she said.