The original selfie Ashley Stevens took with her boyfriend and father after catching the bouquet at her cousin's wedding. Photo / Facebook
The original selfie Ashley Stevens took with her boyfriend and father after catching the bouquet at her cousin's wedding. Photo / Facebook
When she took a selfie with her father and boyfriend after catching the bouquet at her cousin's wedding, Ashley Stevens never imagined that it would go viral.
But after proving popular on Facebook, where her and her boyfriend Christopher Reed's friends "loved it", the photo took on a life ofits own when it was shared on Reddit.
Reddit reaction wasn't as complimentary as that of their immediate circle of friends. Many derogatory comments were posted about 21-year-old Christopher, criticising his weight and saying he looked like he had Down Syndrome.
"At first I was kind of upset about it," Ms Stevens told ABC News. "I wasn't with Chris when I started reading the comments, [but] then I saw how he responded to it, and he was laughing about it," she said.
"That reminded me that the people that are making comments about him don't know who we are and they can't really judge us because we don't define ourselves by what other people call us."
The reaction prompted Ms Stevens to post a touching follow-up on Facebook, telling the world "I have won the jackpot with Christopher."
"He may not have rock hard abs like the world tells girls to want in a guy, but really, why does that even matter when you are trying to really find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with?"
As for the trolls, "We forgive anyone who made any negative comments," Stevens said. "I would like them to know that."
