"It felt like it just bonded the whole wedding group together in our little screw-up," the mother of the groom tells PEOPLE
Credit: The Vow Girls
NEED TO KNOW
- Zane Zotto’s brief mix-up while seating his mom, Debra Zotto, during his wedding sparked laughter among guests and caught the attention of thousands online
- The lighthearted moment added a personal touch to the otherwise formal ceremony
- “We just kind of laughed it off and knew it would be a funny moment that would make our wedding even more memorable, which it did,” the groom tells PEOPLE
A funny wedding mistake ended up making the day even more special.
Before Zane Zotto, 28, exchanged vows with his wife, Sydney Zotto, 26, during their wedding ceremony on Jan. 9 at Mount Palomar Winery in Temecula, Calif., he escorted his mother, Debra Zotto, 54, down the aisle. The simple task took a turn when Zane forgot which side Debra was supposed to sit on.
The wedding content creator, The Vow Girls, captured the brief mishap on video and posted it on TikTok a few days later. In the clip, which has more than 35,000 views, Zane walked his mother over to his left side, then his right, then back over to the left. Amid the confusion, he asked aloud, "Which side? This side. Right? Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No! Oh, I went to the wrong one. Oh, my God. Here you go."
Debra and the 100 wedding guests laughed as Zane made up his mind. "I love you," she told him while laughing. The mother and son shared a heartfelt hug before Debra sat down and the ceremony continued.
@thevowgirls Groom forgot where to sit mom during wedding ceremony 😂 #wedding #bride #groom
♬ original sound – thevowgirls
Speaking to PEOPLE about the error, Zane admitted that he was "feeling a bit of pressure" because it was something new and all eyes were on him. He doesn't "like being the center of attention," and although he knew the proper layout, he started second-guessing himself.
"With all of the pressure and seeing my mom question the seating arrangement once we got up there, I started questioning it myself," he says.
Zane's family was designated to sit directly behind Sydney and vice versa so that they had the best view of their loved ones' facial expressions rather than the back of their head.
Luckily, Zane quickly corrected himself, and guests didn't make a big deal out of it.
"We just kind of laughed it off and knew it would be a funny moment that would make our wedding even more memorable, which it did," Zane says, adding, "I think the guests thought it was pretty funny and lighthearted. It brought some laughs to a scenario that would otherwise be pretty formal."
The wedding party practiced the processional the day before, but Debra became confused when she thought she saw that most family members had swapped sides. She remembers, "My brain was a little like, 'Did they change our seating and just forgot to mention it to me?!' "
Debra and Zane agree that the mix-up and the sweet hug afterward "added more of a personal touch to the ceremony."
"We were all laughing, and it felt like it just bonded the whole wedding group together in our little screw-up of, 'Where is Mom supposed to be seated?' " Debra tells PEOPLE.
Credit: The Vow Girls
Not everything about the pair's walk down the aisle went wrong, as Debra recalls them pausing together to take everything in.
"Zane looked over at me and asked, 'You ready, Mom?' I said, 'Not yet, I want to take in every moment of this,' " Debra shares. "I just wanted to allow all of those happy, beautiful faces to set into my memory and for Zane and I to just stand in place, together, before I handed my firstborn over to his incredible wife, Sydney."
She continues, "Zane was watching me, and I looked up and said, 'I love you, Zane, I'm so proud of you.' He smiled, nodded at me and said, 'I love you too, Mom. You ready?' I nodded back, saying, 'I'm ready,' and Zane said, 'Let's do this!' "
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Debra and Zane are happy that their little mistake brought "joy and comic relief" to so many people online.
"Like, how awesome is that!" Debra says. "Laughter is the ultimate best gift."
Zane adds, "I think it is pretty cool! I definitely never expected it to get this much attention. I am really glad that we have this moment captured and that other people are finding joy in it as well because Sydney and I sure have."
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