The Annual Bride March kicked off in Washington Heights Monday with dozens of women marching for those impacted by domestic violence.

A sea of white dresses walking from Washington Heights to East Harlem took place Monday in honor of the lives lost to domestic violence and to voice that the signs of abuse aren't always visible to the public.

Gladys Ricart was brutally murdered 23 years ago in front of her family on her wedding day by an ex-boyfriend. The Bride March began two years after that tragedy in 2001.

The movement that began right in New York City turned into an annual event across the country.

Lethy Liriano, Ricart's niece who witnessed the murder of her aunt, was marching today in her honor.

"Today is a memory of her life, but also so many lives that are lost every year due to the unfortunate epidemic of intimate partner abuse," Liriano said.

The number of lives lost due to domestic violence has increased, according to officials, and reports show an even bigger spike during the lockdown in 2020.

Although the white dresses have become a symbol to remember Ricart, men are also encouraged to participate by wearing all black to represent mourning of the women who have lost their lives to domestic violence.