A touching video is going viral on TikTok because it shows an amazing act of gratitude and selflessness. Photographer Kelsey Griffith posted a video from her wedding that has a twist. As her and her father approach the altar, her dad holds out his hand and invites her stepfather to join them the rest of the way.
Kelsey captioned her video: “My dad surprised my stepdad by including him in our walk down the aisle.”
It’s pretty clear from the video the stepfather didn’t know about the surprise. It appears as though he thinks the father is extending his arm for a handshake before he pulls him towards the aisle.
Here’s a video of the moment taken from behind.
@griffithk5 My dad surprised my step dad by including him in our walk down the aisleđ¤ #theperfectday #fyp #wedding #dancingqueen
Here’s what it looked like from the altar. If you listen carefully you can hear someone mutter, “That’s very sweet,” in the background.
@griffithk5 Reply to @meaganbylski a different perspective from our amazing videographer @maxbernardweddingvideos
“This is what happens when a parent loves his child with complete unselfishness,” one person wrote in the comments, and it’s true. Fathers wait their entire lives for the moment they get to walk their daughters down the aisle. To share that moment with another man shows that he put his daughter above everything.
It can’t be easy to watch your child being raised by another man, but instead of being selfish, he showed how grateful he was to have him in their lives.
Another commenter thought it was a great example for all divorced parents to follow. “If this doesn’t serve as a lesson to all divorced and or additional parents, I don’t know what does,” they wrote. “Congrats to all of you. More parents could learn!”
The story is reminiscent of one that Upworthy covered six years ago. In 2015, father-of-the-bride Todd Bachmann was walking his daughter down the aisle when he grabbed his daughter’s step dad, Todd Cendrosky, and the three walked down the aisle together.
The moment was powerful for Cendrosky who immediately broke into tears.
“[Brittany’s biological father] came and grabbed my hand, and said: ‘You worked as hard as I have. You’ll help us walk our daughter down the aisle,'” Cendrosky said according to USA Today. “I got weak in the knees and lost it. Nothing better in my life, the most impactful moment in my life.”
Bachmann posted a beautiful photo of him taking Cendrosky by the hand and it went viral on Facebook with over 12 million views.
Image by Delia D Blackburn, used with permission.
“It hasn’t always been peaches and cream, by any stretch of the imagination,” Bachmann later said. “There’s no better way to thank somebody than to assist me walking my â walking OUR daughter â down the aisle.”
One of the most important qualities a parent must have is selflessness. It’s impossible to be a good parent without having the ability to put other people’s needs first. These dads have certainly passed the test by showing they can put others first on one of the most important moments of their lives.