The Story Behind This Emotional Wedding Pic Will Make You Weep
Bride Brittany Adkins received an incredibly emotional surprise right in the middle of her wedding ceremony on July 22.
Brittany had long dreamed of having her grandpa, Rev. Ronald Adkins, officiate her wedding. After he died in April 2016, that seemed impossible. But groom Jordon Yost, as well as the bride’s brother and sister, worked together to make it happen at the Crab Orchard, West Virginia nuptials.
During the ceremony, the preacher asked everyone to bow their heads in prayer ― that’s when Pawpaw Ronald’s voice began playing over the loud speaker. He prayed over them and pronounced them husband and wife before telling the groom he could kiss the bride.
“I immediately recognized his voice and started sobbing,” the bride told HuffPost. “Different emotions were racing through my head while trying to soak in hearing my grandpa’s voice. I was weak to my knees, chilled, but despite all the tears, I was smiling inside.”
The audio recording was actually from Brittany’s sister’s wedding in 2015, which their grandpa had officiated.
Brittany said the recording was a “complete surprise” to her and most of the guests.
“My sister, brother and husband worked together along with a few others to make this happen,” she told HuffPost. “Besides the bridal party and those involved, no one knew. Our guests, including myself, were weeping and the emotions and love that flowed through our ceremony was truly touching.”
Photographer Sarah Irvin shared a poignant photo of the moment on her Facebook page, where it went viral. The post was later featured on the Love What Matters Facebook page.
“I’ve photographed a lot of weddings and this was the most incredible moment I’ve ever had the honor to witness,” the photog wrote on Facebook.
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Brittany grew up living right next door to her grandparents. She called her relationship with her Pawpaw “such a blessing.”
“I was always at my grandparents’ house because I loved it there. But as a kid, who doesn’t love grandma and grandpa’s house?” she told HuffPost. “For me that feeling never changed ― he was always there when I needed him and never hesitated to tell me when I was wrong or what to do to make something better. He was always my go-to and one of my biggest supporters, and I was always his helper.”
Below, more photos from the beautiful moment:
Also on HuffPost
"The bride and groom both lost siblings within a few years of each other. It was an overcast day in late June and even rained a tiny bit during family portraits. Later in the day, a stunning rainbow appeared in a sky lit up with an orange sunset. Many guests burst into tears and embraced the bride and groom, telling them it was their brother and sister showing their presence at the wedding." - Anna Delores
"Jazell and Paul's wedding has got to be the one with the most emotional bridesmaids. Most of the time, one or two tear up, but almost every one of Jazell's girls cried that day when she was reciting her vows." - Jenn Tai
"I've seen a lot of brides cry as they are walking down the aisle, but Luna lit up in a way that I had never seen before. I have truly never witnessed a happier, more beaming bride as she locked eyes with Federico. Her joy made me choke up because it was so palpable!" - Bre Thurston
"Jason's eyes welled up with tears as he listened to Nick recite personalized vows during their ceremony." - Lauren Saldutti
"All the bridesmaids and the mother of the bride and groom gathered around this sweet bride and prayed over her. It was so genuine, sweet and powerful. The fact that each person took the time to say their own little prayer made it so personal." - Nicole Moering
"Janine’s fiancé died 52 days before her wedding. This is the first time in my professional career I was asked to photograph a wedding where only one person was actually going to be showing up. I cried with her on this shoot day and this was a first for me. I really admire her courage and know she inspired thousands and thousands of people." - Matt Adcock
"Natalia and Mike are high school sweethearts who have been together for 10 years! This emotional moment was captured just before he turns around to see her in her wedding dress for the first time." - Lisa Robinson
"Davis Ann's grandfather was buried at the same church she was getting married at in New Bern, North Carolina. Before the ceremony, under dark clouds of a large passing storm, she took a single flower to place on his grave stone. Afterwards, her hand rose to her face for a brief second when I heard a faint but audible gasp, before she began to weep." - Hooman Bahrani
"The groom giving praise during the ceremony." - Ross Oscar Knight
"We think it's important to capture the first time the bride and groom see each other. However, as a father and photographer, this is the one photo that I MUST have: when the dad sees his daughter before the wedding." - Brian Mullins
"The couple wrote their own vows for the ceremony. The groom went to comfort his bride during her vows because she started to cry." - Heather Shelley
"After a wedding ceremony at the Naval Academy, a bride and her groom decide to run towards the sun in a moment of spontaneity and joy!" - Jeremy Harwell
"This groom shared a special moment with his grandfather -- whom he was named after -- during the reception. It is one of the couple's favorite photos from the wedding day." - Duy Ho
"This intense moment happened seconds before Mary Shawn walked down the aisle with her father Joe. They were both very emotional and nervous, a moment this father and daughter will surely never forget!" - Tracey Buyce
"The groom's father had passed away 11 years ago. They had the memorial flag that he had earned as a Navy veteran flying over at the reception. Right at sunset, everyone gathered as the bride, groom and family members lowered and folded the flag. The ceremony was their way of sharing his presence with everyone." - Katie Kaizer
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
