The bride had always hoped that her grandfather would officiate her wedding. Her wish came true thanks to her loving fiance and sister.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on January 4, 2020. It has since been updated.
More often than not, we have heard people tell us that the happy moments in life will make up for the grief we have gone through in the past. But there are some wounds that only become more crimson when exposed to the warmth of happiness. When we lose someone we dearly love, we crave their presence on happy occasions more than we normally do.
Brittany Yost, similarly, wanted her grandfather to officiate her wedding but she lost him before that. Her loved ones, however, made her big day an extra special one by giving her the surprise of her life.
"From the time I was little, I knew I wanted him to officiate my wedding and he always told me he would be honored to do so," Brittany Yost told ABC News. "Truthfully, I would've been honored to have him there."
"Family is very important to me." Late grandfather pronounces couple 'husband and wife' in emotional recording: https://t.co/uJiLXEKBAt pic.twitter.com/NZQQYPuApv
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 3, 2017
She lost her pawpaw, as she called him lovingly, in 2016, but her sister and her new husband, Jordon, found a way to involve him in her wedding. Her sister and Jordon knew it will mean the world to her if she could feel his presence on her biggest day. Therefore, they took the audio of Rev. Ronald Adkins, her grandfather, from her sister's wedding in 2015 that he had officiated and decided to surprise her with it.
When the wedding neared its end, the preacher asked the couple to bow their heads to pray. Just then, Brittany heard the voice of her "pawpaw" on the loudspeaker pronouncing them husband and wife. And it filled her with divine joy. She broke down in tears and felt a sense of relief after finally seeing her dream come true.
"When I first heard a voice over the speaker, I knew immediately who it was. My heart shattered, but I felt so much joy and happiness through all the tears," she said. "The emotion and chills that filled my body are indescribable. I was weak to my knees, but I felt his presence. A calming came over me and I felt a weight lift off because my dream came true, all thanks to my sister and Jordon."
What Jordon did for her new bride also shows the importance of respect and care in a relationship. "I had the privilege to get to know her grandfather a little bit before he passed, so it was a very heartfelt moment for me as well," he told ABC News. "When she broke down, I tried everything that I could to support her and embrace her by grasping onto her arms. The emotion was very intense. We both cried like babies, as well as everyone in attendance."
Photographer Sarah Irvin snapped a shot of the moment when the couple heard the late Adkins' voice.
"I was crying so hard I had to go back and look at the photos immediately to make sure they weren't blurry from me moving so much," Irvin told ABC News. "I have never seen anything like this. The whole crowd was silent except for the sniffles. Even after he said, 'You may kiss the bride,' no one moved. One man even came up to me afterward and said he was glad he was standing beside a tree because he was sobbing."
Brittany Yost said it was a powerful way to start the couple's marriage.
"Having him pray over our wedding was the most memorable moment and one I will cherish forever. Family is very important to me and I could not have imagined anyone else pronouncing us husband and wife besides my papaw," she said. "All the dreams I had as a little girl came true."
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