What Groom Does Just Before Walking Down Aisle Leaves Bride in Tears – ryan

A touching wedding day moment has melted hearts online after a bride was brought to tears by an emotional surprise from her groom.

Shannon Hyatali, 29, was moments away from walking down the aisle when she received a gift box from her soon-to-be husband, Mathew Da Silva, 32. Inside was a teddy bear—but it wasn’t the stuffed animal that first moved her to tears. Before looking at the bear, she read the handwritten note tucked inside the box.

“More than anything, I wish I could bring gramps back on this special day so I got you something to bring to the ceremony and give a hug when you miss him today,” wrote Da Silva.

The moment, captured on video, shows Hyatali reading the note aloud while holding back tears. Then, alone in the room, she presses the bear’s paw—and hears the voice of her late grandfather.

“When I heard his voice, my heart felt peace and comfort, to again be reminded that he had given us his blessing meant everything and more. It was priceless,” Hyatali told Newsweek.

“The gift was so meaningful because the entire time leading up to the wedding I was telling my now husband, how much I’d miss my gramps.”

Hyatali had hoped to share a special dance with both her father and grandfather at the wedding. But those plans changed when her grandfather, Shoffie Ali, passed away in March 2023 after a battle with cancer.

“Unfortunately, he lost his valiant battle to cancer in March of 2023,” she said.

Despite living in different countries, Hyatali and her grandfather remained extremely close.

“Despite us living in different countries we would talk every single day. He was my best friend,” she said.

“He was a hard worker with sometimes a hard shell to crack, but his heart was good. He was kind and generous, loving and truly wanted the best for his kids and grandkids.

“He is missed every day, and I still find myself going to message him on WhatsApp every so often when there’s a huge snowfall, or when I see a car that looks like his, or whenever something good or bad happens in my life,” she told Newsweek.

Honoring Loved Ones on Your Wedding Day

“Honoring a lost loved one on your wedding day can be a beautiful way to feel their presence during such a meaningful event,” Zoe Burke, leading wedding expert and editor of Hitched.co.uk, told Newsweek.

Burke has shared several different ways to do this:

• Subtle touches like a photo charm on your bouquet
• Choosing some of their favorite flowers
• Reserving a seat in their memory
• Naming your bar, a table or a signature cocktail after them

She added: “You can also toast to them during the speeches, or display their wedding photos on your guest book table. There are so many ways, depending on your relationship and what you’d like to do to honor them.

“These gestures allow couples to celebrate and remember those they have lost on their wedding day along with all their guests.”

Instagram Reacts

So far, the post has 14,000 views, 730 likes and many comments from tearful users.

One said: “This is so special,” and another called it “the most thoughtful gift ever.”

Has a wedding come between your relationship with a loved one? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.