In the video, which has been viewed over 1.8 million times on TikTok with over 274,000 likes, user Ashleigh Gregory, @ashgregory1, can be seen entering a care home wearing a wedding dress to visit her 98-year-old grandfather, who presumably couldn’t be at the wedding.
Ashleigh can then be seen sitting in her dress with other elderly residents.
Many people in the comments remarked that the heart-warming video made them emotional, while others asked for the brand of the wedding dress. Ashleigh replied: “The dress is custom made, designed by @parragowns.”
Sadly, we can’t always have everyone we would like at our weddings. People die, move away, or drift apart. Wedding information website The Knot suggests tips on how to honor absent loved ones at a wedding.
Pin Photos of Them to Your Outfit
Put their photos in a locket or ornamental case and pin them to the inside of your jacket or the neckline of your dress. They also suggest putting an image of them on your bouquet for the walk down the aisle.
Reserve a Seat
The Knot suggests reserving a seat for a loved one during the service or reception as a symbolic way of honoring them.
Light a Candle
Take a moment to light a candle for your loved one either at the ceremony or the reception. You could have a specially designated table for others to also light a candle if it was a loved relative.
Incorporate Certain Flowers
Pay homage to a loved one with specific flowers that they loved or remind you of them. Fill every room with them, make yourself a bouquet out of them, or choose flowers that signify remembrance such as, forget me nots, gladioluses and pansies.
The Knot reports that Meghan Markle paid tribute to Princess Diana at her wedding in 2018 by incorporating forget me nots into her bouquet.
Brittany Hulbert wrote: “How beautiful I’m sure u know how lucky u are to have had this moment and I hope it becomes a special core memory for u and a highlight of ur day x.”
Bella said: “Bawling. My Pa was my special person dance at my Deb because we knew he’d never make it to my wedding. He died 2 years later.”
Newsweek has reached out for comment.
