Bride ugly-cries after pressing 'play' on fiance's teddy bear gift — she heard a voice she missed the most

Losing someone close to you doesn’t stop hurting just because time passes. Even long after they’re gone, you find yourself wanting to share milestones with them, asking for their opinion on a variety of things, or wishing they could see who you’ve become. For Shannon Hyatali, that feeling came sharply on her wedding day as she wrote, "One of the saddest parts of wedding planning that no one tells you about is grieving the fact that some of the people that you thought would be there, aren’t." However, just before the ceremony, a gift from her groom brought her grandfather back in a way she never expected. The video, shared by Hyatali on her Instagram @shannonhyatali17, shows her in her wedding dress, receiving a box from her soon-to-be husband, Mathew Da Silva, reported Newsweek.

At first, she thought it was a simple gift, but when she opened the package and saw a Build-A-Bear inside, she was overwhelmed. "I had no idea what to expect... but it surely wasn’t this," the onscreen caption read. Before reaching for the bear, she unfolded a note that read, "More than anything else, I wish I could bring back Gramps on this special day. So, I got you something to bring to the ceremony and give a hug when you miss him today. Tap his paw to hear one last encouragement before we say 'I do.'" The bear was dressed in a black tuxedo and wore glasses, both meant to resemble her late grandfather.

When Hyatali pressed the bear's paw, a recorded voice message floated out of a hidden speaker from within the soft toy. It was the conversation between her grandfather and Matt, captured in 2022, when Matt had asked for his blessing to marry her. She held the bear gently, allowing herself to get lost in the voice she hadn’t heard in over a year. "It meant so much to me and I’ll cherish this bear forever," she wrote. "It's the sweetest gift... My husband-to-be, knowing how heavy this was for me, in such a beautiful way, helped me pay tribute to my Gramps."

She added that her mother walked down the aisle with the bear, invoking a deep sense of fulfillment in the bride — everyone who mattered was present for her big day, in one way or another. The moment struck a chord with viewers on Instagram who have experienced similar grief around losing their favorite people, and grieve them deeper on special days. @sshnt56 wrote, "Are you kidding meeeeeeeewow! Sweetest gift ever!" @meghaverma_art commented, "Didn’t think I’d open Instagram and cry at 7 in the morning, but here we are!!" @_mariahrebecca said, "Omg this is soooo perfect. It looks just like Gramps." @restlessmedia.ca added, "The most thoughtful gift ever."

Speaking to Newsweek, Hyatali explained how much her late grandfather, Shoffie Ali, meant to her. "Despite us living in different countries, we would talk every single day. He was my best friend," she expressed. Hyatali's grandfather unexpectedly passed away in March 2023 after a humbling battle with cancer, leaving her dream of sharing a special wedding dance with him and her father incomplete. His absence had left a gaping hole in her joyous day, but upon receiving the gift, she wrote, "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." She described Gramps as someone with "a hard shell to crack," but said he was generous, loving, and always wanted the best for his family. "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 revealed, showing us how strong bonds persevere even past death.

You can follow Shannon Hyatali (@shannonhyatali17) on Instagram for lifestyle content.