Dad ditches speech for a song at daughter’s wedding. She started crying when she heard the lyrics

Weddings are often filled with heartfelt speeches from friends and family, but one father took his tribute to the next level. Instead of a typical speech, Louie Ocampo, a celebrated composer and musical director in the Philippines, chose to express his love for his daughter through music, as reported by PEOPLE. He performed an original song titled "Baby Steps Through Time" on his piano, bringing the entire room to tears. His daughter Bertie Ocampo shared the complete performance on her TikTok, @bertsplace_, captioning the post, "Not a dry eye in the house. Please excuse the ugly crying! Love you so much, Dad." 

Sitting at the piano, the father began to play. "All her life I’ve watched this little girl. Held her hand to twirl. Till she danced on her own," he sang softly. "And now, off to start her new life. My funny girl, grown-up woman. Now a wife." Tears welled up in Bertie’s eyes as she listened, her lip quivering. On the large screen behind Louie, her reaction played in real time. "Where did all that time go?" he continued. "Baby steps I watched her take. Her hand in mine. I held on too. Now it's time to let her go again. This bittersweet embrace. Sweet memories," he sang. You'll always be mine. Till I take my own. Baby steps through time," he continued with the song.

Bertie, who had no idea what to expect, told the outlet, "I was completely overwhelmed with emotion. My dad had already been tearing up since 9 AM on the day of the wedding, so this performance felt like the pinnacle of an incredibly sentimental day. It took me right back to my childhood—hearing him play the piano for hours, filling our home with music. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to have a father like him." Louie, a graduate of Berklee College of Music, has always expressed himself best through music, according to Bertie. His song was a deeply personal reflection of their father-daughter journey, with lyrics written by Bertie’s godmother.

Bertie’s godmother sat in the audience, overwhelmed by the performance. "As a single parent who had just watched my own daughter get married the year before, I could completely relate to the moment," she later said. The song had been in the works for over a year. Originally, Bertie had asked her father to compose the song she would walk down the aisle to, but Louie had a different idea. "He responded that he’d rather surprise me with ‘something special’ at the reception," she recalled. A month before the wedding, Louie began experimenting with melodies but wasn’t sure which direction to take. Then, on January 2, he finally sat down to compose, and by 2 p.m., the melody was completed. At the same time, Bertie’s sister had encouraged their godmother to write lyrics if Louie were to compose a song.

Miraculously, her words matched the exact theme Louie had in mind. "From the moment they finalized the melody to completing the lyrics, it only took them two days to bring the song to life," Bertie added. As the performance ended, the entire ballroom erupted in applause. Louie, overcome with emotion, stood up and cheered, “Oh, I made it!” before walking over to Bertie. Many viewers gushed over the emotional moment. @fancynancytan said, "This is like a Disney song. Oh my God!" @michellelukk wrote, "THE SWEETEST DAD." @kicks062001 added, "Maybe in another life, I'll be able to feel a father's love like this." @mailyncruz2 commented, "You will always be her 'forever baby.'"

You can follow Bertie Ocampo (@bertsplace_) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.