Daughter's emotional surprise for her dad on her wedding day has the internet bawling

Some moments leave an indelible mark on our hearts, and this emotional exchange between a father and his daughter is one of them. When Grace Mixon got married in September, she honored her late mother by wearing her wedding dress, leaving her father overwhelmed. The touching moment was captured by @maclinphotoandfilm on Instagram, where it quickly went viral.

In the clip, Mixon's dad, Chad Mixon, is facing away from her when she taps him on the shoulder, prompting him to turn around. When he sees his daughter in the familiar dress, he breaks down in tears. "I told you that you had nothing to worry about," Mixon, 24, reassured her dad at the time. "I love you so much," he replied through tears. Later, he asked, "Is that Mom's dress?" adding, "You look just like her," while sobbing.

Speaking to Good Morning America, Mixon shared that she had not planned to wear her late mother's dress, who passed away in 2022. "I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be in my near future," Mixon said. However, when she tried on another dress and found that it simply didn't feel right, she decided to give her late mom's gown a try. "[I] ended up trying on my mother's dress at my grandparent's house and it fit me like an absolute glove," she recalled. "There was no alteration needed or anything like that. And so I was like, 'I'm just gonna take this as a sign as maybe I should just honor her this way.'"

She also mentioned that it was a surprise for both her dad and her husband, who had no idea what dress she was wearing. "I was more nervous for my father's first look than I was for my first look with my husband," she said. "It was just such an amazing moment that I would never trade for the world. I don’t think any other moment in my life will ever top that, especially with him." She added, "It was one of the best decisions. I wouldn't change it for anything."

Many took to the Instagram comment section to express their thoughts on the heartwarming moment. "The last time he hugged that dress, his late wife was in it," reads a comment by @erin_alba. "'You look just like her' sent me into a tailspin of waterworks," wrote @alwayz.autumn. "Honestly just impressed at the fact he remembered what her dress looked like," added @kateleennnnn. @leigh_boyle_art took the opportunity to talk about the bride's mother, whom she personally knew. "Knew her Mom. And know her Dad. We went to high school together. Her Mom and Dad dated all through high school. Her Mom was the kindest, sweetest person who made everyone always feel seen and welcome," they wrote. "Her Mom and Dad were each other only and after dating all through high school got married. Her Mom died very unexpectedly and her husband has been devastated ever since. She was his everything. The bride does look just like her Momma. This is the sweetest testimony to how much they both loved her." 

You can follow (@maclinphotoandfilm) for more heartwarming content on Instagram.