She couldn't dance with her dad at her own wedding. So her sister-in-law gave her that chance on her big day
Her sister-in-law stole some moments from her own reception to help Brittney fulfil her long unfinished wedding dream
In ancient times, at weddings, royal fathers would dance with their princesses as a gesture of “giving her away,” a wedding planner explained to BRIDES magazine. In modern times, the ritual looks like a father and a daughter grooving or swaying on a choreographed mashup of "My Little Girl" or "Butterfly Kisses." Brittney Chun (@britt.chun), unfortunately, missed the special father-daughter dance moment, and it probably stung. Recently, her sister-in-law, Mahealani Chun Wilson (@mahealanichunwilson), sliced out a few moments from her own wedding and let her dance with her father-in-law. The wholesome sight was documented in a video posted on April 28.
An unforgettable gift
Brittney, a United States Marine Corps veteran and businesswoman, said this was the kindest and most unforgettable gift she ever received from Mahealani. Her video showing her dancing with her father-in-law has been viewed more than 7.7 million times. “My dad didn’t come to my wedding. I didn’t realize how much that broke me until I cried through every single father-daughter dance I watched after that,” Brittney wrote in the video’s caption. “I finally got to dance with a man who loves me the way a dad should. I hit the lottery with my father & mother in law,” Brittney exclaimed. The video captures her swaying with her father-in-law under strings of fairy lights to Bruno Mars’ "Count on Me."
A heartbreaking reality
When asked by viewers why her father didn’t appear in her wedding, she revealed that it was probably his mental health that was at the root of it, because he told her that "something came up.” According to Jim Horn Entertainment, 80% of daughters feel closer to their fathers after having special moments like a dance at the wedding. Missing it would obviously create a lifelong wound in any daughter's heart. Thankfully for Brittney, however, we saw the wound heal in real time.
A message for girl dads
In the caption, Brittney urged all the girl dads watching her video to show up because there is no alternative to this bond. “To the girl dads — you will always be one. That role doesn’t have an expiration date. Show up,” she wrote. Addressing the girls who grow up with an absent father, she wrote, “And to the girls doing adulthood without theirs — I see you. I hope you find a family that loves you the way you deserve, the way I did.”
Many viewers echoed the same sentiment. “My dad also didn’t come to my wedding, and as a wedding photographer, I always, always cry at the father-daughter dance because it’s something I really cherished but never got! So happy you got your moment,” wrote @shameanya. @thewkoutofficial exclaimed innocently, “So we’re all crying at this, right?” @mani_sethi19 remarked, “This is one of the most selfless acts I've seen.”
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