Groom ditches 'flower girls' for 'flower grandparents' — and it left everyone at the wedding in tears

Weddings are full of emotional moments, but for one groom, the tears came before he even saw his bride. On July 20, 2024, as guests gathered in England, George Peirce was all smiles—until he spotted his grandparents, Brian Bayliss, 82, and Jenny Bayliss, 80, walking down the aisle, reported PEOPLE. But they weren’t just guests; they had taken on a role traditionally reserved for young children: "flower grandparents." This touching moment was captured by Peirce's bride, Faye Plunkett, and shared on her TikTok (@fayeplunkett) with the caption, "This is your sign to have flower grandparents instead of flower girls at your wedding."

Dressed in their finest, the grandparents walked arm in arm, smiling as they tossed flower petals from a wicker basket. At first, Peirce couldn’t help but grin at the sight, but as they got closer, his emotions overwhelmed him. His expression shifted, and he covered his face with his hands, overcome with tears. The video quickly went viral, racking up nearly 6 million views and 682k likes. Viewers were touched by the love and joy radiating from the moment. @abigailjohnston8 said, "Something about an older married couple laying the way for a new one is just perfection, actually." @bethedmondson2 wrote, "You’re the richest person in the world if you get this."

@evelyntaylorwilliams added, "The older generation paving the way for the younger. This should be a wedding tradition too." @lisachatten commented, "So lush, especially if you're privileged to still have grandparents."@jonahwebb395 said, "Grandpa throwing seeds and Grandma sprinkling love." @sensai657 noted, "Breaking the 'norm' and honoring those who made us possible. I salute you." @ellanayx remarked, "I still have both of my grandmothers and getting married this summer, thank you so much for this idea."

Plunkett, 27, told Good Morning America that the couple’s wedding guests had no idea about the special plan and that the reaction from the crowd was just as emotional as Peirce’s. "There were lots of tears," she said. She explained that they had been looking for a meaningful way to include Peirce’s grandparents in the ceremony, especially since their wedding was adults-only and had no young children. "We knew they wanted to be involved in the day, so we were thinking of ways to do this, and as we had no kids during the day, this was the best idea," she shared.

According to Plunkett, the grandparents were thrilled to be a part of such an important moment. "They loved it. I don't think they were expecting George to be so emotional, but they have since said that they were so honored to be first down the aisle." The moment was especially meaningful to Plunkett because she no longer has any living grandparents of her own, as she shared in the TikTok comments. Plunkett hopes this trend catches on, encouraging other brides and grooms to cherish the time they have with their loved ones. "Hoping if people are lucky enough to have grandparents at their wedding, we can make this more of a thing," she wrote.

You can follow Faye Plunkett (@fayeplunkett) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.