Groom made a bold choice to honor wife's deceased father at the wedding. It left guests stunned

The grief of parental loss is a heavy burden to bear. It only feels heavier when you realize the people who watched you take your first steps in life aren't there to witness you take big ones in adulthood. A woman, Samantha Milton (@smaller_sam.pcos on Instagram), lost her dad before her wedding. His last name was the only thing she had of him. She had promised her father, John Milton, to rebuild his legacy and carry it forward. But how would anyone do so in a world where marriage often means trading your father's last name for your husband's? Well, it is not difficult if you marry someone like Zachary Milton, Samantha's husband. He realized the profundity of the promise his wife had made to her late father, and so, he decided to take her last name instead of giving her his own. Samantha posted the video on her Instagram account.

Samantha shared that her husband, Zachary, knew that the only thing she had of her father was his last name, which she didn't want to give up. Her dear husband realized the first step was honoring that legacy. So, without a second thought, he decided he would be the one to change his last name to his wife's. Samantha's love for her dad was evident throughout her wedding. In fact, even though she knew she couldn't have her father attend her big day, she'd reserved a chair for him. "You can steal a lot, but you can’t take the love he left behind. The love and acceptance he gave so freely — that is his legacy," Samantha captioned her post. While she was in awe of her husband for taking such a big decision, Zachary didn't give himself enough credit. "[It] feels like the least I can do for such an amazing woman who has stood by my side through it all, and to honor the great man who raised her and helped us so much along the way," he wrote in the comments.

Women taking their husband's last names is quite common; the opposite is extremely rare. In fact, a Pew Research Center survey found that 79% of women in opposite-sex marriages said they took their partner's last name when they got married. Meanwhile, only 14% kept their original last name even after marriage, and only 5% hyphenated both their name and their spouse's name. However, among men in opposite-sex marriages, 92% kept their last names, whereas 5% took their partner's last name, and less than 1% hyphenated both names.

Meanwhile, reacting to Milton's story, @josiemaida commented, "I’m sobbing. What a special way to honor an amazing man! His legacy lives within you and your family every single day!" @_afrankie_ wrote, "I think it should always be a toss-up between whose last name is used instead of the man’s by default. Congrats on your beautiful wedding." Similarly, @christencanova shared, "I love this!! My last name is extremely special to me and my identity. I’m a single mom by choice, and the fact that I passed my last name on to my son brings me so much joy. My dad has two brothers without kids, and my father has two daughters. The name would’ve died with us had I not given it to my son! Now, if I ever do marry, I don’t need my husband to take my name, but I will never take his. Because now I share it with my son, and I cherish that!"

You can follow Samantha Milton (@smaller_sam.pcos) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.

More on Scoop Upworthy

Every woman should ask their husband one question before taking his name, says Millennial

Groom surprises bride with an emotional gift on their wedding day and it is all things beautiful

Groom spent months learning sign language to include bride's deaf parents in his vows