Tears, laughter and an unforgettable mix-up at the altar—this bride’s big moment turned into a comical twist.
Weddings are often joyous celebrations of love, but for those tying the knot, the big day can be a whirlwind of emotions. While many brides and grooms lean into the magic of the moment, others let their nerves create hilariously unforgettable memories. That’s exactly what happened to Holly Holroyd—known as @hollyangelholroyd on TikTok—when she accidentally shook hands with her soon-to-be husband at the altar, leaving her guests in stitches.
A viral TikTok video captured the anxious bride’s unforgettable aisle moment, leaving her guests amused. Holly, a 25-year-old from Salford, UK, walked arm-in-arm with her dad toward her fiancé, Glyn Holroyd. Overcome with emotion and slightly struggling with her long dress, she relied on her father, dressed in a sharp gray suit, to guide her to the altar.
Glyn, who was standing there, waiting for the ceremony to officially begin, extended his hand towards Holly’s dad to greet him. They both shook hands with the bride’s father, making way for her. The 27-year-old future husband reached out to her for a safe passage between the chairs. But the bride’s mind was somewhere else, and she confused it to be another handshake courtesy. The guests were taken aback, but so was the couple, later labeling the candid moment awkwardness they couldn't escape.
A text overlay on the 12-second TikTok video perfectly summed up the awkward encounter: “One minute, you’re crying walking down the aisle. The next minute, you think your soon-to-be-husband is going for a handshake.” It resonated with the quick transition of Holly’s emotions from an earlier moment of heartfelt vulnerability to sudden confusion and humor as she perceived the unexpected gesture.
“As my dad was walking me down the aisle, my soon-to-be-husband went to give him a handshake and then went to hold my hand to help me around the chairs. However, I was so flustered and overwhelmed, I thought he was also going in for a handshake from me as well,” Holly later told Newsweek. She described herself as a typically “awkward” person in everyday life and the moment made it even more awkward for her. Her spontaneous reaction video captured from the wedding has been winning hearts online since it was first shared earlier in September this year, receiving around 650,000 views and 10,900 comments.
“I laughed far too much at this because this is exactly how I would react,” wrote @laurahaighton, empathizing with Holly. “To be fair, it did kind of look like he was going in for a handshake with you as well,” @mariamarianne1991 added. “I had an awkward husband who had to be told that he could actually stand close to me during the vows; he was standing about two meters away,” @isindre recalled.
You can follow Holly Holroyd (@hollyangelholroyd) on TikTok for more wholesome and lifestyle content.