Bride Reads Emotional Letter To Her Dad Who Passed Away Before Her Wedding — 'I'm OK Now Because I Found A Man That Loves Me'
Neither the guests nor the groom could contain their emotions upon hearing it.
@jakeandkylee / TikTok On her wedding day, a bride dedicated part of her ceremony to her father, who unfortunately passed away when she was a teenager and could not experience the big day. The woman wrote an emotional letter to her late father that had nearly all her guests, and most of TikTok, in tears.
In a bittersweet video posted by wedding videographers Jake and Kylee, the bride, Rebecca, stands opposite her groom during their wedding ceremony. Shortly before exchanging vows, Rebecca reveals that she and her soon-to-be husband wrote letters for their parents who were at their wedding. Although, she felt that it “wouldn’t be right” if she did not write one to her father who couldn't be at the wedding since he passed away when she was 15 years old.
Overcome with emotion, Rebecca shares the letter she dedicated to her late father with her guests.
“Dad, I don’t know if I ever told you this, but to be honest, I never liked your last name,” she admits. “It’s long, it’s hard to spell, and I just remember that I couldn’t wait to get married to change my last name.”
Photo: @jakeandkylee / TikTok
“Well today I’m getting married and it’s time to say goodbye to my last name.” Still, that doesn’t mean her father will ever be forgotten. “Thank you for being my best friend for the first 15 years of my life,” she says. “I’m happy to tell you that I found my best friend for the next 50 plus.”
“I love you, I miss you more than you could ever believe. But I’m okay now because I found a man that loves me,” she assures her father. “And P.S., I think I like the sound of Rebecca Schaefer and I think you would too.”
Even if Rebecca’s letter was meant for her father, her guests, many of them who were filmed wiping tears from their eyes and her groom could not contain their emotions upon hearing it.
Other TikTok users were also deeply moved by the heartwarming yet heartwrenching letter.
Many of them revealed that they lost their own fathers and were inspired by Rebecca’s words. “I lost my Daddy. This video brought tears to my eyes. He is very proud of you!” one user commented.
“Sobbing. Getting married in 2025 and my dad has been gone for eight years. This is a great idea, thank you!” another user shared.
Photo: @jakeandkylee / TikTok
“My dad died when I was 15. I always hated my last name. I never realized how hard it would be to finally say goodbye to his name,” another user wrote.
Even if the bride’s father could not walk her down the aisle or share a father-daughter dance on her wedding day, he was still very much present. Rebecca’s actions are a reminder that although some of our loved ones may not be physically there on our big days, they will always be included and remembered somehow.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.