A Dad Shares The Emotional Reason He Walked His Young Daughter Down The Aisle In A Wedding Dress
The wedding dress symbolized a significant moment.
sirtravelalot / Shutterstock Usually, wearing white to someone else's wedding is a major faux pas. But when one couple decided to have a second wedding and renew their vows over a decade after their initial nuptials, the bride was not the only one donning a wedding gown.
Their daughter Sophia walked her father down the aisle wearing a wedding dress herself.
The emotional dad explained the reasoning behind his idea, and why he knew they had to make the big day not only about the happy couple but their daughter as well.
The father explained that his daughter has disabilities that will shorten her life expectancy, so he wanted the chance to be able to walk her down the aisle.
Joel Conder and his wife, Sarah, celebrated their vow renewal with all five of their daughters present. Kaci, Grace, Sophie, Chloe, and Madison all proudly walked down the aisle with their parents on the big day.
The moment was especially special for the couple’s middle daughter, 11-year-old Sophie. According to her parents, Sophie suffers from disabilities that will likely cut her life short, and doctors believe that she will not make it past her teen years.
The British family of vloggers document their life on TikTok and YouTube. When they decided to renew their vows, the couple knew they wanted the entire family — including Sophie — to be involved.
“We want all of our girls to walk down the aisle,” Joel said in a TikTok video that has been viewed over 12 million times. “The only one we wouldn’t sure would do it would be Sophie.”
According to Joel, Sophie's disabilities make her “unpredictable,” where some days she is full of confidence and sass, and others she feels overwhelmed and anxious.
He hoped that being able to pick out her own dress to walk down the aisle in would significantly ease her anxieties and allow her to be a part of the festivities.
“I took [Sophie] with me to the wedding dress shop when I had to have my final fitting,” Sarah shared in a YouTube video. She showed Sophie a flower girl dress, but their daughter had her heart set on something else — a wedding dress.
The couple had no qualms with their daughter's choice of wedding attire. “Whatever she wants to wear whether that's fancy dress, her own clothes,” Sarah shared. “I want her to be comfortable, I want her to be happy.”
Because of her disabilities, Sophie may never be able to have her own wedding day or the opportunity to walk down the aisle in a wedding dress. “Although we obviously have big hopes and dreams for her, we don’t know if this could be the only time she walks down the aisle,” Joel admitted.
“For us, it’s really special to know that whatever happens in her life, she at least got to walk down the aisle in a wedding dress. Every girl deserves to be able to do that.”
Joel, who is overwhelmed with emotions, is glad to know that whatever may happen to Sophie in the future, he at least had the chance to walk her down the aisle.
People were deeply moved by the father’s actions.
“I’m crying here!!!! This is beautiful! Coming from one special needs parent to another, you rock!!!!” one TikTok user commented. “Every time I watch this video it makes me cry. It was such a special day for all of you,” another user wrote. “A father’s love for his daughter is such a precious thing,” a third added.
While the entire family had the opportunity to be all together on Sarah and Joel’s wedding day, the celebrations are a painful reminder that one of their members may not be there to see the rest of their milestones. However, knowing that you have limited time with a loved one makes big days like these all the more precious.
They serve as a reminder to focus on the quality of interactions, express love and appreciation, and build a foundation of meaningful memories that can be cherished for a lifetime, even after some family members are gone.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.