Heart-warming footage captures the moment a bride’s father invites her stepfather to join them as they walk down the aisle.
The emotional video shows Shayna Sweeney, 29, of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, preparing to tie the knot at Castello Di Ristonchi in Pelago, Italy.
As she readies herself to walk down the aisle, Shayna’s father, Rob McHugh, 60, approaches the wedding guests before pulling a man from the crowd.
In a touching gesture, Rob asks his daughter’s stepfather, Vinny Mauro, 48, to join him in escorting the bride to her groom.
Vinny appears to be surprised but accepts the offer, and the trio walks down the aisle together, holding back tears.
The touching moment captured hearts online and went viral on TikTok, amassing more than 1.3 million likes and over 6.9 million views.
‘Walking down the aisle with both of my dads made perfect sense.
‘They’ve both supported me and been by my side throughout my life, so it was only right that they stood with me on such an important day,’ Shayna told Newsweek.
The idea to include Vinny – who has known Shayna since she was eight years old – was a collaborative effort between her and Rob.
The wedding was attended by just over 100 guests, who traveled to Italy to celebrate the couple’s special day.
TikTok viewers expressed their emotional reactions to the video in the comments section.
One said: ‘Even the guys crying in the back. I also walked with my dad and step dad.’
Another added: ‘The only type of coparenting that should ever exist.’
‘WHY AM I UGLY CRYING I DON’T EVEN KNOW YOU,’ shared a third user.
‘How are some families this healthy?’ asked another viewer.
It comes after a woman last year revealed how both her father and stepfather walked her down the aisle on her wedding day.
According to bride Amy Walkinshaw, 31, as soon as she got engaged to Ryan Walkinshaw, 31, she knew she wanted both men to be involved in giving her away.
Amy was raised by both dad, Andy Collins, 58, a train driver, and her stepdad, Jeff Bennett, 64, a project manager – who has been in her life for the past two decades.
She wanted to honour both father figures at their wedding last weekend at Prested Hall in Colchester, Essex.
So, she asked her father Andy to go and surprise Jeff by grabbing him from the audience to walk down with him and Amy.
Amy, a student studying psychodynamic practice at University of Essex, said: ‘Jeff has been in my life for 20 years, he is basically a second dad to me.
‘I always imagined if I got married I’d ask him to walk me down the aisle as well as my dad.
‘Jeff didn’t know it was coming either – you can tell in the video the shock on Jeff’s face, I knew how much it meant to him.
‘The main thing to come out of it is to show there doesn’t have to be animosity.
‘You can ask a step-parent without upsetting your biological dad too.’
