Watch This Bride’s Viral Emotional First Wedding Look With Her Grandparents
Weddings are often marked by moments that tug at the heartstrings, bringing tears of joy and smiles to those that witness the emotional closeness. But for Kelsey Rondenet, one such moment continues to live on in her memory, as well as on the internet. A video of her first look with her grandparents, Don and Mary Hamel, at her wedding has gone viral. Having celebrated her second wedding anniversary on July 16, Rondenet shared more about the special memory captured on video and the important role her grandparents play in her life.
Capturing the emotional first look
On the day of the wedding, the couple’s videographer, Northwest Film Co., and photographer, Deyla Huss Photography, captured the poignant moment. In the video, Rondenet approached her grandparents in her wedding dress as they stood with their backs turned. When the Hamels turned around, the emotions overflowed. Don, affectionately known as Pepere (grandfather in French), was visibly moved to tears, while Mary, or Nana, beamed with pride and joy. Watch the video below:
Northwest Film Co., @nwfilmco, originally posted the video on Instagram on July 22, 2022, with the caption “First look with grandparents ??.” It has since amassed over 685,000 likes. Comments poured in with people sharing messages of appreciation.
“This is amazing! That right there is a core memory! I’d show this to anyone who asks ‘do i really need video at my wedding?’” one user wrote. Another added, “This makes my heart smile.”
The emotional first look was a unique twist on tradition
The idea for this special first look came from Rondenet's wedding planner, Sabrina Peters, who thought it would be a meaningful way to include the bride's grandparents in the ceremony – after all, adult children who spend time with their grandparents share a unique bond. “The minute she said it, I was like, 'Oh, that's perfect. They would love that so much,'” Rondenet said in an interview with Good Morning America.
The modern tradition of a “first look” typically involves two parties seeing each other for the first time on the wedding day in a private moment before the ceremony. Many find it an opportunity to share an intimate moment away from the public eye. Common “first looks” usually involves the couple or the parents, or perhaps young children in the case of a blended family.
However, Rondenet, 30, has a close relationship with her grandparents, 79 and 78, despite how far apart they are from each other. Rondenet and her husband Lucas live in Oregon while the Hamels reside in Florida. “They mean a lot to me and my family, and obviously my husband as well,” she shared. “I really wanted a special way to incorporate them into the big day.”
Reflections on the special moment two years later
“Seeing the video and having the moment was even more meaningful than I even imagined leading up to it so I'm very glad that she had the idea to do that because it's one of my favorite parts of the entire day,” Rondenet said happily.
Speaking to Good Morning America, Mary said, “Pepere got very emotional at the wedding. He was just flabbergasted when he saw her and I just couldn't stop smiling. It was just such a beautiful, beautiful day.”
Don added that the moment still brings tears to his eyes when he thinks about it. “When I turned around, and she was standing there in a beautiful dress, and I'm looking, I said, 'Where's my little girl gone?'” he said. "The tears came down quite easily." Don also recalled how seeing his granddaughter in her wedding dress made all those years watching her grow up “flash before [his] eyes.” All he could express at first was simply “wow.” “We're so glad we were there for her special day,” he said.
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