A bride’s dad stopped her wedding to ask her stepdad to walk the aisle with them, too.
Bride Eleena Merchen, 21, from Belle Fourche, South Dakota, was left stunned when dad Justo Tobar Jr momentarily halted the wedding at the top of the aisle and approached her stepdad Brandon.
Justo, 56, and Eleena’s mom separated in 2012, and over the years that followed, she built a close bond with Brandon, 45, who has been extremely supportive since coming into her life.
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Eleena admitted her relationship with Justo has had its ups and downs, but she never stopped loving him, and eventually they have been able to get back to having a relationship she is proud of.
During the wedding planning process, she wanted to respect her father so she never asked for Brandon to join her on the aisle, even though secretly it was what she would have liked.
But on the day itself at Besler’s Cadillac Ranch in St. Onge, Justo explained how he felt it was only right Brandon was by his daughter’s side, too, given how much he had done for her over the years.
As the pair walked through a set of doors, ready to head to the altar, Justo asked her to wait at the top of the aisle as he walked to Brandon’s seat.
Wiping tears from his eyes, Justo took Brandon’s hand and guided him back to the top of the aisle, where they then locked arms with Eleena to walk towards her husband, Dusty Merchen.
The gesture – a completely unexpected show of love and respect, Eleena said – was captured on video by the couple’s wedding videographers, Zsomething Film, on September 28, 2024.
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Eleena said: “When planning our wedding day, it was important for me to honor those that were closest to my heart and doing it in a way that they would feel the most from it.
“In my heart, I wanted to have both my dad and my stepdad walk me, but I thought that my dad would have felt bad about that, so I chose instead to honor my stepdad with a dance at the reception.
“It came as a complete surprise to my family, and everyone in attendance when my dad stepped away to go and get my stepdad.
“I learned of his plan while we were hidden away in the chapel just minutes from taking that walk down the aisle.
“He shared with me that he felt it was the right thing, as Brandon has done so much for me.
“As you can see in the video, not only by my reaction, but by my husband’s, my stepdad’s, and definitely my mom’s, this was a completely unexpected act of love and respect.
“My parents divorced in 2012 after 15 years of marriage, and this was the first time that I witnessed my dad openly extend his hand to show that he accepts those that have stepped up in my life to love and support me.
“I prayed for years for peace to be found within our family, I never dreamed that it would happen on my wedding day.
“We will forever be grateful to my Dad for giving us this gift of love.
“Our wedding weekend had so many magic moments that people probably wouldn’t even believe, but this one definitely is at the top of the list.”
