A bride-to-be immediately burst into tears when a video message from her soldier brother, who she thought could attend her wedding because of his service in the Middle East, turned into an in-person surprise.
India Jones, 28, from Bedford, Virginia, had always dreamed that her younger brother Christian, 23, would attend her wedding – but Christian’s military commitments made things difficult.
For eight months prior to India’s big day, Christian, a sergeant with the United States Army, had been based in Iraq.
Christian’s service was meant to last nine months, India said, and so she was left heartbroken, knowing that he would not be able to make her wedding at the start of June.
But little did India know that, back in January, Christian had been granted permission to leave his deployment early to make his sister’s big day.
This push was partially fueled by experiences of the past, as military service had meant that Christian had missed his other sister’s wedding back in October 2023.
The siblings’ parents knew a couple of weeks before the surprise, India said, and so on the night of her rehearsal dinner on May 31, they handed her a phone with a video message from Christian, who India believed was still in Iraq.
MORE GOOD NEWS: Mom Thought Military Son Couldn’t Make Wedding Day… But Her Hero Never Let’s Her Down
As she watched the message in a steakhouse in Forest, Virginia, India began to get emotional – but nothing could prepare her for what was about to happen.
Towards the end of the clip, a smiling Christian entered the restaurant, causing a shocked India to immediately burst into tears as friends and family also looked stunned.
The extremely close siblings then headed in for a loving hug, which was captured on video by India’s dad and other family members.
Credit: Weddings Perfectly Captured
MORE GOOD NEWS: Military Siblings Return Home to Surprise Family Together for the First Time in Almost a Decade
India, who shared the moment on TikTok, where it soon went viral, said: “After the video was done, he said surprise, and he came around the corner, and that’s when we saw him.
“It’s hard to describe how I felt, but all I could say is that I felt a sense of relief that he was back home safe with us and God was so good. So thankful I was able to have my brother here for my wedding.
“I just posted the TikTok for fun because I always see other videos like ours. From posting the video we have gotten so many messages, comments, and calls from family and friends about it. Everyone has been overwhelmed with this video and it shows how close we as siblings are.”