Wedding days are filled with joy, laughter and love, and for newlywed Shea Kirchoff from Michigan, one of those moments ensured that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
As part of the wedding reception, Kirchoff opted for a father-daughter dance. Shortly after the routine started, her dad made a heartwarming gesture to introduce her biological father to cut in and join his daughter on the dancefloor.
“I have a complicated relationship with my biological father, and always planned my father-daughter dance to be with my stepdad,” Kirchoff told Newsweek. She added: “I hate the term stepdad, I never ever call him that. He’s my dad. He raised me.”
@shealynkirchoff/TikTok
Her dad had been a significant part of her life since he married her mother when she was just 2 years old, and she had always planned the special father-daughter dance with him.
But when it started, her dad made a request: “My dad said, ‘I want him to cut in. He’s your dad, too. Just tell me when you’re ready,'” Kirchoff said. “I’m not surprised at all that he wanted to do that. That’s the kind of dad he is. He’s one of the good ones.”
The father-daughter dance has become a common tradition at wedding receptions in the U.S. A moment that takes place between the bride and her father, it usually happens just after the first dance.
Elaborate father-daughter dance routines have gained viral attention in the past, with some videos gaining millions of views.
Thankfully, the heartwarming moment was caught on camera. Kirchoff shared the moment on her TikTok page, where it has gained over 864,000 views and drawn hundreds of comments from viewers.
“I’ve posted a few TikTok [videos]here and there, but I don’t expect strangers to watch them. I post them for me,” Kirchoff said. “Of course, some people are nasty in the comments, but the reaction has been mostly positive.”
One commenter wrote: “Now that’s a real man!! Congrats on your wedding!”
Another posted: “Your dad showed just how much he loves you. A true blessing.”
“With so many people ‘going no contact’ this is what love and peace is all about. Sweet,” commented a third, while others shared how much the video had touched them emotionally.
“…and now I’m bawling,” read one comment. Another user wrote: “Here I go crying for strangers on the internet. Your dad is a good man.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.