A 94-year-old grandfather dedicated 40 years to growing flowers in his own garden to decorate his granddaughter's wedding.
The bride is TikToker Cassie Woodard who posted a touching video on 4 October, exposing the bunches of long-stemmed red flowers her grandfather had grown in his front yard for over 40 years.
“My grandpa (94) grew and saved all the flowers for my wedding. They were perfect,” Woodard’s on-screen caption read as she panned the surrounding greenery.
Woodard, a 'horse girl' at heart, grew up in Southern Indiana and spent most of her days outdoor in nature. So, it was no surprise that she wanted a wedding that reflected her upbringing, which is the intimate nature of her home in the most simplistic way.
“I wanted it really simple; we even did the food. I did all the flowers myself,” she told the outlet. Woodard had no intention of tapping a florist for her big day, which took place on 30 September. The plan had always been to use her grandfather’s cockscomb flowers that she estimated to have been growing for 40 years. “We’ve had them ever since I could remember,” she noted.
In her video, which was viewed 5.9 million times since it was posted on the platform, the barrel racer featured her family member cutting through the patches of flowers.
Her grandfather kept the patches of flowers intact and wouldn’t let anyone touch them until Woodard had her chance. The happy bride went to his house the week before her wedding to get her pickings.
“We just had breakfast and took our time and cut all the flowers together,” she remarked. “I wanted to remember him and the flower patch and that morning together, because I knew it was going to be super special to me.”
There were so many viewers that expressed their heartfelt emotions through Woodard’s comments section on TikTok, complimenting her sweet tribute and connection to her grandfather.
One kind TikTok user wrote: “Instant tears. How beautiful and wonderful. What a gift, I hope he was able to see you carry them!”
“This is one of the best things I’ve seen,” an excited fan said, while another added: “That right there is something truly special.”
Meanwhile, a familiar follower admitted: “I have driven by your grandpa’s house ever since I was a kid. He always made me smile when I saw him working on his yard. He is adorable!!”
Channeling Woodard's passion for riding, the groom and bride wanted to have a horse show at their reception. The happy couple met three years ago at the Indiana State Championship Horse Show barrel race competition, so the idea was perfect for the both of them.
“It was important to me that it didn’t get too out of hand, both price-wise and stress-wise,” Woodard told Insider. “A lot of people thought it was a crazy idea.”
The guests at the ceremony were invited to the reception after the wedding, and even those who weren’t in attendance for their vows could revel in the horse show too.
“You didn’t have to be invited. It was just open to anybody to see it and support us,” she remarked.
Source: Independent