When Brittany Yost got married in West Virginia last month, she lamented over a childhood dream of her late grandfather playing a key role.
Thanks to her family, and modern technology, Yost’s “pawpaw” officiated the wedding over a voice recording.
Yost and her husband, Jordan Yost, were married in Crab Orchard, West Virginia on July 22, ABC News reported. She had always hoped that her grandfather would preside over their wedding vows, but he died last year.
“From the time I was little, I knew I wanted him to officiate my wedding and he always told me he would be honored to do so,” Yost said. “Truthfully, I would’ve been honored to have him there.”
As the ceremony neared the end, a familiar voice came over the loud speaker just after the preacher asked wedding guests to bow their heads in prayer.
In that special moment, Yost’s grandfather, the Rev. Ronald Atkins, prayed over the couple and announced them as husband and wife.
Yost said she “immediately” knew who it was when she heard Atkins’ voice, which served as a “calming force” on her special day, knowing that her childhood dream came true.
“My heart shattered, but I felt so much joy and happiness through all the tears,” Yost said. “The emotion and chills that filled my body are indescribable. I was weak to my knees, but I felt his presence.”
The recording came from the 2015 nuptials of Yost’s sister, which Adkins had officiated. Family members took the audio recording to play at Yost’s wedding as well.
Jordan Yost described the moment as heartfelt and emotional.
“When she broke down, I tried everything that I could to support her and embrace her by grasping onto her arms,” Jordan Yost said. “The emotion was very intense. We both cried like babies, as well as everyone in attendance.”
The recording also got to wedding photographer Sarah Irvin, who said she was crying as she snapped the shots of the newlywed couple.
“I was crying so hard I had to go back and look at the photos immediately to make sure they weren’t blurry from me moving so much,” she told ABC News. “I have never seen anything like this. The whole crowd was silent except for the sniffles. Even after he said, ‘You may kiss the bride,’ no one moved. One man even came up to me afterward and said he was glad he was standing beside a tree because he was sobbing.”
(H/T: ABC News)