Due to the special relationship that it symbolizes, the father-daughter dance at weddings is an occasion that is often emphasized and anticipated by both the wedding party and the guests. It is a symbolic act that concludes the relationship between a father and his now-married daughter.
It also marks the end of the bride’s childhood and the beginning of a new phase in her life as a wife and mother.
However, this might be discouraging for brides who do not have dads in their lives. Although any other male relative such as a brother, stepfather, uncle, or grandpa may step in and take the place of the bride’s father, it’s simply not the same. The bride’s father is an essential part of the wedding.
Kaley West Young from Utah, who had long dreamt of having a father-daughter dance on the day of her wedding, had a circumstance quite similar to the one described above. Sadly, her father passed away in 2015 due to complications from heart illness.
She had already conveyed to her five elder brothers that she did not want a father-daughter dance during the wedding, and they had all agreed with her decision. They had planned, unbeknownst to her, to instead dance with her and to include a surprise of their own in the performance.
Using the song “Fathers and Daughters” by Michael Bolton, Kaley West’s elder brothers Kevin, Dustin, Danny, Derek, and Kasey put together a moving memorial for their late father. This gesture of love was a wonderful expression of their love for Kaley.
They created an emotionally stirring mashup by interspersing the song with audio from their home films, which consisted of their late father’s voice. Kevin West made the announcement in the video that he and his brothers would do the father-daughter dance in his place.
The first few chords of the music begin to play, and all of a sudden, viewers are able to make out David West’s voice saying, “Hi, Kaley! Hello, my name is Dave West, and I’m Kaley’s dad. I love my daughter very much—in fact, I think I love her about 1800 times.”
Because the situation was so emotionally moving, Kaley found herself crying along with her brother. After that, Kevin led the way for the rest of his brothers as they took turns dancing with Kaley. Since then, a video of the dancing homage that was uploaded to YouTube has received more than 380,000 views.
Michael Bolton, the artist himself, came to Twitter in order to convey his admiration and appreciation for his fans, “I’m touched and delighted that the West brothers selected my song “FathersandDaughters” to dance with their sister Kaley at her wedding.
It was a special moment for all of us. Their video caused me to weep and cry. Kaley’s tears wouldn’t stop falling as the song went on and more of her father’s voice could be heard in the background.
During the dance, Kaley’s close relationship with both of her brothers was on full display.
The fact that her father was unable to attend her wedding is extremely unfortunate; however, the fact that her brothers were there to stand in for their father is a powerful demonstration not only of their love for her as their sister, but also of their father’s love for her as well.