5 Dads On What Went Through Their Heads As They Walked Their Daughters Down The Aisle

While you're worrying about sinking your heels into the grass, tripping over your cathedral-length veil, or your tears washing your mascara down your face as you walk down the aisle, your father is having his own internal dialogue.
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Father walking bride down church aisle, rear view
Father walking bride down church aisle, rear view

by Jillian Kramer, BRIDES

While you're worrying about sinking your heels into the grass, tripping over your cathedral-length veil, or your tears washing your mascara down your face as you walk down the aisle, your father is likely having his own internal dialogue -- a beautiful mix of joy, love, and even a little wistful sadness. Want the inside scoop? Here, five dads dish on how they felt as they gave their daughters away.

"My daughter was 31 when I gave her away," says one father, "so you'd think I would have been prepared. I wasn't. I could barely hold back the tears. I couldn't help but think that the time had flown -- that this beautiful young woman, I swear, had just been small enough to fit in the crook of my arm."

"I didn't have the pleasure of getting to know my son-in-law very well before the wedding day," says another. "So as we started to walk, I remember thinking, Am I doing the right thing, giving her to this man I don't know? Is he good enough for her? Then I looked from my daughter, who was smiling from ear-to-ear, to her fiancé, who was choking back tears as he watched. And I knew it was going to be OK."

"I was proud, and so happy," says one dad. "My daughter had accomplished so much by her wedding day, and I knew she was about see another dream come true. I was so glad I got to literally help her take the steps toward that dream."

"To be honest, I was nervous I would trip over her veil!" admits another dad. "She had such a long veil, and they had an outdoor wedding on a very, very windy day. That thing was whipping around like a kite! And I just thought, Please God don't let me embarrass her on her big day!"

"I felt all the feelings: Pride, joy, but also sadness," says another. "Because even though I was happy for my daughter and I liked her fiancé very much, there was a sense of loss. I knew that after we finished that walk, she was officially someone else's responsibility, and I wasn't ready to give up my little girl."

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