Bride's heartwarming surprise for grandmother who was unable to attend her wedding
By
VanessaC
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When 26-year-old Hannah Macdonald tied the knot with her long-time partner, 31-year-old wedding photographer James Ball, she was unbelievably excited.
The couple had been planning the event for nearly two years when they finally tied the knot on May 1 in front of their closest family and friends.
'All our favourite people were there, even the sun came out when it was forecast to rain all day,' Hannah said.
Unfortunately, due to her deteriorating health and mobility issues, Hannah's 84-year-old grandmother Hazel Clarke, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's in December, could not be there.
To make up for the fact that she couldn't witness the special milestone in her granddaughter’s life, Hannah surprised her with a heartwarming gesture that she will never forget.
Two months after the big day, Hannah donned the same wedding gown–adorned with a plunging neckline and floor-length veil–that she had on her special day, and recreated the romantic scene in her grandmother's care home.
As she walked through her grandmother's residence, Hannah was serenaded by the other residents singing 'She's a Jolly Good Fellow'.
Hannah shared that seeing the joy and surprise in her grandmother's eyes was incredibly special.
'When we got engaged, my grandmother was well enough to come to the wedding,' Hannah explained. 'Unfortunately in December, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and her condition deteriorated really quickly, and we decided it was best for her not to come.'
'We got married in Scotland and she lives in Rufford, Ormskirk, it would not be feasible for her to come to the wedding.'
'It was a really special moment, I had worked up for this big day for such a long time. Putting on my veil and dress again was a really magical moment for me,' she expressed.
'The fact I was able to see her in my dress was really special and a lovely moment for us both. It was emotion, I will always feel sad that she wasn't there but it was the next best thing we could have done.'
'She kept saying sorry that she couldn't be there and how beautiful I looked which was nice as she couldn't attend.'
Hannah and Hazel were not the only ones pleased with the surprise.
'We left feeling really positive it was great for my mum too, not being able to have her mum there was really hard,' Hannah shared.
You can watch the heartwarming video of Hannah’s surprise below:
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The couple had been planning the event for nearly two years when they finally tied the knot on May 1 in front of their closest family and friends.
'All our favourite people were there, even the sun came out when it was forecast to rain all day,' Hannah said.
Unfortunately, due to her deteriorating health and mobility issues, Hannah's 84-year-old grandmother Hazel Clarke, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's in December, could not be there.
To make up for the fact that she couldn't witness the special milestone in her granddaughter’s life, Hannah surprised her with a heartwarming gesture that she will never forget.
Two months after the big day, Hannah donned the same wedding gown–adorned with a plunging neckline and floor-length veil–that she had on her special day, and recreated the romantic scene in her grandmother's care home.
As she walked through her grandmother's residence, Hannah was serenaded by the other residents singing 'She's a Jolly Good Fellow'.
Hannah shared that seeing the joy and surprise in her grandmother's eyes was incredibly special.
'When we got engaged, my grandmother was well enough to come to the wedding,' Hannah explained. 'Unfortunately in December, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and her condition deteriorated really quickly, and we decided it was best for her not to come.'
'We got married in Scotland and she lives in Rufford, Ormskirk, it would not be feasible for her to come to the wedding.'
'It was a really special moment, I had worked up for this big day for such a long time. Putting on my veil and dress again was a really magical moment for me,' she expressed.
'The fact I was able to see her in my dress was really special and a lovely moment for us both. It was emotion, I will always feel sad that she wasn't there but it was the next best thing we could have done.'
'She kept saying sorry that she couldn't be there and how beautiful I looked which was nice as she couldn't attend.'
Hannah and Hazel were not the only ones pleased with the surprise.
'We left feeling really positive it was great for my mum too, not being able to have her mum there was really hard,' Hannah shared.
You can watch the heartwarming video of Hannah’s surprise below:
Key Takeaways
- Hannah Macdonald-Ball, 27, from Scotland, recreated her wedding day for her 84-year-old grandmother Hazel Clarke, who has Alzheimer's and could not attend her actual wedding due to mobility issues.
- Two months after her wedding, Hannah surprised her grandmother at her care home by wearing her wedding dress. She was serenaded by residents singing 'She's a Jolly Good Fellow'.
- Hannah had been engaged to wedding photographer James Ball since November 2021 and tied the knot on May 1, 2023.
- Despite her sadness that her grandmother couldn't attend the wedding, Hannah felt it was an extraordinary and lovely moment to recreate the ceremony at her grandmother's care home.