Featured Image Credit: TLC
Topics: Wedding, Entertainment, TV And Film
Dominic Smithers
A young bride came up with the best way to honour her dad on her wedding day. You can see her beautiful statement below:
Tonie, from Seattle, Washington, has always been incredibly close with her father Michael.
From when she was a child, she says she would spend all of her time with him, even when other kids her age were hanging around with their friends.
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However, a couple of years ago, Tonie and her family were hit with the shocking news that Michael had been diagnosed with a very rare auto-immune disease.
With the pair enjoying such a close bond, Tonie began to worry about how long she might have left with him.
Speaking about that traumatic time, the 26-year-old said: "When my dad got sick, it may sound selfish, but my first thought was, 'What if my dad wasn't there to walk me down the aisle?'"
But two years after his diagnosis, Michael was doing well and Tonie had got engaged to her partner Eric.
So with her special day on the horizon, she enlisted the help of TLC series Randy to The Rescue to find the perfect dress for her 'fairytale wedding' in Ireland.
Tonie said: "I have a big personality crammed into maybe a petite body and want a dress that's going to make a statement and that I'm going to feel sexy and beautiful in."
And with her dad managing to make it to her big day, Tonie also wanted to pay tribute to him.
While picking out her dress, she revealed to bridal guru Randy Fenoli that she had brought her dad's old fireman's uniform, and wanted to incorporate his badges into the design somehow.
After picking out her 'mermaid' style dress, Randy then took it to work his magic.
Revealing what he has done, he told Tonie: "Look what I did. I sewed it [badge] so it's right over your heart."
Overwhelmed by his handiwork, Tonie said: "Oh my gosh! Thank you."
But it wasn't just the bride who was blown away by the tribute.
Seeing his daughter in her dress for the first time, a tearful Michael said: "Her hair makes her look like a movie star, and older.
"It looks so good, Tonie."
After being told that one of the patches from his uniform had been sewn inside Tonie's dress so that it was close to her 'heart', Michael gasped: "Wow. It's just like Tonie to honour me on a day that's supposed to be all about her."