Meredith often tells people her dad never got to walk her down the aisle. He never got to stand up proudly during the reception or spin her around the dance floor while guests dabbed their eyes. He had battled prostate cancer for twelve long years, and by the time she met the man who would become her husband, her father had already been gone for three. Cancer is cruel that way, stealing years and moments before they even have a chance to unfold.
Her father was there for her older brother’s wedding, standing strong even while fighting. Her younger brother and his fiancée even managed to hold a bedside ceremony just hours before he slipped away. But Meredith’s turn never came. The thought was unbearable for a daughter who had dreamed of that moment. And yet, somehow, she was given a gift she never expected, something that felt like a miracle stitched together with love, timing, and faith.
Because Meredith was not only a daughter, she was a photographer. She knew what it meant to capture memories before they slipped through the cracks. She had stood behind her camera lens while countless brides twirled with their fathers, and she had felt both joy for them and a pang of loss for herself. One day, before she had even started dating her now husband, she felt an urgency in her heart to make that dance happen while there was still time. And with the help of friends and family, it did.
A bridal shop in North Carolina let her borrow a dress. Her mom, brother, and soon-to-be sister-in-law set up phones and cameras. Her dad rested all day so he could gather his strength. And when Meredith stepped into that room dressed in white, he looked at her as though the world had stopped spinning. He told her how beautiful she was and held her while they swayed together. It didn’t matter that there wasn’t a groom waiting nearby or a crowd clapping along. What mattered was that he saw her, he was proud of her, and she felt the love only a father can give. That night was perfect, and by morning, he was gone. It was Easter Sunday.
Losing a parent always leaves an ache, but in Meredith’s case, she carried both heartbreak and peace. Peace because she had that dance. Peace because she was there, holding his hand as he breathed. And peace because, in her faith, she knew she would see him again.
Years later, her story twisted back toward joy in the most unexpected way. At her nephew’s birthday party, she reconnected with Bryan, a man she had first met years earlier at her brother’s wedding. Timing hadn’t worked then, but this time it did. They talked all night, and they were building a life together before long. Fittingly, they reconnected on Easter, the same day she had said goodbye to her dad. It felt like more than a coincidence; her father’s love was still weaving through her story.
Wedding planning came quickly, much quicker than expected. As a photographer, Meredith already knew venues and dates booked up, so she dove in before there was even a ring on her finger. Initially, the plan was to marry in October 2018, but family health issues shifted everything forward. They said “I do” in January 2018, giving her only two months to assemble a wedding. Somehow, it all worked out.
Her mom, strong as ever, walked her down the aisle. Later, during the reception, Meredith didn’t have her dad by her side, but she had something almost as powerful. A childhood friend edited footage from that once-in-a-lifetime dance together, and while the video played on a big screen, Meredith danced with her mom and brothers to “Daughters” by John Mayer. Guests cried openly, and Meredith’s heart felt strangely whole. In that moment, it was as though her family was together again, love circling the room in a way that defied absence.
The photographs from that day are treasures. In them, Meredith and her family are dancing in real time while her father and she dance on the screen behind them. Even now, tears blur her eyes when she looks at those images. They carry both longing and gratitude—longing for more time but gratitude that she was given enough to create something timeless. Her dream of dancing with her dad at her wedding came true—it just looked a little different than she had imagined.
