Most fathers can agree that one of the most bittersweet moments in a father’s life is a daughter’s wedding day. It is a beautiful moment for any father to walk his daughter down the aisle and one that will never be forgotten. In our modern and changing world, however, the concept of a traditional family is changing.
Today, a biological father and a stepfather may have the same place of importance in a child’s life. Stepfathers take on their responsibility with love and devotion and play an important role in the overall upbringing of their non-biological children, and there are thousands of stories on the internet about how stepparents can dramatically change a child’s life for the best.
One especially heartwarming story is a tale of two Todds that shows the lengths that dads go through for their kids, especially on their wedding days, and how beautiful it can be when a biological parent and a stepparent put their children above everything else.
Todd Bachman’s daughter Brittany’s plans for her traditional white wedding included all the usual trappings, complete with the huge dress, bridesmaid brigade and the custom of having her dad walk her down the aisle.
The big day came, and everything was set in Cleveland, Ohio, but when it came time for that traditional walk, something spectacular happened. Brittany’s dad stopped the entire wedding and grabbed the other important Todd in his little girl’s life: her stepfather Todd Cendrosky.
He wanted him to share the pride of walking their daughter to the altar, and the moment he did this was captured on camera. This story from September 2015 continues to warm hearts even today.
In just one simple but entirely selfless act, Bachman encapsulated the thanks and graciousness he felt toward Cendrosky for raising Brittany just as equally as he had.
“For me to thank him for all the years of helping raise OUR daughter wouldn’t be enough,” Bachman was reported as saying to USA Today. “There is no better way to thank somebody than to assist me walking her down the aisle.”
For Todd Cendrosky, the gesture meant the world to him. When Brittany’s biological father came to grab his hand and expressed his appreciation, he broke down:
“(He) came and grabbed my hand and said: ‘You worked as hard as I have. You’ll help us walk our daughter down the aisle,'” Cendrosky recalled. “I got weak in the knees and lost it. Nothing better in my life, the most impactful moment in my life,” Cendrosky told USA Today.
Wedding photographer Delia D. Blackburn captured the special moment and posted the photos on social media. They immediately went viral and racked up over 15 million views in 24 hours. According to FOX 8, the photos were shared almost 500,000 times and received well over 1 million likes. The photos might have been so popular because they touched a universal nerve that many families are familiar with. Bachman summed it up by saying something we might be forgetting: “A lot of families can relate to our situation.”
Too many families get caught up in the squabbles and fighting between separated parents to put the children first, and this can lead to fractured families and relationships. Bachman and Cendrosky provide a beautiful example of putting aside your differences and coming together for the big moments.
Are you part of a blended family? Would you like to see something like this happen at a family wedding? Let us know about your thoughts, and pass this story along to your relatives.
