Photography: Annie McElwain
There is something very special and touching about the moment a father gives his daughter away to the man she is about to marry. We wanted to honor all the father of the brides out there currently going through this very wonderful and emotional experience. Here, we share a poem written by one particularly sweet father on how he feels about his daughter's big day.
My dear sweetheart,
You know I am man of very few words,
But when it comes to you, my baby,
Words can never seem to be enough
To say just how proud I am to call you my daughter.
You have grown into an incredible young woman,
But in my eyes you will always be my little girl.
The girl I carried in my arms for so many times,
The girl I would hurry to come home to,
The girl I would try to comfort whenever she didn't have the best of day.
Anytime I feel I never do anything right in this life,
I know, I know whenever I look at you that it isn't true,
For you are the perfection I never thought was possible,
You are the reason I truly believe in unconditional love.
My prayers have always been for you to find true love,
The way I did when your mother came into my life.
And sweetie, I believe you have found just that,
For the man you are about to marry I trust will love you the way my princess deserves to be loved.
I have been there throughout many of your milestones,
And I will continue to do just that,
But, now you are about to embark on a new journey,
Of becoming a wife,
And I believe you are going to make your husband a very happy man.
The day I give you away will bring me a roller coaster of emotions,
For I will feel joy, sadness, excitement, and a whole lot more.
But above all, I will feel happiness unlike any other,
To see you put on that beautiful smile of yours,
I wouldn't miss it for the world.
So here we go, my sweetheart,
I wish you a lifetime of happiness in your marriage,
And know that I will always be here for you.
You have always been and will always be my little princess,
But, I believe it is now time for you to be a Queen.
And rest assured that you could not have picked a better King.