Although Kaley West Young lost her father, David, to heart disease three years ago, her family made sure he was still by her side on her wedding day.
The Utah bride got the surprise of her life at her wedding reception on Sept. 22. Instead of a traditional father-daughter dance, her five older brothers – Kevin, Dustin, Danny, Derek and Kasey West – all took turns swaying with her on the dance floor as Michael Bolton’s “Fathers & Daughters” played in the background.
But before the song’s first verse, David’s familiar voice suddenly spoke over the speakers. “Hi, Kaley!” he said.
The voice quickly added, “My name is Dave West, and I’m Kaley’s dad, and I love her very much. 1,800 times worth.”
The emotional surprise was orchestrated by Kaley’s brothers, who added special meaning to the song by editing in audio snippets from their father’s old home videos between Bolton’s lyrics.
At the sound of her father’s voice, the bride was moved to tears, covering her face with her hand. As each brother subbed in for their moment to dance, David’s voice continued to present itself. “Kaley, relax and just dance, okay?” his voice assured as his daughter continued to sway to the music.
“I was trying to keep myself composed. When the dance was over, I just looked around at everyone, and they were all crying,” Kaley later told Access of the tearful moment.
When Kaley’s brother Kevin posted footage of the dance on YouTube, the video quickly went viral, racking up nearly 50,000 views in merely six days. The post also caught the attention of Michael Bolton himself, who retweeted it with a heartwarming message of his own.
“I’m so humbled and honored that the West brothers choose
my song #FathersandDaughters
to dance with their sister [Kaley] at her wedding,” the singer wrote. “Their video brought me to tears.”
i'm so humbled and honored that the west brothers choose my song #FathersandDaughters to dance with their sister Kaylee at her wedding. their video brought me to tears https://t.co/eqlyI7HzEn
— Michael Bolton (@mbsings) October 3, 2018
Kaley told Access that she was “completely shocked and blown away” by how far her intimate family moment has traveled online. “I had no idea it would reach this many people, and I’m beyond humbled.”
When asked how she thought her father would feel about the situation, Kaley was sure he’d be happy.
“The fact that his love is still being shared, I know that he is smiling wherever he is,” she said.
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