A wedding ceremony in Minnesota quickly turned into an emotional affair after the bride went out of her way to make vows to her new stepson. Earlier this month, the lovely couple said “I do” to each other on their big day. What the man didn’t know was that his newlywed bride had a special surprise planned for both him and his 9-year-old son.
“At first I wasn’t going to do it, because I didn’t want Henry to feel uncomfortable in front of everyone,” explained the 30-year-old nurse from Minnesota, Vanessa Lynch, according to reports. “But after some time thinking it over, I felt like something would have felt left out if I did not say a little something to Henry.” Thus, she decided to go ahead with the heartwarming and thoughtful gesture.
“I wanted Craig to know how much my relationship with Henry meant to me,” she said adding, how she also wanted little Henry “to know that I wasn’t just going to be a woman his dad was married to.” Of course, Vanessa was extremely “nervous” about going through with the whole thing on her big day but it somehow “felt right.”
“So when I was done with Craig’s vows, I motioned for Craig to scoot over so I could see Henry,” she recalled of the sweet moment that was captured on camera. “That’s when the tears started flowing, when I looked at Henry in that moment.” In her speech, Vanessa promised to love Henry like he was her son and support him for the rest of her life, according to reports.
“Henry, I know I wasn’t there the day you came into the world. I wasn’t there for your first steps or your first words, but I promise I will be there for many more of your firsts,” she vowed. “I promise to love you as if you were my own, and lastly I promise I will be the best wife for your dad, and I promise to be the best stepmom I can be for you.”
As soon as her vows came to an end, Henry rushed towards his stepmom to give her a warm hug. It’s not always easy to get along with your partner’s children, but for the bride, it came naturally as she comes from a blended family. Even when she began dating Craig, she took her time to introduce herself, ensuring Henry felt comfortable.
“I wanted to wait as long as it took for Henry to feel comfortable. I planned our first time together by us three going to see monster trucks together, we all had a blast,” she shared. “I come from a blended family, so me deciding to say vows to Henry really stemmed from my experience as a child — how stepparents should treat stepchildren as though they were their own children,” she added.
“Just because you don’t share blood with someone, does not mean you cannot be a family,” she said. “It all comes from love you hold for a person and what you commit to one another.”