Bride's Father Refused to Attend Her LGBTQ+ Wedding. Then Her Brothers Stepped In with Sweet Surprise (Exclusive)

Tessa Chavez had the support of her two brothers instead of a father-daughter dance at her wedding to wife Cyn Wang

• Tessa Chavez’s father did not approve of her sexual orientation and refused to attend his daughter’s wedding
• Her brothers, Guillermo and Diego, danced with Chavez instead of the traditional father-daughter dance
• Chavez’s wife, Cyn Wang, shared a video of their special sibling moment on TikTok

Tessa Chavez’s brothers made for a perfect wedding day, despite the lack of family members on the dance floor.

Not supportive of his daughter’s sexual orientation, the bride’s father was absent when she married his wife, Cyn Wang. Although Chavez was unable to experience the traditional father-daughter dance, her faithful siblings Guillermo and Diego took the opportunity to celebrate their sister themselves.

Wang shared footage of their special family moment in a now-viral TikTok post with 1.8 million views.

“My father-in-law is very religious and was not at our wedding. My wife was devastated, but she tried not to show it,” Wang wrote alongside the video, which features clips from their ceremony in October 2023 in Mexico City, Chavez’s hometown.

Guillermo, Tessa and Diego Chavez.

Bridget Burnett

The TikTok montage showed older brother Guillermo hanging out with Chavez before they were joined by “my wife’s little brother and best friend, Diego,” as Wang describes in the text that overlaps the video.

The San Francisco couple tells PEOPLE they weren’t surprised when most of Chavez’s paternal family members refused to attend their wedding.

Tessa Chavez and Cyn Wang.

Bridget Burnett

“We expected it based on their personal and religious beliefs, but we sent them invitations hoping they would show up on one of the most important days of our lives,” Wang says, noting that Chavez’s father never actually responded to their wedding invitation. .

“As Tessa’s wife, it was heartbreaking to see her face this pain and rejection even though she did nothing wrong,” Wang continues. “It’s great that Tessa’s dad has a belief system that disapproves of our sexual orientation and relationship. We hope that one day he will find it in his heart to rebuild a relationship with us.”

Tessa Chavez and Cyn Wang.

Summit and Sur Photography

Wang has never met her father-in-law, and he has not communicated with Chavez since she got engaged, “despite Tessa’s repeated efforts to reconnect,” says Wang, a lawyer and former U.S. diplomat who currently manages her family business and serves as San Francisco’s entertainment commissioner. .

After realizing their father wouldn’t be there for the dance, Chavez and her brothers began planning an alternative. But Wang says the trio didn’t rehearse the magical moment, which has garnered over 255,000 likes on social media.

Guillermo, Tessa and Diego Chavez.

Bridget Burnett

“The Chavez siblings are very talented dancers and didn’t even need any practice beforehand. It would be difficult for our guests not to feel the tenderness and special sibling dynamic they share,” Wang tells PEOPLE. “You can hear everyone cheering and clapping in our video!”

Chavez — who works in financial technology — is close with all of her siblings, but over the past few years they’ve followed their dreams to different countries and haven’t been able to see each other very often.

“The wedding was especially important to us because all four of Tessa’s siblings came, flying in from all over the world, as far as Hamburg, Germany and Melbourne, Australia,” the couple said.

Tessa Chavez’ and her family.

Bridget Burnett

The sibling dance may have been born out of painful circumstances, but Chavez’s ever-protective and very supportive brothers joined the joy of her wedding and sibling reunion with a meaningful soundtrack. They danced to Diego Torres’ “Sueños,” a song “that reflects their values, who they are and how they relate to each other,” Wang says.

She adds, “The message of the song is very uplifting; encourages everyone to follow their dreams, overcome obstacles and never give up hope.”

Tessa Chavez, Sloane Wang and Cyn Wang.

Bridget Burnett

Likewise, Wang and Chavez tell PEOPLE that they “try to have a mindset of gratitude” about their family dynamic. Both women have new in-laws and family members they love — Chavez even became stepmother to Wang’s 10-year-old daughter, Sloane.

“We are grateful to the family and friends who attended [the wedding]including Tessa’s mom and siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, and my parents, sisters and family,” explains Wang, who adds that her family is “nothing but accepting of our sexuality and relationship.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education