Scorecard Research Beacon
Search Icon
October 9, 2025

Bride surprises dad with a twist to their father-daughter wedding dance

WATCH: The story behind the viral surprise father-daughter wedding dance video

A bride recently surprised her dad with a memorable father-daughter dance at her wedding that came with a twist.

Marissa Nielsen, 29, shared the special moment in a TikTok video that has since gone viral with more than 755,000 views and counting.

In the video, as the father-daughter dance comes to a close, Nielsen, the youngest of four sisters, invites her three older sisters -- Sarah, Kelley and Natalie -- to join her and their dad Greg Wickles on the dance floor.

"As the last of his 4 daughters to get married, I decided to surprise him with one last dance all together," Nielsen writes in text overlaid on the video.

Nielsen, who married her husband Alex Nielsen in Vermont this past June, said her father had no idea she had a surprise up her sleeve. 

"We didn't practice it or anything like that, and my dad was just totally surprised," Nielsen told ABC News. "He was almost just speechless ... he seemed like he was kind of holding back tears, and he's someone [who] doesn't like to show too much emotion."

Making the moment even sweeter, Nielsen's niece and nephew joined in on the fun.

"It was just so special, because they look up to him so much," Nielsen said, referring to her niece and nephew. "They call him 'Pa,' short for 'Grandpa,' and they wanted to be a part of that moment."

Afterward, Nielsen said her dad was moved by her thoughtful gesture.

"I remember him just saying, kind of in a raspy voice, how much he was surprised and appreciated that and just loved us all so much," the 29-year-old said.

According to Nielsen, everyone at her wedding "shared happy tears" after witnessing the sweet dance.

TikTok users also left emotional comments beneath the video.

"Do I know you? No. Am I sobbing? Yes," one TikToker commented.

"Sobbing for strangers on the internet again. This is so sweet!" another wrote.

Nielsen said she "didn't even think twice about sharing the moment" with her sisters because of their close-knit bond.

"That meant the world to have all of us there together," she said.

Nielsen said she hopes others who see the video will be reminded to treasure their loved ones.

"When you have your family members with you, hold them close, cherish those you love, and embrace every moment, just because you never know, when you're looking back on memories like that, when it would be the last," she added.