Weddings rarely happen without an oopsie sneaking in or something being forgotten. Even the most lavish and intricately planned ceremonies have at least one mishap that brides and grooms just have to giggle at and brush off.
Maybe the adorable flower girl bawls down the church aisle because she doesn’t want to share her rose petals. Or the dapper ring bearer suddenly can’t find a very important wedding ring.
All that matters is at the end of the ceremony, the two lovebirds standing before God, family and friends are happily married and ready to start their lives together no matter how many bloopers may have occurred.
An Irish bride and groom in County Monaghan were in the middle of their beautiful wedding ceremony when suddenly, a guest in the pews leaped to her feet, catching everyone off guard.
At first, the bride and groom are incredibly confused, as are the rest of the guests — except for the dozen or so people who are in on the surprise. Inside this beautiful church, the guests surprised the bride and groom who are seated upfront with a serenade.
The wedding guests’ surprise is simply amazing.
The first woman to stand softly sung the first verses of the hit song “Stand By Me.” Then, another woman on the opposite side of the aisle stood and chimed in. People who aren’t privy to the big secret are glancing around clearly wondering what’s happening.
A man rises to his feet and sings a verse, followed by bride Rachel McNally’s very own father who stands up and sings. Suddenly, a church full of wedding guests stand and sing this classic song.
Rachel and her husband Shane cannot hold back the tears, obviously moved by the compassion and kindness shown to them by their loved ones. The participants in this secret serenade make their way up front, standing before Rachel and Shane, their beautiful harmonious voices echoing throughout the church as they sing a pledge of loyalty and support to the newlyweds.
For a moment, Rachel is enraptured by the performance and rocks back and forth in her seat to the music.
Both the bride and groom can be seen wiping away their tears several times.
As incredible as this group sounds, they obviously rehearsed in advance but somehow managed to keep it a complete surprise from the couple. The idea to pull off this performance came from the couple’s friend Hannah O’Brien who realized that the wedding would have many talented singers and musicians on the guest list. Why not take advantage of that?
“I realized that there were going to be plenty of singers and musicians attending the wedding and saw the opportunity to do something special for the happy couple who love music.”
Secret rehearsals were held for five weeks before the wedding for those who wanted to participate. They also received some help from the band Sterling Blue.
Their hard work obviously paid off, because when they were done singing during the ceremony, the performers received a rousing round of applause, which was most definitely deserved. Rachel was stunned.
“(It was a) special moment that we will all cherish forever.”
Watch the video below and see just how impressive this impromptu group of singers sound and how sweetly stunned Shane and Rachel are at this gesture of kindness toward them as they embark upon a new path as husband and wife.
