Groom Without Mom At Wedding Has Emotional First Dance With Daughter

A groom whose mom wasn’t present on his big day brought wedding guests to tears with a surprise daddy-daughter dance with his 23-month-old daughter instead.Thomas Harstine, 37, who goes by TJ, said he had a tough childhood, and though he and his mother are in touch, their relationship remains distant. With his mom not set to attend his big day, friends of TJ knew how sensitive the subject of family might be, given that he would have no parents present. But during discussions about traditional elements of weddings – brides dancing with their fathers; grooms dancing with their moms – TJ lit up at the thought of dancing with his daughter, Bowie, who he shares with his now-wife Darby, 28. TJ adores Bowie, Darby said, and because the pair were only planning a small wedding, friends and family knew just how much the 23-month-old means to her father. After Darby's dance with her father at the Vancouver Club, in Vancouver, Canada, on August 30, TJ and Bowie then made their way to the dance floor. Guests were completely unaware of what was about to happen, as their itineraries for the day only read "Special Dance" with no additional context.

Keywords