Groom and Bride’s Dad Go Viral for Getting Super Emotional

Sometimes, the sweetest moments at weddings aren’t the grand gestures or the fancy presents, but something meaningful that hits you right in the feels. That’s exactly what happened at Mikayla and Austin Dunsmuir’s wedding ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina. With just 75 guests, it was meant to be an intimate and elegant outdoor celebration, but it turned everyone’s emotions to eleven, especially the groom’s and his bride’s father. So emotional, in fact, that they accidentally went viral.

Mikayla had a surprise up her sleeve. Right before she walked down the aisle, she had the DJ play a special audio message she’d recorded just for Austin. He was facing the other way, completely unaware that he was about to be hit with a wave of heartfelt words straight from his wife-to-be. She just wanted to make it even more personal for the groom, who often gets overshadowed on the big day. And knowing they were both pretty emotional people, Mikayla really nailed it.

In the video captured by Whale Tale Weddings and later posted by Mikayla on TikTok, we can clearly see Austin’s reaction unfolding in real time. As her voice plays over the speakers, his eyes almost instantly fill up with tears of joy.

“Hi baby, it’s me, your bride!” the recording begins, already tugging at heartstrings. “I just want you to relax and take it all in. Today’s going to fly by. I’d do it all again, through every journey, every road, because they all led me to you. We finally made it.”

With each word, Austin looks like he’s barely holding it together. But just for a brief moment, as the dam breaks midway through the first couple of sentences. And by the time she ends the message with, “I love you more than anything… Are you ready? Here I come.” Austin is full-on sobbing, shaking, and wiping tears away just as Mikayla appears in the doorway.

He for sure pictured that perfect moment in his head for as long as they’ve been together, so when it actually happened, Austin just couldn’t handle it in the best sense of that phrase.

And it wasn’t just him. The bridesmaids were crying. Her parents were crying. Pretty much everyone within a hundred feet was getting misty-eyed. One TikTok video showing Austin’s reaction has already racked up over 2 million views and more than half a million likes. It even includes audio from a mic that the videographer secretly clipped to his suit jacket, capturing his own ASMR of sniffles, hiccups, and whispered comments.

Mikayla had no idea the videographer had a secret mic on him, so when she watched the video later, she realized that the person had been recording everything. It was a smart idea on his part because hearing those little moments again after the wedding—that’s just free dopamine.

But Austin wasn’t the only one stealing hearts. Michael Caruso, Mikayla’s father, also garnered attention.  As he walked her down the aisle, his furrowed brows and tearful eyes showed just how much this meant to him. It turns out this wasn’t the first time he had cried that day, and, oh boy, it wasn’t the last one either.

Mikayla is very close with her dad, so they’ve probably discussed the wedding at least like ten times. So when it finally happened, it was overwhelming. The bride was trying to take everything in—seeing her dad, esteemed guests, just soaking up every second.

One of the bride’s favorite moments happened when she finally reached the altar. After Austin told her she looked beautiful, he turned to her dad and said, “She’s absolutely beautiful.” That little comment may not seem like much, but for Mikayla, it was everything.

“I just love that he said that to my dad,” she said. “And then after the ceremony, when we were walking back down the aisle, Austin and my dad did this cute little handshake. It was so adorable.”

Mikayla and Austin’s love story started five years ago when they met through Greek life at college in Pennsylvania. After dating for a while, Austin popped the question on April 20, 2024, and the rest is now (very viral and well-documented) history.

As for how Austin feels about being internet-famous for bawling his eyes out in front of his friends and relatives? Let’s just say he’s still getting used to it, but at least those were not sad tears.

“He’s pretty modest, not really a big social media guy,” Mikayla said. “When everything started blowing up, he was like, ‘Oh no, everyone’s seeing me cry!’ But I told him, ‘No way—everyone loves it. They think you’re the sweetest.’ He just gets all red and bashful—he’s such a cutie.”

Now, the viral newlyweds are settling into post-wedding life, soaking in every moment and reliving the day through all the videos and photos. And thanks to a little surprise audio message and a whole lot of raw emotion, their love story now lives on not just in their memories—but in millions of hearts online.