Groom wanted to do something special for bride's family and friends — so he wrote them all a letter

Weddings are moments of heightened emotions for everyone involved. A groom, Austin Dunsmuir, who was set to marry his longtime partner, Mikayla, moved her family and all of her bridesmaids to tears with one special gesture on their wedding. Letters are powerful as they express true feelings with the clarity of hand-written words. Austin realized the potential of letters and decided to write one for each of his bride’s close friends and parents, to be opened not before the wedding morning. When the big day arrived, Mikayla filmed their raw reactions as they read it and shared it on her TikTok page, @mikki_duns, garnering 6.5 million views. 

“When the groom writes letters to the bridesmaids and bride’s parents to open the morning of the wedding,” a note on the video stated. Mikayla sat tight while her bridesmaids fussed over the cute packages the letters were sent in, complete with flowers. A room full of women was engrossed in letters penned by the bride’s soon-to-be husband, some of them occasionally popping smiles at the camera. A few moments later, one of them burst into tears, exclaiming, “Oh my God!” Halfway through, most of the bridesmaids were teary-eyed and sniffing up tears. “I love Austin so much!” said another, as all of them laughed on their uncontrolled tears. 

In the caption, Mikayla acknowledged her husband’s kind heart that is full of love for the people who matter the most to her. “Nothing makes me happier than the love my husband has for the people in my life, and the love they’ve always shown him. This was truly such a special touch to our wedding day, my family,” she wrote. But why had the couple decided to write letters to everyone and not open them until their wedding day? To answer that, Mikayla sat down with PEOPLE to share the story behind this beautiful gesture that won hearts on the internet. She and Austin had been together for about five years before they got married. Therefore, all the people that mattered to her, her parents and close friends, were also a special part of Austin’s life. 

Knowing how much they meant to Mikayla, the groom wanted to do something special for them. “He saw just how much care they put into my bridal year, how special they made everything for me. They really just went above and beyond, you know, for my bridal shower, for my bachelorette trip,” she said. When the bride said she wanted to acknowledge their love for her with a heartfelt gesture that was unlike anything, Austin pitched in to help. “What if I wrote them something from my perspective of your friendship, and it’s a surprise?” he figured. Mikayla was completely blown away by his idea. 

However, as they curated a list, the names grew. Eventually, the couple included the bride’s parents, her grandma, his mom, her bridesmaids, and the maid of honor. The bride did not get a chance to read all the letters, but going through only a few of them made her emotional. However, the letter Austin wrote to her dad was the highlight of the day. They read it out aloud at the wedding, showcasing the beautiful bond they share. 

You can follow @mikki_duns on TikTok for more videos.