Tears Flow as Bride Shares Special First Look with Grandparents Before Wedding Ceremony (Exclusive)
Tears Flow as Bride Shares Special First Look with Grandparents Before Wedding Ceremony (Exclusive)
Ashlyn RobinetteThu, February 19, 2026 at 8:09 PM UTC
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Ashley Sanford's first look with her grandparents
Butterflies of Hope by Katelyn (2)
Ashley and Hunter Sanford got married on Dec. 20 in New Orleans
The bride had an emotional first look with her grandparents
"I know my grandparents won't be here forever, and as bad as I wish they could be, I will always look back on this video and cherish this moment," Ashley tells PEOPLE
Tears were flowing during a bride's touching first look with her grandparents.
Ashley Sanford (née Langham) married Hunter Sanford, both 28, on Dec. 20 in a ceremony at the Marigny Opera House, followed by a reception at the NOPSI Hotel in New Orleans. The bride was "extra happy" that her only living grandparents, Sarah Rebecca, 83, and Herman Langham Junior, 84 — who go by "Grams" and "Bigdaddy" respectively — were able to attend her nuptials, so she had a "special and private" first look with them before walking down the aisle.
"I wanted a wow moment and a time to really just show them how special they were to me, which is why I chose to do a first look with them," Ashley tells PEOPLE. "I didn't get to spend a lot of one-on-one time with them during the busy weekend, and this gave me a moment just to spend with them."
Neither of Ashley's paternal grandparents had seen her wedding dress, so the moment was especially meaningful considering she picked her gown with her grandmother's taste in mind.
"My grandmother immediately started crying!" Ashley remembers. "I could tell she was really at a loss for words, and my first words were, 'Is my dress giving Kate Middleton?' because she would always send me Pinterest posts of Kate Middleton's dress! Bigdaddy just nodded his head of approval, which if you know Bigdaddy, having his approval means everything and I could tell they were just thinking of how grown up I was."
Ashley Sanford's first look with her grandparents
Butterflies of Hope by Katelyn
A video of the emotional first look, captured by Day of Bestie and Shot By Schnell, has gone viral on Instagram. Since it was posted on Jan. 4, the clip has amassed more than 70,000 likes. Much like everyone in the video, several commenters said that they were brought to tears. Many people also wrote that the sweet first look made them miss their grandparents.
For Ashley, who considers her grandparents to be her "best friends," their intimate first look was everything she dreamed of.
"When I walked out and saw them both there, with their eyes closed and heads down waiting on the 'Okay, look' [cue], I immediately got emotional," she tells PEOPLE. "I know my grandparents won't be here forever, and as bad as I wish they could be, I will always look back on this video and cherish this moment. Their reactions really made me realize how proud they were of me, even though they tell me all the time."
Ashley also had a first look with her now-husband, father, and bridesmaids.
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Ashley Sanford's first look with her grandparents
Butterflies of Hope by Katelyn
The bride is the youngest of three, and is Sarah and Herman's only granddaughter. Despite Ashley's Louisiana wedding being a long drive from Mississippi, where her family lives, her grandparents "wouldn't miss [her] wedding for anything."
"When I got the call they were for sure coming, I actually cried with happy tears and have never been so excited to see them in New Orleans on the rehearsal dinner night," Ashley says. "With everything they deal with healthwise every single day, they put it all to the side and stayed the whole weekend for me, and I am so grateful for them."
Ashley Sanford's first look with her grandparents
Butterflies of Hope by Katelyn
Ashley's grandfather stayed for the reception because it was important to him that he dance with her.
"Frankly, Bigdaddy showed me up on that dance floor!" Ashley says. "He may be in his 80s but he sure does know how to get down!"
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Ashley Sanford's first look with her grandparents
Butterflies of Hope by Katelyn
Ashley has had a "super close" relationship with Sarah and Herman, who live next door to her parents in Mississippi, for as long as she can remember. Ashley now lives just three hours away from them and calls them "multiple times every week" just to catch up.
Growing up, she remembers her grandparents picking her and her brothers up from school, taking them to sports practices and games, and always having their favorite snacks. She admits she was also "spoiled" by them being the only granddaughter after all.
"Many people say I got my 'expensive taste' from my grandmother and truthfully it is the best compliment!" Ashley says. "The two of them are two of the best people I have ever met, and they never meet a stranger. They have always pushed us to be our best whether in school, sports, or just life."
She continues, "They are now great-grandparents to four perfect little ones, and it is so fun to see so many generations together in one room. I'll never thank God enough for giving me two of the best people to be my grandparents!"
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
