A bride felt a “rush of emotions” when the unexpected happened while paying tribute to her late father during her wedding ceremony. Amy Rose Perry was just seven years old when her dad died on Aug. 5, 1999.
In a touching tribute, she decided to honour her dad on her wedding day decades later. In an exclusive interview with people.com , the 32-year-old said her tribute involved releasing monarch butterflies while marrying groom Matthew Perry in Cape Cod, Mass.
, on June 14. When the time came to release the insects, however, the butterflies did something the bride was not expecting: They landed on her. “In that moment, I felt a rush of emotions — gratitude for the beauty of the moment and a deep sense of connection to those around me,” Amy recalled.
“It was as if the butterflies were reassuring us that love endures, and that my father’s memory would always be a part of our lives,” she added. “I could feel my father’s presence so strongly. It was powerful.
” Photos captured by photographer Brit Perkins show the butterflies clinging to pieces of the bride’s dress and veil throughout the ceremony. Her husband was likewise touched by the special scene. “For him to see those butterflies landing on my dress, over his heart and on my sister’s bouquet was a breathtaking reminder that my father is with us, watching over us, and blessing our union from above,” Amy said.
The monarch butterfly has been a symbol of her father for years, she said, adding that it .