76-Year-Old Grandmother Breaks Down in Tears After Being Asked to Be Bridesmaid in Grandson’s Wedding
What began as a simple visit quickly turned into an unforgettable moment of love.
When bride-to-be Kailey Thorn, 28, asked her fiancé’s grandmother, Janelle Schmidt, 76, to be a bridesmaid in her upcoming wedding, emotions overflowed — and millions of viewers felt it too.
A TikTok video capturing Schmidt’s reaction has since gone viral, drawing more than 1.1 million views in just two days.
“She Feels Like Home”
From the moment Thorn met Schmidt — lovingly known as “Nana” — the bond was instant.
“She is sunshine in human form,” Thorn tells PEOPLE. “Talking to her feels like a warm hug. Including her as a bridesmaid felt completely natural.”
Rather than limiting her bridal party to women her own age, Thorn intentionally chose bridesmaids from different generations — a decision she says added deeper meaning to the celebration.
Her fiancé, Jake Samberg, was moved to tears when she shared the idea.
“He was over the moon,” Thorn says. “He knew exactly how much it would mean to her.”
The Emotional Moment That Went Viral
The couple visited Schmidt at her home, where Thorn surprised her with a handwritten letter explaining how important she is to their lives — and formally asking her to stand by her side on the big day.
“Am I going to cry? I already started,” Schmidt said as she began reading, shining her phone’s flashlight on the page.
Moments later, disbelief turned to tears.
“No, really? Are you serious?” she asked, overcome with emotion. “That is such an honor.”
Thorn reassured her gently: “We really want you involved. It means so much to us.”
Schmidt immediately accepted — though not without asking one more time if Thorn was sure.
“I’m positive,” the bride replied.
A Bond That Touched Millions
Thorn later gifted Schmidt a personalized tote filled with handmade and embroidered items. The two embraced as Schmidt joked, “I fell in love with you the first time I met you — how can you marry him when I love you more?”
The video struck a powerful chord online.
“Older women can feel so invisible,” read the top comment, which earned more than 35,000 likes. “Thank you for including her in a role usually given to younger women.”
@paranoidkailey Asking my Fiancé’s nana to be my bridesmaid #2026bride #bridesmaids #bridesoftiktok ♬ original sound – Kailey | 2026 Bride
“She Prayed for Me From Day One”
Schmidt says the moment was overwhelming in the best way.
“I was crying watching her cry,” she shared. “She’s told me since day one that she prayed for me.”
Their relationship goes far beyond wedding plans. The two spend hours talking on the phone, take shopping trips together, and exchange handmade gifts — including a quilt Thorn once sewed for her.
“We just have such a unique bond,” Thorn says. “She feels like home.”
The couple is set to marry on December 12, and Nana will proudly stand beside the bride — a reminder that love knows no age.