Tara Foley was searching for a way to include her 102-year-old grandmother, Stasia, to be a part of her wedding day celebration.
She says that when her nana was put on hospice, the nurse asked her what she wanted to do in the coming days, so her grandma replied saying she wanted to be at Tara’s wedding. That was impossible for the nearly 103-year-old lady.
Posted by Tara Foley on Thursday, June 13, 2019
Foley continues that they disclosed to her that she couldn’t fly anymore due to her age and also her heart was failing. So the bride-to-be wrote to tell her that she knew that she was trying to stay in good health and was looking for a way to be at the wedding, so Foley decided to give her grandma a special preview.
She said, “I knew in my heart she was trying to hang on to get there somehow. I decided to fly to her with my wedding dress, it was unaltered and didn’t fit yet but none of that mattered,” Foley said. “I may have lied to my entire family about where I was that weekend, and I didn’t tell my friends so I could surprise everyone with these photos.”
Posted by Tara Foley on Thursday, June 13, 2019
The photos, taken by photographer Misty McLendon, speak volumes of the moment, as Stasia looks so happy to see Foley dressed up as a beautiful bride-to-be. Foley said it was “one of the greatest days” of her life.
Posted by Tara Foley on Thursday, June 13, 2019
“When I said goodbye to her that night, I think we both knew it would be the last time we would see each other,” Foley added. “She grabbed my cheeks with her hands, looked me straight in the eye and said ‘I love you very much’ and 27 days later she passed away. I am so blessed to have this be my last memory with her. She was beyond an amazing woman! I love you Nana, always and forever!”
Posted by Tara Foley on Thursday, June 13, 2019
Foley did not tell her family about her photo-shoot with grandma until her big day, and was able to present her family with a very meaningful memento.
“She didn’t show her parents the pictures or that she flew to see her until the wedding day,” photographer McLendon said. “A real wedding moment here,” Misty McLendon Photography posted on August 21. “The brides grandmother was 102 years old and traveled by herself up until then! The bride found out that her grandmother wouldn’t be able to fly anymore so she flew to her grandmother, got dolled up in her wedding dress and did a photo shoot with her.”
Posted by Misty McLendon Photography on Wednesday, August 21, 2019
“Shortly after, her grandmother passed away,” McLendon wrote. “Tara kept the shoot a secret and surprised her mom, dad, brother and sister in law with the picture of them together on her wedding day.”
People are seeing these photos online and are blown away by the sweet moments grandmother and granddaughter got to share. This is so inspiring and thoughtful of Tara Foley to travel just before her wedding and get a photo-shoot done with her grandmother before she died, we’re sure many people are going to be inspired by her and do the same.