The Truth Behind The Man Crying In The Wedding Video

The video of a man who is literally tearing up when he sees his bride walk down the aisle toward him on his wedding day has been seen more than 10 million times.  Making it one of the quickest viral videos of 2016.

But the thing that struck a cord with many of the viewers, according to most of its comments, is the emotion expressed by the groom. Rare is a groom expressing such emotions of joy at a wedding day.  Most grooms hear, “it’s not your day, it’s all about her.” But with this video of groom Gabriel Deku and his now wife Annabella, those rules didn’t apply.

In fact, we haven’t seen this much emotion from a groom since Morris Chestnut in The Best Man!

But it’s all because of that one four letter word: LOVE.

“At the time we met, I had given up hope on this whole love thing,” Gabriel told The Huffington Post. “I thought this idea of having a life partner who would love and respect me unconditionally was a story only told in movies.”

In the viral video, Gabriel receives a much-needed best man pep talk from his friend Tolu Ige as he breaks down in tears at Annabella’s entrance. It seems like just about everyone in the room is trying to hold it together, from the front to the back of the church, in every pew.

“Regardless of whether I am being an ass and acting up, she still chooses to respect me,” Gabriel said. “I thought relationships were about this 50/50, giving expecting to return. But together we have discovered it’s about giving 100 and expecting nothing.”

Annabella explains it perfectly:

“I love that Gabriel is a visionary, always dreaming big and never settles for less than excellent,” she said. “He pushes me to be the best that I can be and never allows me to feel as though I have ‘arrived.’ There is always room for more growth, more development, more love.”

While the overall divorce rate of those in America is between 40-50% depending on your age group…,

… marriage rates have improved. Take a look:

About 70 percent of marriages that began in the 1990s reached their 15th anniversary, up from roughly 65 percent of those that began in the 1970s and 1980s. And couples who wed in the 2000s are divorcing at even lower rates.

The fact that people are marrying later in life, resulting in more mature marriages, has helped matters, too. The median age for marriage in the 1950s was 23 for men and 20 for women. In 2004, it rose to 27 for men and 26 for women.

Those who married in the 2000s are so far divorcing at even lower rates. If current trends continue, nearly two-thirds of marriages will never involve a divorce, according to data from Justin Wolfers, a University of Michigan economist.

“Two-thirds of divorces are initiated by women,” said William Doherty, a marriage therapist and professor of family social science at University of Minnesota, “so when you’re talking about changes in divorce rates, in many ways you’re talking about changes in women’s expectations.”

The Deku’s are an example of what real love can look like. Much love and success to them!