Newlyweds surprise grandparents who couldn’t be at wedding

By Ottilie Von Henning via SWNS

This is the touching moment a newlywed couple surprised the bride's grandparents by dressing up in their wedding outfits - after they couldn't make it to the big day.

Anna Rietti married Joey DeLay on July 20 in Chicago, Illinois in the presence of their friends and family.

But Anna's grandparents, George, 100, and Annie, 87, weren't able to travel from Great Neck, New York, after their flight was affected by an IT outage.

Anna had planned to visit her grandparents less than a month later for Grandma Annie's birthday - and took this opportunity to spring a surprise.

The bride and groom got dolled up once again and surprised Anna's grandparents by exchanging their vows and doing their first dance on August 11.

Heartwarming footage shows Grandpa George's emotional reaction at the sight of his granddaughter's wedding - a day he thought he'd missed forever.

Anna's sister Francesca Rietti, who captured the moment, said: " It couldn’t have gone more perfectly.

"When Anna and Joey appeared in their wedding attire, my grandparents were taken completely by surprise.

"The look on Grandpa George’s face was priceless. He was so moved. You could see his heart just light up.

"In a way, it felt even more intimate and magical than the actual wedding day because it was all about them."

Francesca, who works as a travel advisor, desperately tried to get the grandparents out to Chicago so she knew how much missing the wedding meant to them.

She said: "It was a devastating blow, especially for Grandpa George, who had long dreamed of seeing Anna get married.

"Annie, always the supportive partner, was heartbroken too, not just for herself but for Grandpa George, knowing how much it meant to him."

"It’s hard to express just how much it meant to me to see my grandparents’ reactions.

"Grandpa George is my favorite person in the world and being able to give him this special moment after the heartache of missing the wedding was so fulfilling.

"And Annie - seeing her smile, knowing how much she treasures family moments like these, filled my heart with so much love."