A dad stopped his daughter’s wedding so he could ask her stepdad to walk the aisle with them too. Bride Eleena Merchen, 21, from Belle Fourche, South Dakota, was left stunned when dad Justo Tobar Jr momentarily halted the wedding at the top of the aisle and approached her stepdad Brandon. Justo, 56, and Eleena's mom separated in 2012, and over the years that followed, she built a close bond with Brandon, 45, who has been extremely supportive since coming into her life. Eleena admitted her relationship with Justo has had its ups and downs, but she never stopped loving him, and eventually they have been able to get back to having a relationship she is proud of. During the wedding planning process, she wanted to respect her father so she never asked for Brandon to join her on the aisle, even though secretly it was what she would have liked. But on the day itself at Besler’s Cadillac Ranch in St. Onge, Justo explained how he felt it was only right Brandon was by his daughter's side, too, given how much he had done for her over the years. As the pair walked through a set of doors, ready to head to the altar, Justo asked her to wait at the top of the aisle as he walked to Brandon's seat. Wiping tears from his eyes, Justo took Brandon's hand and guided him back to the top of the aisle, where they then locked arms with Eleena to walk towards her husband, Dusty Merchen. The gesture – a completely unexpected show of love and respect, Eleena said – was captured on video by the couple's wedding videographers, Zsomething Film, on September 28, 2024.
