Nicole Cortez has a very special dad, and he proved it by signing Heartland’s “I Loved Her First” on her wedding day. The emotional moment went viral online, with many viewers saying they couldn’t watch it without tearing up. Nicole explained the moment in the video description, saying, “At my wedding reception, my dad surprises my new husband and me by signing a beautiful song. I am a sign language interpreter, so this meant the world to me.”
Nicole noted that her dad began learning the song after she got engaged, and it took him a full year to learn the whole piece in time for the wedding. Her dad said the words of the song as he signed the lyrics, and the emotion on his face as he performed is really moving to see. Needless to say, this sign of his dedication as a father made a big impression on Nicole and her new husband, who both teared up during the performance.
Viewers watching at home were really touched by the moment, and added comments such as “That was probably one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Her father singing this very beautiful song. Thank you so much for sharing” and “Out of all the wedding videos I have seen this is by far the best one. I don’t know this family or anything and this brought tears to my eyes. This dad needs a father of the year award.”
There are quite a few popular wedding performances on YouTube, but Nicole’s dad’s performance is right up there, as it attracted a whopping 29.8 million views on the platform. In the video, he performs to Heartland’s “I Loved Her First,” which is a country ballad about a proud father giving his daughter away on her wedding day. It’s not the only time the song has gone viral, as Madeline Galbreath’s dad won hearts online by covering the song on piano and vocals at her wedding.
“I Loved Her First” was penned by songwriters Walt Aldridge and Elliott Park, and Aldridge also produced the song. It was first recorded by Huntsville, Alabama country act Heartland, who released it as their debut single on June 5, 2006. Heartland released “I Loved Her First” as the lead single from their debut album of the same name. The Music Man readers might be interested to know that the song peaked at number one on the US Country chart, and became Heartland’s only single to gain a Platinum certification in the US.