This Bride Didn't Want Anyone But Grandma To Officiate Her Wedding

Nanny was honored to do it.

When Margot and James Koehler were planning their wedding, there was only one person they wanted to officiate the big day: the bride’s grandma Nancy Miller, a.k.a. Nanny.

The bride and her 78-year-old Nanny shared a sweet embrace during the ceremony.
The bride and her 78-year-old Nanny shared a sweet embrace during the ceremony.
Nancy Miller officiated her granddaughter's wedding last fall.
Nancy Miller officiated her granddaughter's wedding last fall.

So that’s exactly what Nanny, who was previously a deacon at an Episcopal church, did at the couple’s October 2015 wedding in Leesburg, Virginia.

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have the relationship with my grandmother that I do," the bride said.
"I feel incredibly fortunate to have the relationship with my grandmother that I do," the bride said.

“My husband James has become close with her over the years too. So close that we could not have pictured anyone else marrying us,” Margot told The Huffington Post.

Nanny had 5 kids before the age of 30.
Nanny had 5 kids before the age of 30.

Leading up to the October 2015 nuptials, the couple called Nanny to ask if she would be willing to marry them.

“I remember it being silent for a moment after we asked her, and I was a little nervous that it might be too much for her to do on our big day,” Margot said. “But of course, like always, she rose to the occasion and said that she would be honored to marry us.”

The bride's grandparents have been married 58 years. "Their marriage has served as such a strong example of what love and friendship mean for their five children and all of their grandchildren."
The bride's grandparents have been married 58 years. "Their marriage has served as such a strong example of what love and friendship mean for their five children and all of their grandchildren."

At the ceremony, as Margot was making her way down the aisle, she deliberately tried to look anywhere but straight ahead. She knew if she saw Nanny and her husband together, she would cry.

“As soon as we got close enough to the end of the aisle I looked ahead and saw that she and my husband were in tears, which of course caused me to tear up immediately.”

Nanny and the groom got emotional as the bride entered the ceremony.
Nanny and the groom got emotional as the bride entered the ceremony.

Since she was a kid, Margot and her grandma have shared a close relationship. Margot considers Nanny a mentor and a zen presence in her life.

“There are very few people that I feel as connected to as her, even though we are generations apart,” the bride told HuffPost. “Many people see their grandparents on holidays or birthdays, but ever since I was young my grandmother and grandfather made an effort to be at every life milestone ― from ballet recitals, to sporting events, to graduations, and also just to stop by and spend the day with us.”

Now, you may kiss the bride!
Now, you may kiss the bride!

The bride has long admired her Nanny’s love for her family, as well as her tenacity.

“Even after having five children, she put herself through school and then went on to run a homeless shelter for 25 years,” Margot said. “She taught me the value of never settling or giving up something you want, even if the timing doesn’t always seem right.”

Below, more photos from the couple’s big day:

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