By Stefania Sainato
Rachel Wolf's father/daughter dance on Saturday, July 20 was everything she hoped it would be — the only thing missing was a groom to watch on.
Her dad, Dr. John Wolf, is losing his battle with terminal pancreatic cancer, but that didn't stop the determined 25-year-old from Auburn, California from making their wedding wish come true. Regretting that he would never get to take part in her big day, yet not wanting to pressure her current boyfriend to propose, she came up with the idea to host a special dance now that she can record and play at her future nuptials someday.
"My greatest sadness of you not being here is that you won't get to walk me down the aisle or have a special father/daughter dance," she told him through tears in a video posted online by News10/KXTV. "So I'm inviting you to my 'wedding.'"
Related: 10 Powerful Ways to Honor Lost Loved Ones
In an interview with The Today Show, her "ultimate hero" reveals just how much the staged event meant to him: "Each and every day, we have a choice. We have a choice to either love that person that's in front of us or not. It's the relationships that you build over the years that is the most important thing in life."
Drained from chemo, the Wolf family wasn't even sure if Dad would feel well enough to dance to the song they had chosen: "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. (Check out more father-daughter dance songs you'll both love.) Mustering up the strength, he didn't disappoint, even obliging his daughter's request to spin her!
Vendors from the Auburn community pooled together goods and services to donate to the Wolfs' worthy cause, including a gazebo venue, wedding gown, DJ, tuxedo rental and photography.
More from Bridal Guide:
Real Couples' Favorite Wedding-Day Memories
30+ Gowns with Show-Stopping Backs
101 Amazing Wedding Cakes
Honeymoon Horror Stories You Have to Hear!
Fabulous Etsy Finds for Your Wedding