A couple had a beautiful wedding ceremony in Pennsylvania involving the groom’s four-year-old son from a previous relationship. This boy’s new stepmom decided to read vows to him too, and his reaction made the nitizens burst into tears.
Josh and Emily Newville worked in Burlington County, New Jersey, had been together for two years before deciding to tie the knot. During that time, Emily had a chance to build a strong bond with her future stepson Gage, a relationship causing a clip from the Newvilles’ wedding to go viral.
Emily can be seen from the video reading her “vows” to little Gage as his stepmom. She said through tears. “I want you to be safe and to try your hardest and to be a good person,” Gage throws himself at Emily, crying and hugging her tightly. Jessica Husted Photography captured this moment.
And this is where basically everyone lost it — Gage, Josh, the officiant, and even several people in the audience of loved ones. This is simply too sweet to bear.
The stepmom pressed on, her voice shaking, totally determined to say what she had to say to her new stepson. “I know we will butt heads…but I hope with all my heart that as you become a grown man, you will understand my methods and realize I have only done what’s best for you and that I love you.”
“The last thing I hope you learn is that you are a very special boy. You are so extremely smart, handsome and kind to others. You have helped turn me into the woman that I am today. I may not have given you the gift of life, but life surely gave me the gift of you.”
Emily finished her vows and leaned down to hug and kiss Gage before gently urging him to go to his uncle, because there was still a wedding to finish. The easy vibe between this stepmom and her little guy is probably the biggest reason why the whole video is sweet
Emily said her relationship with Gage has been “nothing short of perfection” and explained why she wanted to have him in their ceremony. She shared: “I wanted to involve him because when I was vowing to be Josh’s wife I was also vowing to be his stepmom. I wanted him to feel special and to remind him of how much he means to me.”
She says his reaction was a total surprise. “He had no idea that I had planned vows to him and at 4 years old I really didn’t expect him to understand what was going on but his emotions tell a different story!”
It is never simple to merge families even if all parties involved are supportive. There are still hurdles to overcome. However, in this family, it’s clear that Gage’s well-being is paramount. His biological mom even chimed in on the video’s comments saying, “As his mother I can say that she is an amazing step-mother to him. I couldn’t have picked someone better. Gage is lucky to have her and I’m so thankful I can trust her to be there when I cannot be!”
At the end of the day, Gage has two moms who love him very much. And that’s a beautiful thing to see.
