Bride’s Father Refuses to Attend Her LGBTQ Wedding, Brothers Step in for Father-Daughter Dance

Cyn & Tessa (@cynandtessa) are a same-sex couple who are sharing the story of their relationship online, which includes footage of their wedding.

However, the couple posted how one of their family members didn't approve of their marriage due to their religious beliefs and as a result, they refused to attend their wedding.

"My father-in-law is very religious, and he did not attend our wedding," a text overlay in the video reads which shows the bride and bride walking together, hand in hand on their wedding day in their respective outfits for the occasion.

"My wife was devastated, but she tried not to show it," a follow-up overlay in the video reads. The clip then transitions to one-half of the married couple dancing in the middle of the wedding venue with a man, which another caption for the video reveals is her brother: "In lieu of the father-daughter dance, her brothers stepped in for sibling dance"

"This is her older brother Guillermo," the TikTok goes on to state, as the video transitions to another one of her brothers cutting it up with her on the floor, "Here comes little bro and my wife's best friend, Diego...it was beautiful and meant a lot to us," she writes, adding a heart emoji at the end of the statement.

The final image of the video is a picture of the bride standing between her two brothers, her arms wrapped around them. A caption for the video reads: "When my father-in-law decided not to attend our wedding, our siblings stepped up"

According to Oxford Academic, same-sex couples may be at risk for added stress, which could bring about additional challenges in their personal lives and romantic relationship, and The Gottman Institute writes that stresses can be compounded even more when family members are unsupportive.

The topic of "toxic" and/or unsupportive family members when it comes to relationships has been thoroughly discussed by various outlets. Marriage 365 penned a piece discussing these effects and how they could play a part in the dissolution of a relationship.

Healthline writes how toxic family members or environments can negatively impact anyone's attempts at progressing in pretty much any avenue of life, while also sharing helpful tips on the best ways to navigate these relationships: "If you suspect you’re currently dealing with family toxicity, start by thinking about the way you feel after interacting with certain family members."

Katherine Fabrizio (MA, LPC) is quoted as saying in the article that if you ultimately end up feeling bad after an interaction with a particular family member then there is most likely a reason for that: "If you end up feeling bad about yourself after most encounters with a family member, there’s probably a good reason for that, one worth looking into."

Another key indicator that a family member might be toxic, according to the outlet: "family members might try to control major aspects of your life, including your relationships and career decisions. They might imply (or say outright) that aligning with their expectations is a condition of their continued love and support."

It can be argued that one of Cyn & Tessa's parents wasn't supportive of their same-sex marriage could be perceived as a means of a parent attempting to control one aspect of their life — not giving their blessing, shows that they value their religious convictions more than their daughter's decision to fulfill herself in a way that she sees fit.

Which seems to tie into another point that Healthline points to as a possible sign one's family member might be toxic: "It’s normal for family members to have occasional disagreements. But at the end of the day, you should still treat each other with love and kindness."

The outlet went on to discuss this possibility further, writing: " In a toxic family dynamic, you might feel contempt or disdain instead of love. A toxic family member might: mock or belittle your choices attack your vulnerable points chip away at your self-esteem"

Judging by the videos Cyn & Tessa posted about their relationship, it seems that even though one of their parents isn't giving their blessing for their union, that they have an outpouring of support, and love for each other.

Numerous commenters who responded to their clip also shared how difficult it is for them to not receive unanimous support from their loved ones for their own relationships.

If you or someone you care about is being discriminated against due to their sexual orientation, you can seek help resourced at the LGBT Hotline here.