A wedding is a big deal. It’s the joining of two lives, two families, and ideally, it lasts until death.

While a wedding day is mainly centered around the bride and groom, the families play a big part in the big day too. If you have ever been to a wedding, you have probably noticed the parents of the bride and groom wiping tears from their eyes. It can be an emotional day.

Sometimes there are big surprises at weddings. In some cases, they’re not so good, like when a best man’s speech bashes the bride, but there are other times when the surprises are good, such as a surprising dance number planned by the bride and groom.

Nicole Cortez’s dad planned a special surprise for her on her wedding day. He actually spent her entire engagement working on the surprise, and he managed to keep it a secret from her. On her big day, when it was his turn to give a speech at the reception, he revealed what he had been preparing.

Instead of a speech, the song “I Loved Her First” played through the speakers. Cortez’s dad didn’t sing along. Instead, he did something much more meaningful for Cortez. He signed the lyrics.

Cortez is not deaf. It’s not like she couldn’t hear the words to the song. Her dad didn’t sign the lyrics for that reason. However, Cortez works as a sign language interpreter, so the fact that her dad learned sign language to sign the song for her on her wedding day was especially meaningful to her.

During the song, Cortez alternated from smiling to wiping away tears. She was clearly overcome with emotion not just from the song’s appropriate lyrics for the special day, but also from her dad’s thoughtful way of presenting the song.

Watch the video below to see Cortez’s reaction when her dad signs the lyrics to “I Loved Her First.”