Woman Surprises Ailing Grandma with Emotional Wedding Dress Reveal, Not Knowing If She'll Make It to the Ceremony (Exclusive)

Months before Gianna Huber’s actual wedding, the bride-to-be surprised her ailing grandmother Jo Ann with a special wedding dress reveal after she realized she may not make it to the big day. The emotional moment was captured in a video that was later shared in a now-viral TikTok.

Huber’s close relationship with her grandmother was evident, as she knew the one thing she wanted was for her to be there on her big day. “I’ve always been super close with my grandma,” Huber exclusively tells PEOPLE. “We’ve always just had the same humor and personality. I just come from a big goofy family and we’re all best friends.”

Related: Couple Has Hospital Bedside Wedding So 97-Year-Old Grandmother Can Attend

The decision to bring the wedding to Jo Ann came after she received a devastating diagnosis. “My Nana ... was sent to hospice and was given a few weeks,” Huber explains. “This was about three or four months before my wedding.” Realizing time was short, Huber took swift action to include her in some of the festivities.

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With the help of the bridal boutique she got her dress from, Huber was able to borrow the gown to orchestrate a mini-ceremony for Jo Ann. At first, the gesture was to just show Jo Ann the dress, but it later became a family affair.

Jamie, Huber’s aunt and Jo Ann’s daughter, describes the scene to PEOPLE: “We all together kind of decided, let’s make it something bigger. We’ll get the girls — two of my daughters who are Gianna’s flower girls, and then Gianna’s sister, who was a bridesmaid — to put on their outfits.”

Related: Bride Asks Her 100-Year-Old Grandmother to Be Flower Girl in Her Wedding: 'She's a Rockstar'

The gesture left an emotional impression on Jo Ann.

“Right when I walked in, I was just so happy that I was finally showing her,” Huber shares. “The look on everyone’s faces, especially hers … she immediately started crying.” Jamie, who filmed the moment that went viral on TikTok, adds, “I was actually shaking because I was crying so much. It was such a moment where you’re just taken back completely.”

At her actual wedding, Huber honored Jo Ann, who died before the big day. She wore two rings her grandmother had given to her, had a charm of her picture on her bouquet and created a wall featuring wedding photos of both her family and her new husband's family, including a special picture taken with Jo Ann during the dress reveal.

Reflecting on their experience, Huber and Jamie offer advice to those who may have loved ones unable to attend significant life events.

“Don’t waste any time on doing something that you know would make them happy,” Huber says. Jamie adds, “Take the pictures, take the videos. My mom, Gianna’s grandma, never wanted to be in photos. Looking back, I do kind of have that regret. Just take those photos, capture them even if the moment is something so simple.”

Read the original article on People