Abby Mershon and her sister grew up watching their adored grandma, Georgina Arlt, teach them life skills like cooking. Despite living an hour away from their grandmother’s house in Chaska, Minnesota, the girls spent most of their weekends with her.
Mershon knew that she desired her grandparents to play a special part in her wedding even before she met her now-husband. But, due to fate’s designs, she was unable to grant all of her requests.
Mershon intended her grandfather to be the ring bearer at her wedding, yet her wish was dashed when he died a year before the big day.
Mershon didn’t want Arlt to suffer the same fate as her grandpa. So the Mankato bride-to-be talked about her dream with her then-future-husband, Dustin, and came up with a brilliant scheme. Mershon sat down with her grandma, along with Dustin and her family members, and asked if she may be the flower girl at her wedding.
Arlt had no idea her granddaughter would grant her such an important responsibility, and she was overjoyed to accept. She was overjoyed and privileged to be an honored guest at Mershon’s wedding.
Mershon stated that she could have requested her grandmother to be a bridesmaid, but she did not because of a personal reason. While there are many bridesmaids, the wedding only has one flower girl, and Mershon wanted that person to be her grandmother.
Arlt was thrilled to be attending a wedding for the first time in 72 years. On July 1, all eyes were on her as she came down the aisle in a stunning silver gown, carrying her walker and dropping flowers left and right.
However, Mershon was hiding from the visitors when she heard cheers from the audience. She quickly knew they were rooting for Arlt.
Arlt admitted after the wedding that she enjoyed being the flower girl yet found the event exhausting. She joked with her granddaughter about throwing chocolates rather than flowers. Arlt, who also thought she had amused the guests as she walked down the aisle, admitted she is glad she lived long enough to accomplish that.
Arlt danced with the visitors in addition to throwing flowers, yet she dashed for her bed as soon as she arrived home since she was exhausted. Nonetheless, Arlt concluded, she rocked it and said that the event left her emotional.
Arlt may be a flower girl again, with eight children and 33 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Many people assumed Mershon would be unhappy when her grandma stole the spotlight after Arlt’s appearance as a flower girl drew the audience’s attention. It doesn’t bother her at all, the young bride said.
We wish Mershon and her husband a happy marriage and hope that her tale motivates other brides to consider their grandparents for the position of flower girl at their weddings.
92-year-old shines as flower girl in granddaughter's weddingFLOWER GIRL: One 92-year-old grandmother said "yes" to another chance to walk down the aisle this weekend in Minnesota – this time as the surprise flower girl in her granddaughter's wedding. David Muir with the moment. #AmericanStrong http://abcn.ws/2tRUO7R
Posted by ABC World News Tonight with David Muir on Thursday, 6 July 2017