89-Year-Old Bridesmaid At Granddaughter’s Wedding

The bridesmaids at Christine and Patrick Quinn’s wedding last May included an unlikely — and now extremely popular — member: Christine’s 89-year-old grandmother, “Nana” Betty Govern.

The photos from the Quinn wedding, taken by Sweetwater Portraits, went viral after they appeared in the Huffington Post‘s Weddings feature. Nana Betty was one of Christine’s four bridesmaids for the May 2 wedding. When the Post asked Christine why she chose her as a bridesmaid, she said the decision was easy, as the two are best friends:

“While she doesn’t live that close, we have continually made it a point to spend as much time together as possible. She just has an amazing sense of humor and outlook on life that I strive to emulate every day. Everyone loves her.”

It didn’t take long for the rest of the Internet to catch up to the story, and photos of the wedding party, including the bridesmaids in their matching purple Jenny Yoo gowns, have spread well beyond the wedding’s location in Plymouth Meeting, PA. Even Us Magazine, who gave the ceremony the same journalistic treatment as a stylish celebrity wedding, professes to be “smitten” with Nana Betty. They took time to chat with the wedding photographer, Julie Melton of the aforementioned Sweetwater Portraits. According to to Melton, the octogenarian bridesmaid was every bit as funny and charming as Christine made her out to be:

“While we were taking pictures, she would add her own witticisms, making everyone double over in laughter. Her smile is contagious and she was lovely to be around.”

Nana Betty was apparently unsure at first as to whether she ought to participate, but was eventually convinced.

“She asked me about 10 times, ‘Are you sure?’ and ‘Why would you want an old lady in your bridal party?’A few times she even said ‘All of your bridesmaids are young and pretty, why would you want me?’ Obviously Nana is beautiful too. Just look at those photos!”

In the end, of course, she agreed to be a bridesmaid, and “danced the entire night away” afterwards, as Christine said to the Post. She apparently preferred to stay out late with the wedding party instead of having an early night, though she didn’t tell her daughter she was hopping on the party bus.

Readers online love the stories of Christine’s bridesmaid grandmother, and Nana Betty herself eventually agreed: on Christine’s wedding day, she said, “You’re only as old as you feel and I feel young today.”

[Image: Sweetwater Portraits/Huffington Post]