Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Surprise performances at wedding receptions are always iconic. And TikToker Maddie (@madeliefvis) and her entire family pulled off one for the books. To surprise her sister who was getting married, they learned the dance and exact choreography for the song "From Now On" from the movie The Greatest Showman to surprise her at their wedding reception.

"Watch our family practice for 8 months to learn this dance from my sister's favorite movie as a surprise for her wedding," she wrote in the video's caption.


@madeliefvis

Full wedding video this weekend!!! 🥰 #weddingact #thegreatestshowman #thegreatestshowmandance #familydance #familyfun #familydancechallenge #fromnowon #fromnowondance

In the video, Maddie and her family can be seen practicing the dance in a number of different locations throughout those 8 months: the beach, in a driveway, in a living room, a gym, a backyard patio, and more.

And TikTok absolutely loved the effort and love they put into learning the dance. "It’s not even about the dance (which is amazing) but about the time and energy y’all spent to do something just to bring her joy. THIS is what it looks like to be rich," one commented. Another wrote, "Ok, normally I am anti surprise dances at weddings because they are usually about stealing the attention from the couple but THIS? The whole family?! You can tell this is about HER and ur love for her." And another added, "Imagine being loved so fiercely by people who are willing to show their love like this? Beautiful. And a visible representation of giving you their time and energy? Love!!"

All of the practice paid off. Maddie shared the video of the incredible dance, and in another post shared more details about her sister's reaction. She shared that her dad opened the act, and from there her sister said, 'Whaaaaat is going on?!' When the music came on, she uttered, 'Oh my god I love this song!' She had no idea what was happening, until she said, 'Wait, are they dancing???' Her sister was 'in shock'.

And the comments from the dance video were so sweet. "This is so special ❤️," one wrote. Another shared, "This is epic! What an amazing gift to your sister and everyone attending! I cried!"

@madeliefvis

REPOSTED WITH BETTER LIGHT ❤️ Since everyone was saying they couldn’t see anything (which I got 😅), here’s the full version with much better light!!!! Thanks iPhone settings for this simple upgrade 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 Also I feel like now with the pictures posted in my second to last post, this whole wedding act makes more sense! So enjoy 🥹 #greatestshowman #greatestshowmandance #weddingact #greatestshowmandancebetterlight #betterlight #fromnowon #fromnowondance #weddingtok

The best part about the dance? It became a 'flash mob' that got the entire wedding involved. In another clip, Maddie captured her sister (the bride's) reaction to the whole wedding jumping into the action. "My sisters reaction 🥹🥹🥹🥹 and yes that’s her screaming ‘oh my god oh my god!!!’ ❤️ best reaction ever," she wrote in the caption.

@madeliefvis

My sisters reaction 🥹🥹🥹🥹 and yes that’s her screaming ‘oh my god oh my god!!!’ ❤️ best reaction ever #thegreatestshowman #thegreatestshowmanflashmob #thegreatestshowmanwedding #weddingact #thegreatestshowmanweddingact #fromnowon #fromnowondance #thegreatestshowmandance

And this video had a huge impact on viewers. "literally sobbing for this woman who is so loved and so known by her people that they all took the time and effort to learn this dance for her big day, knowing it would be so special for her," one commented. And another wrote, "😭😭🥹🥹 me just crying happy tears . This is incredible. Such love and real life magic…beautiful family and friends. Thank you for sharing this." Another added, "I LOVE the flash mob part! Your sister lost her mind that all those people did that for HER! ♥️"

More For You

woman in brown shirt covering her face

It normalizes vulnerability.

Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash

Mom encourages parents to let their kids see them cry in emotional video

Kids often look at their parents like superheroes–strong, confident and indestructible. But of course, they are human. And with that comes feeling and expressing emotions, some that are sad and heavy–especially when dealing with the loss of a loved one.

And Instagrammer Ashley Lemieux (@ashleyklemiuex), a grief expert who has her Masters in Science with an emphasis in Grief and Bereavement, shared why she believes kids should see their parents cry.

Keep ReadingShow less
parents signing into their baby's crib; a baby with sensors stuck on his head

Callie Foster (@thelacouple) and her husband Leo share their journey learning sign language with son Luca.

thelacouple/Instagram

Couple documents emotional journey learning sign language after son is born deaf

When Callie Foster (@thelacouple) and her husband Leo welcomed their baby boy Luca into the world in 2021, they received an unexpected health diagnosis. After failing his newborn hearing screenings twice, and following further testing, at six weeks old they were told that Luca was profoundly Deaf. As first-time hearing parents, it was overwhelming and emotional news that they have shared with their followers on Instagram. "We grieved the sounds we thought he'd never hear, the whispered I love yous, the world we assumed he'd miss out on," Callie wrote in an Instagram video detailing their journey with Luca.

But they immediately took action, researching and engaging with online parenting and Deaf communities. One mother's advice changed everything: ‘All your baby needs is love and language—keep singing, keep talking, but most importantly, start signing.' So they did.

Keep ReadingShow less
kimberly dowdell, reunion, down syndrome

Brothers Blake and Jack have an emotional reunion.

thekimberlydowdell/Instagram

Teen with Down syndrome travels hundreds of miles for incredible reunion with brother

Going off to college is the break-free moment that most young adults long for. While the newfound freedom is an amazing change, it is also a time of transition--which can bring a lot of uncomfortable feelings with the adjustment. It can be overwhelming, scary, and unfamiliar. So when mom Kimberly DowDell (@thekimberlydowdell) received a message from her son Blake that he was feeling anxious and overwhelmed during his second semester at college, she knew exactly what to do. She loaded up the family, including her husband and Blake's brother Jack (who has Down syndrome), and got on the road to go see him. And the brothers had an emotional reunion that was shared on social media.

"Blake is in his second semester of college, and being away from home can be hard. When he told us he was feeling anxious and overwhelmed, we didn’t even think twice—we jumped in the car and drove 286 miles just to be there for him," she wrote in the post's Instagram caption. "To remind him he’s not alone. To give him words of encouragement. To wrap him in a hug that says, we see you, we love you, and we’re always here for you."

Keep ReadingShow less
Hand dyeing brassy hair

A beautiful hair journey.

Fabulous son helps his mom embrace gray hair after years of dyeing

Have you watched The Substance? I have not (body horror isn't really my thing), but from what I gather, the message at the film's core is profound: Don't resist aging because doing so only invokes chaos and destruction. This sounds nice in theory, but there's so much pressure to age the "right" way in the real world. Older women especially face an impossible task: aging "gracefully" while the world around you treats youth as the ultimate prize.

However, a viral YouTube video is not-so-quietly rewriting society's beauty rules. When celebrity hairstylist Guy Tang's mom decided to embrace her natural gray hair and stop dyeing it dark, she turned to her son for help. The transformation, documented in one of Tang's many videos, took over eight hours to complete—an astounding testament to the power of reclaiming authority and recognizing the beauty of aging.

Keep ReadingShow less
She took a DNA test for fun. It gave her dad the closure he’d been waiting for after 50 years.
Representative photo by Canva

She took a DNA test for fun. It gave her dad the closure he’d been waiting for after 50 years.

When she ordered a DNA test, she was just looking to learn more about her family roots. What she never expected was that it would unlock a truth her father had spent decades avoiding.

Reddit user u/Chillin_killin7 set out to trace her ancestry, but in doing so, she ended up giving her father a long-awaited answer about his own father—one he had never been able to confirm.

Keep ReadingShow less