As a father prepared to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding, he halted the procession and made a gesture that has resonated with stepparents across the world. Todd Bachman, the biological father of Brittany Peck, approached her stepfather, Todd Cendrosky, and invited him to walk the bride down the aisle together during the ceremony in Lorain County, Ohio, last weekend. Mr. Cendrosky had not expected the invitation, and he began to cry as Mr. Bachman led him by the hand. The moment was captured by the wedding photographer, Delia Blackburn. Ms. Blackburn said she cried as she took the photos, touched by the gesture as a stepmother herself. She said the job of the stepparent is often difficult and thankless. “When someone acknowledges and appreciates you, it tugs at your heart,” she said. “It just breaks you down with emotion." Mr. Bachman said there were some tough stretches in the family over 14 years, but that he wanted to convey his appreciation to Mr. Cendrosky. “For me to thank him for all the years of helping raise our daughter wouldn’t be enough, there is no better way to thank him than to assist me walking her down the aisle.”
