Amy Rose Perry was only 7 years old when her father, Nathaniel Machain, passed away after a three-year battle with appendix cancer. He was 36.
Twenty-five years later, Amy wanted to honor her father on her wedding day. While he couldn’t be there to walk her down the aisle, she wanted him to know that he was always with her.
He got the message…and then he sent her one right back.
Bride Honors Her Late Father in Touching Tribute
Monarch butterflies hold special significance for Amy and her family. Since her father’s death in 1999, butterflies have always had an uncanny habit of showing up.
On the first anniversary of his death, Amy was on a hike with her mother and sister when a monarch butterfly landed on each of them. They took it as a sign that he would always be with them. It was just the beginning.
“Whenever it’s an important day, like his birthday or Father’s Day, we always see a butterfly.”
So when it came to wanting to pay tribute to her father on her wedding day, Amy knew exactly what she wanted to do.
Partway through the ceremony on Cape Cod last month, Amy released a glass box full of 50 monarch butterflies.
She expected them to fly away. And according to butterfly ecologist, Leslie Ries, an associate professor of biology at Georgetown University, that’s what SHOULD have happened.
Instead, they refused to leave her.
“It’s not a behavior that I would have expected at all,” Ries told the Washington Post. “Monarchs are not a species that usually lands on people.”
For more than 10 minutes, the butterflies clung to Amy’s dress. A couple also landed on her sister’s bouquet and one landed on her groom, Matt Perry, right over his heart. And when Amy and Matt walked down the aisle together? The butterflies accompanied them.
It was pure magic.
What’s even more incredible? The butterflies didn’t land on anyone else.
Amy is certain it was a clear sign from her dad.
“It was as if the butterflies were reassuring us that love endures, and that my father’s memory would always be a part of our lives. I could feel my father’s presence so strongly. It was powerful.”
“It wasn’t just a moment, they were there all night,” Matt said. “It was quite the sight to see.”
A Father Lives On
Wedding photographer Brit Perkins captured the scene in stunning photos and video, sharing them on social media.
“Still not over it,” she captioned the Instagram post. And neither are the 23 million people that have been lucky enough to witness it.
“So beautiful 😍🥹 surrounding her in his love and spirit. They never leave us. This is amazing,” one commenter wrote.
“In Mexican culture, monarch butterflies are the spirit of our loved ones coming back to say hello. When they visit, it’s supposed to bring good luck so if this isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is,” wrote another.
A third agreed, “All those butterflies were him hugging her. The ones on the bouquet was him giving her the flowers. The one on her husband was the father’s blessing. These things aren’t a coincidence. He was there and he was proud.”
However, the butterflies weren’t the only sign Amy’s father was with her that day. The DJ mixed family recordings of her dad into the song played during the butterfly release.
“Two hugs and kisses for my little girlie whirls,” her dad can be heard saying.
And before Nathaniel died, he wrote letters to each of his daughters to be given to them on special days, including their wedding days.
“He started the card with, ‘Out of all the cards I have written, this is obviously the most difficult,’” Amy said. “This card was different. For the first time, reading this as an adult, I saw these cards and their meaning from his perspective.”
She added: “In the card he also wrote, ‘I will be with you in your heart as you walk down that aisle.’ Little did I know he would be with me more than just in my heart that day.”
He kept his promise.
The Enduring Power of Love
Whether you believe in signs or not, Amy’s experience does present a compelling case that signs from our lost loved ones are real.
Butterflies are often seen as symbols of life, change, and spiritual renewal. In many cultures, they are believed to represent the souls of loved ones who have passed away, returning to offer comfort and guidance.
And if nothing else, it was a profound moment Amy will never forget, reminding all of us of the lasting connection we have with the ones we love, even after they’re gone.
“To see those butterflies landing on my dress, over my husband’s heart, and on my sister’s bouquet was a breathtaking reminder that my Dad is with us, watching over us, and blessing our union from above,” she wrote on Instagram.
“It’s a reminder that some of the most meaningful, beautiful moments are ones that unfold in unexpected ways.”
Amy Rose Perrry
