Get ready to break out the tissues for some of the most bittersweet feels you’ve ever felt.

Weddings are supposed to be a time to celebrate love and laughter, but every now and then life throws a not-so-pleasant curveball into the mix and adds loss to that equation.

Meet newlyweds Charlotte and Mark in the Philippines. The handsome couple had planned their dream wedding to be held in December of this year, but an unexpected tragedy caused them to move their big day up by fourth months.

▼ Charlotte and Mark, courtesy of Law Tapalla Photography

According to news site Rappler, Charlotte’s father, Pedro “Papu Pedro” Villarin, was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer in June. Realizing that his time left on earth was inevitably coming to a close, his last wish was to be able to take part in his daughter’s ceremony, so the couple changed their ceremony’s date to August 9 to ensure his participation.

The wedding was being held in Las Piñas, a city in the capitol region of the Philippines. Pedro arrived in an ambulance at the venue:

While the plan was originally to have him sit in a wheelchair, he was unable to physically manage it and instead accompanied Charlotte down the aisle on the ambulance’s stretcher. A photo of the incredibly emotional scene quickly went viral around the world:

We can’t imagine the simultaneous love and heartbreak felt in the room as Pedro’s last wish was fulfilled. Here are some additional images from the ceremony:

Rappler even compiled a beautifully edited montage of the day titled “The Last Wish.” The tearful narrative, despite being in Tagalog, conveys the heart of love, heartbreak, and the evanescence of life in a way even those who don’t speak the language can understand.

Pedro passed away three days after his daughter’s wedding at the age of 65. While Charlotte must now start the next chapter of her life without her father, perhaps she can find some consolation in the memory of her father’s final wish coming true.

Sources: NextShark, Rappler
Featured image: Facebook/Law Tapalla Photography