A young bride from New York started her wedding day in the sweetest way imaginable. She came down the stairs of her Brooklyn home in her wedding dress in a “first look” for her eight brothers.
The youngest of nine siblings, Hanna, 20, provoked heartfelt cheering, clapping, and a few tears from her eight brothers: Shaya, 42, Moishe, 41, Avi, 39, Mickey, 35, Zevi, 33, Sholom, 29, Nachi, 27, and Chaim, 24.
“It was very emotional for some of them,” Hanna told The Epoch Times, “because they felt like their little sister was moving onto the next chapter. They all still feel like I’m a baby. They’re very protective and very loving. It was incredibly special, on the morning of my wedding, to start the day with such support.
“We have a really special bond, and I’m so blessed.”
Hanna and her husband, Aaron, met through a matchmaker in their community, and first impressions were instantly positive. He proposed at the end of August, and wedding preparations immediately got underway. She chose a “sparkly, very pretty” gown for the monumental occasion.
“I loved how big it was,” she said. “Ever since I was little, I loved the really big dresses; that traditional bridal look. I went to a few different places and found some that were ‘maybes.’ Then I put this one on and knew it was mine.”
On the day of her wedding, Dec. 5, 2023, getting all her brothers assembled in one room early in the morning was tricky. But when they were finally all together and Hanna descended the stairs, the poignancy of the moment was clear for all to see.
“It was so incredibly special,” she said. “They all were excited—it was a really nice moment for me.”
The 27-year-old photographer, born and raised in Montreal, Canada, describes the atmosphere that December morning as “just joyous.”
He said: “It was the moment she’s been waiting for. Everyone’s anticipating that one day, the only girl is going to get married. And the brothers, this bunch of masculine men, they’re watching their little sister grow up from being the little princess of the house to stepping out on her own.
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After Mr. Marasow shared the video on his Instagram, it went viral almost overnight.
“I knew people would love it. In this day and age, social media can be such a dark place, and everyone’s trying to look for something to add warmth and happiness to their day,” he said.
“I’m so blessed to have this job that I could experience and be part of such wholesome special moments in people’s lives and capture them for them to go back and look at. It’s just so, so special.”
Hanna’s wedding day finished with a fireworks display and dancing surrounded by friends and family. Her childhood, she says, was always a party. Growing up with her brothers gave her thick skin, but she could always count on them.
“My brothers like to make fun of me, as older brothers do, but there was always a lot happening and a lot of fun times,” she said. “When I was little, if someone hurt my feelings or made me feel bad they would come running: ‘What happened? Why’s she crying?’”
Today, as a grown-up, Hanna has a different relationship with each of her older siblings.
“It’s amazing to have so many of them because, in different situations, you need different people. It’s so nice that I have a different one to call in any situation I’m in and for whatever I need at that moment,” the proud sister said.
“If I have an emergency or anything they’re there for me; they’re so dedicated. It’s a really special bond, and I’m so blessed to have it.”
