CUTE: Florida Bride Stuns Guests With Wedding Centerpieces!

One teacher turned her wedding into a heart-melting tribute to her students—and the internet can’t get enough. 🌐 #News #FortMyersFL #Florida #UpliftingNews

FORT MYERS, FL — When Florida native Julia Merz walked down the aisle on March 8, all eyes weren’t just on the bride. Her wedding tables were stealing the show—and for good reason.

Julia, a 25-year-old kindergarten teacher in Punta Gorda, had a unique idea for her special day. With help from her three co-teachers, she asked all 88 of her students, ages five to six, to complete a simple sentence: “Love is…” The results? Unfiltered magic. Watch the heartwarming TikTok at the bottom of this short article 🙂

Heartfelt Help From the Littlest Hands

Inspired by a Valentine’s Day writing prompt in her classroom, Julia invited her students to define love in their own words. With guidance from the teaching team, the children spent writing time crafting their responses. Each one was unique, innocent, and deeply genuine.

Although every child participated, only a select few responses made it to the wedding tables. Julia and her husband Moritz, 24, chose their favorites to frame and feature at the reception.

Among the most cherished definitions were phrases like “Love is forever,” “Love is eating good food together,” and “Love is sharing your heart.” Others brought a smile with sweet simplicity: “Love is when you want to be with someone forever,” “Love is hugging your teacher,” and even “Love is kissing—ewww!”

Centerpieces With Viral Charm

Once arranged in gold frames, the children’s handwritten sentiments became the talk of the evening. Guests were so enchanted, many snapped photos and shared them online.

Three days later, wedding content creator Ashley Reynolds posted a video montage of the centerpieces to TikTok. The clip, shared on March 11, exploded with more than 5.6 million views and over 900,000 likes. Julia later played the video for her students, who were thrilled to see their work appreciated by millions.

Comments flooded in from major brands. Coca-Cola reacted to the word “Forever ❤️” with teary emojis. Aquaphor admired “sharing your heart,” while beauty brands like e.l.f. and U by Kotex expressed how touched they were by the children’s insights.

A School-Family Celebration

Julia’s wedding wasn’t just influenced by her classroom—it was filled with colleagues too. Nearly every bridesmaid was an educator, and three of them even teach alongside her at the same school.

The blend of community, education, and love turned Julia and Moritz’s wedding into more than just a ceremony. It became a celebration of the connections built in classrooms and carried into life’s biggest moments.

Watch the Adorable TikTok Here

@arspecialmoments Actually the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen 🥹 • #weddingcontentcreator #teachertok #2025brides #teacherlife #weddingcontent ♬ SOFT LOVE – EMPTY BOTTLE

Did You Know?

Research shows children begin to understand complex emotions like love as early as age four, often expressing them through creativity and storytelling (Harvard Graduate School of Education).
Framing student work for events or classroom décor has been linked to increased self-esteem and motivation in early learners (Edutopia).
TikTok content centered on teachers and classroom moments is among the platform’s most popular categories, racking up billions of views under tags like #teacherlife (TikTok Trends Report, 2024).

Moment for Reflection

There’s something holy in the honesty of a child. Their simple view of love—free of condition, expectation, or pride—points us toward the kind of affection we were made for. When we let the little ones lead, we often find ourselves walking closer to grace. In a world that grows noisy and complicated, their tender truths are a whisper of peace. Congrats to the newlyweds!

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RELATED TOPICS: Heartwarming | Kids and Family | Lifestyle

Editor’s note: Photos used for illustrative purposes only and do not depict the actual subject.