A bride-to-be immediately burst into tears when a video message from her soldier brother who she thought could attend her wedding because of his service in the Middle East turned into an in-person surprise. India Jones, 28, from Bedford, Virginia, had always dreamed that her younger brother Christian, 23, would attend her wedding – but Christian’s military commitments made things difficult. For eight months prior to India’s big day, Christian, a sergeant with the United States Army, had been based in Iraq. Christian’s service was meant to last nine months, India said, and so she was left heartbroken, knowing that he would not be able to make her wedding at the start of June. But little did India know that, back in January, Christian had been granted permission to leave his deployment early to make his sister’s big day. This push was partially fueled by experiences of the past, as military service had meant that Christian had missed his other sister’s wedding, back in October 2023. The siblings’ parents knew a couple of weeks before the surprise, India said, and so on the night of her rehearsal dinner, on May 31, they handed her a phone with a video message from Christian, who India believed was still in Iraq. As she watched the message in a steakhouse in Forest, Virginia, India began to get emotional – but nothing could prepare her for what was about to happen. Towards the end of the clip, a smiling Christian entered the restaurant, causing a shocked India to immediately burst into tears as friends and family also looked stunned. The extremely close siblings then headed in for a loving hug, which was captured on video by India’s dad and other family members.