Groom's parents release butterflies in bittersweet wedding moment

As Lydia Van Gorder made her way back down the aisle on her wedding day, her arm entwined in her new husband's, she was joined by two very small guests.

A pair of striking Monarch butterflies had attached themselves to the bride's white gown, clinging on as she took her first steps into married life.

It was a beautiful sight, and one that was especially poignant for Lydia's husband Max and his family.

Max's sister Vanessa was killed in a car accident over the Christmas period a few years ago, and he and Lydia wanted to honour her memory when they tied the knot.

So, the couple had Max's parents release several butterflies during their wedding ceremony, held in Pennsylvania this month.

Photographer Jessica Manns, who captured the wedding and reception, says the release was an "unreal" moment for everyone in attendance.

"This is probably the most emotional thing I’ve witnessed at a wedding," Manns wrote on Facebook as she shared a selection of her photos.

"There’s a common belief that our loved ones visit us sometimes as butterflies."

The photographer says rather than fluttering away, the black-and-orange insects seemed determined to make their presence known.

"They clung all over [the family] and even stayed on their bodies the entire ceremony and well afterwards into cocktail hour," Manns adds.

One particular butterfly clung to Max's father's finger for the duration of the ceremony, before moving to Lydia's bouquet after the recessional.

Another managed to stay around until the reception, when it flew into the barn and landed on the bride's neck, resting there throughout all the speeches.

Manns' Facebook post has received more than 75,000 likes and thousands of comments, plenty of them relating similar encounters with butterflies after a loved one's death.

Among the comments praising Manns' images is a message from bride Lydia, thanking the photographer for capturing the "special and loving" moment so beautifully.

"Vanessa was with us there and throughout the night. I relive my wedding day every time I look at your photos," she writes.

All photographs appear here with permission from Jessica Manns. You can see more of Jessica's work on her website and on her Facebook page.