Bride Honors Her Late Father by Releasing Butterflies at Her Wedding — Then Something Unexpected Happened (Exclusive)

“It was as if the butterflies were reassuring us that love endures, and that my father's memory would always be a part of our lives,” Amy Rose Perry tells PEOPLE

A bride's decision to pay homage to her late father at her wedding led to a moment she'll never forget.

Amy Rose Perry’s father died on Aug. 5, 1999 when she was just 7. Decades later, when her wedding day came around, she wanted to make sure that his presence was felt during her ceremony.

The 32-year-old tells PEOPLE she planned to honor her dad by releasing monarch butterflies during her wedding ceremony to groom Matthew Perry in Cape Cod, Mass. on June 14. However, when the time came for the butterflies to be released, the beautiful insects did something Amy had not been expecting — they landed on her.

“In that moment, I felt a rush of emotions — gratitude for the beauty of the moment and a deep sense of connection to those around me,” Amy recalls.

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“It was as if the butterflies were reassuring us that love endures, and that my father's memory would always be a part of our lives,” she adds. “I could feel my father’s presence so strongly. It was powerful.”

In photos captured by photographer Brit Perkins, the butterflies can be seen clinging to pieces of the bride's dress and veil throughout the ceremony, adding special flourishes to her ensemble — an beautiful, but unexpected touch that her new husband didn’t take lightly either.

“For him to see those butterflies landing on my dress, over his heart and on my sister’s, bouquet was a breathtaking reminder that my father is with us, watching over us, and blessing our union from above,” she says.

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The monarch butterfly has been a powerful symbol of her father for years, the bride tells PEOPLE, and it all began after the creatures landed on her, along with her mother and sister when they had been out hiking a year after his death.

“At exactly noon, the time in which he had passed, a monarch butterfly landed on each of us,” she explains. “Ever since that day, monarchs appear on my father’s birthday, Father’s Day and other special occasions. I could not think of something more fitting than being surrounded by a symbol of his presence on my wedding day.”

That wasn’t the only way she honored her father during the ceremony. Amy says her mother took plenty of pictures and videos when he was alive, and one such recording was used for the song their DJ played during the butterfly release.

The DJ mixed in an audio of her dad saying one of his special phrases: “Two hugs and kisses for my little girlie whirls.”

“It was truly so special to be able to hear and feel his love on my wedding day,” she says.

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Although her father couldn’t physically be there to tell her just how special her wedding was to him, the bride was given the gift of receiving a message from her dad on her big day through a special letter he wrote for her when she was a child to be given to her on her wedding day.

“He started the card with, “Out of all the cards I have written this is obviously the most difficult,” Amy shares. “This card was different. For the first time, reading this as an adult, I saw these cards and their meaning from his perspective.”

She continued, “In the card he also wrote, ‘I will be with you in your heart as you walk down that aisle.’ Little did I know he would be with me more than just in my heart that day.”

The newlywed went on to share some advice for people who are considering their own special tribute to a late loved one on their wedding day, saying, "Whatever tribute you choose, let it be a reflection of the love and connection you shared."

“Embrace the emotions that come with honoring their presence — it’s a beautiful way to feel their love on your special day," Amy adds. "They will be with you no matter what!”

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