Thread by @ChrisBrosnahan

My parents went to a wedding the other day, and I've just been told the GREATEST wedding story over the phone. I am dead from laughing at this. /1

So, the father of the bride lets my parents know when they've arrived - he's arranging a flashmob during the wedding. Here's the plan: /2

When the service is over, they're going to sing All You Need Is Love. He's going to stand up and sing 'Love, Love, Love!', and then another group will sing the first line, and another the next line, and everyone joins in for the chorus. 16 people involved. /3

Important point here. My dad is not a singer. Loves music, loves other people singing, but he does not, will not and, frankly, can not sing. He avoids it at family gatherings and singalongs. He does NOT sing. But it's a wedding. /4

The wedding is lovely. The church is an old Irish one, and that's lovely. A break comes, as the legal bit is signed. The Father of the Groom (not bride, my bad) stands up and declares 'Love, Love, Love!'. That's the cue. My mum and dad have the first line. /5

This has NOT been rehearsed. /6

In fact, they've been given a lyric sheet just before the wedding and my mum's realised that she can't remember how the verse goes. So my dad does the first line ENTIRELY BY HIMSELF. My mum dissolves into giggles. /7

My mum is giggling so much she can't actually stand up. My dad does the first couple of lines, and looks for everyone to join in like they're meant to. /8

Nobody joins in. My dad has no option but to keep going. /9

My mum is crying laughing and unable to stand. My dad, having never sang in front of an audience in his life, is now singing All You Need Is Love in a flash mob that is neither flash nor a mob. /10

Everyone is looking at them like this. /11

My dad is looking forward at the church, trying to ignore my mum, who is unable to breathe through laughing, with tears running down her face. The congregation stretches out in front of him like the grand canyon. /12

It may not be helped by the fact that 'tune' is not one of my dad's skills, so it's entirely possible that the majority of people are unsure what he's actually singing, but, at long last, it's the chorus. /13

Enough people mumble through the chorus that they might just, perhaps, maybe get away with this. My dad looks at the Father of the Bride for confirmation that they're done. /14

(Father of the Groom, sorry) - The Father of the Groom gives him the cue for the second verse. My dad has no option but to keep going. The church is, again, silent except for him singing and my mum giggling helplessly. /15

What doesn't help is that the third line in the verse of All You Need Is Love is longer than you think when you start it, and if you don't know it really well, it's an awkward one. Which my dad discovers anew with each verse. /16

Aeons pass. Civilisations fall. George RR Martin finishes Game of Thrones.

My dad is still singing. My mum is still laughing. They finally get to the end of the song. /17

The congregation is like: /18

At the reception, people are coming up to my dad, saying things like 'ah, you're the guy that sang... fair play to you', 'I couldn't do that', 'you're very brave'. /19

They do not, notably, say things like 'you did well'. /20

Worth noting that my mum can actually sing. When she's not helpless with laughter. My dad, notably, cannot. She has said he did better than you might expect. But not 'good'. /21

This has also been described by my brother-in-law as 'the most English thing that's ever happened'. /22

I'm pretty sure a lot of people at the wedding just thought that my dad just decided to do it. Like it's his party trick. Which it may now become. /23

To answer some FAQs - the father of the groom did sing some of it. There are unsubstantiated rumours some people near the front sang, but they didn't go for it like dad did. /24

I reckon it's down to people not feeling comfortable with the verses, and particularly the third line. My dad's actually a big Beatles fan, so he does know it. /25

The important news is that it hasn't put dad off The Beatles, as today's t-shirt shows. /end

(Yes, we look alike, shut UP)