Obamas Respond to Virginia Couple's Wedding Invitation

A woman has gone viral on TikTok this week after sending an invitation to her wedding to former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, which they responded to.

Politicians and celebrities receive fan mail all the time, often heartfelt letters or in the case of TikTok user @Breevmusic, sometimes invitations to the biggest day of your life.

When Bree, the woman behind the @Breevmusic TikTok account, originally sent out the invite, she did not expect a response.

Bree, who lives in Virginia, had sent her leftover invites to a large group of different famous people, including the Obamas and actress Drew Barrymore.

Despite this, she received a letter in the mail months later that she never saw coming.

"I went to go check the mail today, and I opened up the mail, and this was what was inside of the mailbox," Bree said in her Thursday video as she looked down at a letter marked with Obama's presidential stamp.

The discovery sent her into a tailspin of shock.

"I'm freaking out," she said. "My wife isn't even home...I have to wait three more hours until I can share the news with her...Barack Obama sent me mail."

Bree said she called her mom and her best friend, and paced around the house as she waited for her wife to get home so they can read the letter together.

When the couple finally opened the letter, they were stunned by its contents.

The letter read:

"Dear Bree and Jean,

Congratulations on your wedding!

We hope that your marriage is blessed with love, laughter and happiness and that your bond grows stronger with each passing year. This occasion marks the beginning of a lifelong partnership, and as you embark on this journey, know that you have our very best for the many joys and adventures that lie ahead."

At the bottom of the note were two printed signatures from Barack and Michelle Obama.

Since posting the video, Bree has received many excited comments for the couple.

"Ugh this is incredible cuz also he sorta made gay marriage happen," one TikTok user wrote on the video.

Another said: "THIS is what a PRESIDENT does. Period. Love this."

Idol Response

Getting a response from your idol after years of admiring them from afar can be an intensely validating experience, Frank Thewes, a therapist with Path Forward Therapy, told Newsweek.

"People want to feel like they are important and sharing the world space with people they admire and look up to and this kind of contact fills that need," Thewes said. "It's validating and clearly the TikTok poster and her wife were excited and honored to have been acknowledged by two of their heroes."

While very few people ever get a response to their fan mail, it's a strong way to enforce connections and loyalty between politicians, celebrities and their followers.

"I think more famous people should try to do this within their ability when possible. It bridges the gap between celebrity culture and people who are not famous," Thewes added. "There's a power in connecting these spheres of life."

While many idolize artists, actors and even politicians, it's rare for fans to feel "seen" by their cherished celebrities.

"Fame, glamor, and the media can create an invisible breach that makes us feel that celebrities and idols are untouchable, immortal, and sometimes unrelatable," Marisha Mathis, a therapist for Thriveworks, told Newsweek. "The Obama's response to their invitation was an act of kindness that proved they are indeed accessible, mortal, and approachable."

Having a celebrity actually respond can also take them off a pedestal and open your eyes to what's possible, Nicholas Hardy, a therapist and the creator of the Untherapeutic podcast, told Newsweek.

"No one thinks Obama would actually respond, but when he does, we question the limits of what we originally thought was possible," Hardy said. "When we think about making a difference in the lives of others, we often overlook the simple ways that we can accomplish it. However, for this one TikToker, that all changed."