Rory Feek made headlines when he remarried eight years after the death of his wife and singing partner Joey Feek. But he admits that his 10-year-old daughter with Joey, Indy Feek, was the real star of the show at the beautiful wedding.

Joey Feek passed away in March 2016 after a brave two-year battle with cancer that drew worldwide attention. She was 40 years old.

Rory Feek met his new wife Rebecca a few years ago when she went to work in the one-room schoolhouse on his Tennessee estate, teaching Indy and a dozen other children.

For the widower, singer-songwriter and author, entering a new relationship was a slow process, he admits.

Related: Hear Rory Feek + Dolly Parton sing ‘One Angel’, a tribute to Joey

In a blog post revealing their wedding, Feek says he and Rebecca were concerned about how Indy — who has Down syndrome and turns 10 earlier in 2024 — would react when they talked about marriage. She was only 2 when her mother died, and she has a deep bond with Joey. Plus, she saw “Miss Rebecca” as her trusted teacher.

Ultimately, the wedding might not have happened without Indy’s intervention. She knocked both her teacher and her father off their feet one day when she said, “Miss Rebecca, I think you should marry Daddy,” Feek said.

“And then Indy looked at me and said ‘and I told Miss Rebecca that my mommy’s been gone for a long time. And if she marries you, maybe she can be my new mommy,'” he writes.

Feek married Rebecca on July 14 in Greycliff, Mont., and surprised his new wife by singing a new song called “I Do” at the wedding. But he says it wasn’t his favorite part of the ceremony.

“I think this was the best moment of the wedding, both for me and for her,” he wrote, sharing a photo of himself, Rebecca and Indy together, all beaming with joy.

“When Indiana was given the gift of having a mommy in her life again. And Rebecca was given the gift of being a mom. And we became a family.”

Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows such as 1883 and 1923. He has interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott, and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs, and more.