Woman Goes Viral for Heartfelt Message to Unsuspecting Daughter as She Does Her Engagement Nails (Exclusive)
- - Woman Goes Viral for Heartfelt Message to Unsuspecting Daughter as She Does Her Engagement Nails (Exclusive)
Catherine SantinoJanuary 29, 2026 at 10:00 PM
0
Diana Silva on TikTok.
Diana Silva @diananailedthat
Diana Silva went viral for a sweet video in which she does her daughter's nails for her upcoming engagement
The 48-year-old manicurist said her daughter Mariah had "no idea" she would be getting engaged
Silva tells PEOPLE that getting to do the manicure was "such a gift"
When Diana Silva's daughter came in for her usual nail appointment, she had no idea that she was preparing for one of the most important days of her life.
Diana Silva, 48, of San Jose, Calif., has been doing her daughter Mariah's nails every four to six weeks since she became a manicurist in 2024. The time spent together is always special, but one particular appointment will be remembered forever.
"My daughter is on her way to get her nails done, and I know that she thinks it's just another set, but she's actually getting engaged this weekend," Silva says in a TikTok video shared on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
She then shows her doing Mariah's manicure — a champagne-colored cat-eye with a chrome finish — as she narrates an emotional tribute to her daughter.
"My sweet Mariah, as a nail tech, I've held many hands through many moments," she begins in a voiceover clip. "Hands that were nervous before big decisions, hands that were shaking with excitement, hands that were stepping into something new. But nothing, absolutely nothing, has ever compared to holding yours."
She continues, "I've been holding your hands since you were a little girl, trying to guide you, protect you, and pray over as you grew. And today, I'm holding them again in a moment you don't even know is about to change your life. You have no idea what's coming this weekend. You're sitting here laughing, talking, living in the now, and I'm sitting here trying to slow my heart because I know what's waiting for you."
The heartfelt video quickly went viral, as viewers resonated with Silva's emotional message to her daughter.
"This video alone is precious but the VOICEOVER!! Ugh it got me 🥺🫶🏼," one user wrote.
"Casually crying over a cat eye at 9am ok," said another.
Silva tells PEOPLE that getting to do her daughter's engagement manicure "meant everything" to her.
"It meant I was actively part of her joy," she says. "She means the world to me and knowing this was coming while doing her nails to prepare for it was such a gift. I know she deserves everything beautiful. I just wanted to help give that to her."
Silva says that Mariah's fiancé, Gerard, is "every mom's dream."
"He loves her the way she deserves to be loved," she adds.
In October, Gerard told his future mother-in-law that he had put a deposit down on a ring. Later, he confirmed the exact weekend he was planning to propose.
"The very next day, it occurred to me that I needed to get Mariah in before the weekend for a new set," Silva recalls.
Mariah and Gerard.
Diana Silva @diananailedthat
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
While she doesn't think Mariah suspected anything, she admits the appointment was "a little out of the ordinary."
"Typically, I wait for her to reach out to me to set some time aside for her to come in and get her nails done," Silva says. "But because I knew this was coming, I reached out to her asking if she would like to come in because I needed to record some 'nail content.' Mariah is always willing to help me if I ask so she came in to see me!"
When Mariah suggested a mauve checkered design on her nails, Silva said she wanted to try out a chrome over a cat-eye and they could do the mauve set next time.
"I knew she would then tell me we could do whatever I wanted to do," Silva recalls. "I knew she loved the cat-eye polishes that we have so I tried to give her something that I knew she would like, but also be perfect for engagement nails."
The set turned out beautifully, and the engagement went off without a hitch.
As for Mariah's wedding nails, Silva says nothing's set in stone yet, but it would be "an honor" to do her daughter's bridal set.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
