Couple's Wedding Shoot Interrupted by Stranger, Whose Offer They Can't Resist (Exclusive)

The rooftop overlooks Chicago's Navy Pier

Nichole Babiez was en route from Walden Chicago to the Art Institute with Brittany and Alex Hall to capture bridal photos of the couple when the bride suddenly noticed a building with gold revolving doors.

Babiez, a luxury traveling wedding photographer based in Chicago, fondly recalls Brittany seizing the chance to play and dart through the doors, with Alex following suit.

As she watched and photographed the couple, a stranger entering the building abruptly turned around and approached the group.

"He asked if we were interested in using the rooftop for a half hour for photos," Babiez tells PEOPLE exclusively. "We were truly shocked by the generosity because after photographing weddings downtown for almost eight years, that has never happened."

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The stranger, Asharafal, then took the group up to the rooftop, where he said they could take all the pictures they wanted to, with the cityscape as their picturesque backdrop.

"They were beyond excited about the opportunity and were truly so thrilled to create with the skyline! They are from Wisconsin, and we planned this shoot," Babiez shares, adding they spent about 15-20 minutes on the roof which overlooked the Navy Pier.

"They were thrilled to get their dream Chicago photos, so having the rooftop offered was icing on the cake!" the photographer adds.

After the photoshoot, Babiez posted about the encounter on TikTok in hopes of finding the stranger.

To her surprise, the video went viral, garnering over 900,000 views, and even capturing the attention of a friend of the stranger on TikTok, who put Babiez in touch with him. When she asked him why he did what he did, his response was heartwarming.

"As for why I did what I did. I'm Jordanian, and in our culture, kindness, respect and hospitality are deeply rooted, partly because of the guidance of the Islamic religion and partly because that is just who we are," he responded.

He continued, "I thought what I did was normal, to be completely honest with you, kind maybe, but not this kind, so to see the comments, it made me a bit sad to see that this simple gesture made some people think, 'There are kind people out there.' ... I realized, here, in general, everyone is to themselves and a helping hand isn’t always there, if ever. But all in all, I am very happy to see those beautiful pictures and I hope all is well!"

Reflecting on the day, Babiez shares how working on weekends in a busy city can be tough. She says she often experiences dirty looks, is kicked out of public places or even gets snarky comments regarding marriage.

But the chance encounter with Asharafal has strengthened the photographer's love of the city.

"You truly never know who you will meet, and a small act of kindness goes a long way," she tells PEOPLE. "Chicago can get a bad reputation at times, but this just made us fall in love with our city and its people even more."

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Read the original article on People.