Scott Stanton and Salina Hoffman were going to tie the knot in an intimate ceremony with only two guests on Saturday, or so they thought.
Originally, they were planning to have an engagement party where they surprised their loved ones with a real and legal ceremony.
But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple decided to cancel the “engagement” party and continue with the wedding ceremony at house on Dallas Road.
Their friends, however, had a different idea.
“We saw one person drive by that was honking their horn, and I was like ‘oh no way’ and then a train of people drove by,” said Stanton, a singer and guitarist in the Victoria-based popular indie-rock band Current Swell.
More than 50 friends and family either drove by cheering and honking their horns or showed up on the lawn to cheer and clap at the couple through the glass windows.
“We just were not expecting it at all and all of the sudden your loved ones are there,” Stanton said.
Even strangers joined in from the street, celebrating the special occasion, according to Stanton.
“It was surreal. It was crazy. It was so emotional and just felt organically right,” he said.
The couple said that although it wasn’t what they planned, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“This was way better than anything you could ever imagine,” said Stanton. “We thought it would be a cute ceremony where we would surprise our friends, and the fact that they surprised us… we wouldn’t trade this for the world.”
“It was probably the most surprised and touched I’ve ever been. I’m not going to lie it was amazing.”
After the wedding papers were signed, using different pens than their witnesses to maintain social distancing, the couple popped champagne, ate cake and went home.
“At the end of the day we just wanted to get married because we love each other and want to spend the rest of our lives together,” explained Stanton.
The original wedding reception scheduled for May 2 is postponed until it is safe for the Stanton’s friends and family to celebrate with them.
Rebecca Lawrence
