What was supposed to be a small ceremony turned into a beautiful, but distant, wedding in the midst of a pandemic.
Scott Stanton and Salina Hoffman had originally planned an engagement party for April 4 with about 30 friends on the guest list — which would include a surprise legal ceremony — but since social distancing regulation came into effect, the party was cancelled.
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| Scott Stanton and Salina Hoffman tied the knot on Saturday and were surprised by friends and family who had gathered outside to watch the ceremony from a distance. (Provided by Scott Stanton) |
Stanton, singer and lead guitarist for the Victoria indie rock band Current Swell, said the couple wanted to go ahead with the ceremony as they already had everything planned. With themselves, the wedding officiant and two close friends to act as witnesses gathered in a home on Dallas Road they were ready to get married.
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“We just thought we were going over there to have a glass of champagne and do some paperwork,” said Stanton. “As we were doing it all of these cars started driving by and honking their horns and I look outside and I was like ‘oh my God, there’s my sister’.”
Though the bachelor and bachelorette parties had been cancelled, friends quickly spread the message without letting Stanton or Hoffman know and gathered outside the house to watch their friends tie the knot.
“It was a really special moment and I definitely don’t think I could have a better memory from our wedding,” said Stanton. “It’s just so touching and so organic — it wasn’t like we planned this so it was really cool.”
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The pair met at a mutual friend’s house in December 2017 and “instantly connected.”
“It was one of those things where you knew right away and we just started hanging out all the time,” said Stanton. “We have so much in common, we love all the same music and it happened really quickly — but when you know, you know.”
The newlyweds will spend their honeymoon at Stanton’s best man’s cabin on Sprout Island.
“It’s just nice to spread a good happy story and I totally understand that’s what people are craving right now, so it’s cool to be a part of that and share it,” said Stanton.
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