They cordially invited themselves.
Uninvited wedding crashers found a way to watch their friends’ ceremony anyway — even if it meant taking drastic measures.
A group of friends rented a boat to watch their favorite couple get hitched on Lake Tahoe, a bold stunt seen in a viral TikTok video with 3.9 million views since it was posted Monday.
Shelby and Justin Ernst, from Indiana, opted for an intimate wedding in September 2022, which meant their limited guest list excluded some of their closest friends and family members.
“We had invited more guests out for the weekend than the boat capacity allowed,” the couple told Newsweek.
“We did this because it was a weekend-long celebration, the ceremony was only two hours of the weekend!”
Although a number of guests were not invited to the ceremony, four determined friends made it their duty not to miss the moment the pair said, “I do.”
The video shows the newlyweds onboard a boat with select invited guests, then cuts to their uninvited outsiders coasting in a rental boat across the lake and popping champagne to celebrate from afar.
The newlyweds found their friend’s dedication to seeing them elope endearing.
“We laughed and loved every second of it. They did it perfectly and brought the party during the champagne toast at the end.”
The wedding photographer, Elsa Boscarello, also known as @elsaboscarello on Tiktok, posted the viral moments from the ceremony that grabbed the attention of many.
“How cool, that the friends understood the situation and didn’t take it personally. This is friendship,” praised one commenter.
“You mean instead of getting offended they made a fun memory instead without ruining their day. Wild concept these days,” quipped another.
While some people admired the wedding crashers’ commitment, others were totally against it.
“I’m not going anywhere I’m not invited,” said one detractor. “I’d be at a restaurant, drinking, with people who actually wanted me.”
Once the newlyweds and select guests docked, they spent the evening partying at a unique reception with all invited guests.
“We had everyone to our Airbnb after the boat for a pizza and donut party,” they said.