One California couple received a wedding surprise no amount of planning could have anticipated when Shaboozey suddenly appeared during their big day. The country star was floating down the Owens River with a large group just minutes before the bride and groom were due to exchange vows. Instead of letting the interruption derail the ceremony, their wedding planner delayed proceedings, creating an unforgettable encounter that quickly became a viral moment and an unexpected celebrity cameo for the couple.
Shaboozey Crashes Wedding While Floating Down the River
The unexpected encounter happened Saturday, August 8, at Brown’s Owens River Campground near Mammoth Lakes, California. The couple, who chose to keep their names private, was preparing for the ceremony when guests noticed dozens of people approaching on inner tubes.
Wedding planner and day-of coordinator Callie Smith told PEOPLE that preparations were nearly complete when the commotion began. “Just as we were about to line up, a few of the family members started yelling, ‘The bride is down there,’ and we saw a trail of floats with three dozen people coming up the river toward the ceremony location,” Smith recalled.
Rather than start the ceremony with the group passing behind them, Smith decided to wait. That interruption became much more interesting when the approaching floaters revealed Shaboozey was among them.
“As the planner, I decided to hold off on the ceremony to allow the crowd to float by. When the crowd got closer, they informed us Shaboozey was on the float heading our way,” she said. Smith quickly asked the talented singer if he would pose for photos with the couple. His response came with one hilarious condition: “Yes! But I’m not getting off the float!”
The Bride and Groom Turned the Surprise Into a Viral Moment
Smith pulled out her cellphone as the bride and groom posed on the grassy riverbank with Shaboozey floating behind them. The 31-year-old musician enthusiastically raised his arms and stuck out his tongue for the camera. Other members of the floating group joined the celebration, cheering for the couple, raising beer cans and waving hats. The cheers became even louder when the bride and groom kissed.
Once the group had continued down the river, the couple could finally get on with the reason everyone had gathered. “Once the whole train floated by, we lined up and they got married,” Smith told PEOPLE. “It was a beautiful day!”
Smith shared footage from the encounter on Instagram the following day, and the unusual wedding moment took off online, collecting more than 500,000 likes. “The bride’s face says it all. The groom couldn’t stop laughing. Even I lost it for a second,” Smith wrote while describing Shaboozey’s unexpected appearance. She also called the moment “magic.” Shaboozey eventually discovered the viral video and congratulated the couple in the comments. “CONGRATULATIONS! From Shabozzey [sic] and @thewoollyrun !! 😂,” he wrote.
The singer wasn’t simply taking a random trip down the Owens River. His appearance was connected to The Woolly Run, an annual five-day outdoor adventure that took place from Wednesday, August 5 through Sunday, August 9 this year.
Shaboozey’s Wedding Cameo Comes Amid a Major Career Moment
The viral encounter arrived during another busy chapter for Shaboozey following the 2024 enormous success of “A Bar Song” (Tipsy) in his third album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going. His latest album, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart. It also opened at No. 3 on Americana/Folk Albums and No. 4 on Top Country Albums, giving the singer his second leader on the Independent Albums chart and another top 10 entry on the other two rankings.
The 20-song project expands on Shaboozey’s country sound through a Western story centered on Cherie Lee, a sheriff’s daughter who sets out for revenge after her father is killed. The album includes appearances from artists including Jamie Foxx, Teyana Taylor, Leon Bridges, Kehlani and Gunna.
“I want to show the world who I am as an artist and storyteller,” Shaboozey said in a statement announcing the project. He described the album as “a project that’s been several years in the making and has gone through many iterations.” In a recent interview with BET, the actor disclosed that he’s looking to “create a special project and stepping into the worlds of acting and directing.”
For the newlyweds, though, Shaboozey temporarily traded his latest Western tale for an unscripted one on the Owens River. Their carefully planned ceremony gained a country star and viral memory before they even exchanged their vows.
