Three flight attendants manning a JetBlue flight from California to New York are receiving accolades after helping an engaged couple not just enjoy their flight but say "I do."
The couple, Rick and Liam, who asked that their last names not be used, traveled in December from Burbank, Calif., to New York City, where they planned to wed, just the two of them, at New York City Hall on 12-12-12.
Once aboard JetBlue Flight 350, the couple revealed to two of the flight's three attendants, in an off-hand conversation, the happy reason they were aboard that flight.
Moments later the flight attendants, identified by JetBlue as Virginia, Nichola and Dan, presented the couple with a "beautifully wrapped blue basket of the delicious JetBlue snacks and a congratulations card with handwritten notes from each of them," according to a letter sent by Rick and Liam to JetBlue CEO Dave Barger.
The couple's plans to say "I do" hit a snag however, mid-flight, when Virginia, a New York City resident, informed them that New York state law requires a marriage witness. The flight attendant, a complete stranger to the couple just hours earlier, then volunteered to serve as their witness in her time off from work.
On Dec. 12, two days after their memorable flight landed, Virginia met the couple at New York City Hall, biking from her home to their wedding location in freezing temperatures. She also came wearing a dress color-coordinated with the couple's wedding day attire, something she had coordinated with the two via phone conversations and text messages in the two days between their arrival to New York City and their wedding day.
"I wondered, 'Wow, she offered to do that but is that just a nice gesture or is she really going to follow up on that?,'" Rick told ABCNews.com today of his first reaction to Virginia's offer. "It was a little hard to believe that someone would offer to do that, from a flight attendant. It was hard to process that. We just met that person."
Adding to the sweetness of Virginia's efforts, the flight-attendant-turned-marriage-witness also brought the couple a cake and cupcakes from well-known New York City bakery Billy's Cakes. She also came bearing a camera to document the ceremony and celebrated with the newlyweds at dinner afterwards.
When Rick and Liam returned to California a few days later, they drafted their letter to JetBlue CEO Barger to show their appreciation. They also framed the photos of themselves with Virginia and the other flight attendants as thank you gifts.
"Not every flight has a Virginia on it so we really felt like we understood the significance of her actions and really appreciated it," Liam said. "We felt like it was a little bit of fate that we met her and just something so special."
JetBlue shared the couple's letter with employees through the company's internal website and then, after an overwhelming response, posted it to the airlines BlueTales blog on Monday, the couple's three-month anniversary.
"We were there, very simple, just me and Liam," Rick said. "But then Virginia became necessary. A witness was required. That was the bottom line. "
"Virginia was like a member of the family," he said, noting the couple have stayed in "regular contact" with her.
"We're proud of our crewmembers for going above and beyond to deliver the JetBlue Experience and the excellence in service that our customers have come to know and love," Allison Steinberg, a JetBlue spokesperson, told ABCNews.com.
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