Woman executes a perfect flash mob surprise for her husband at the airport, except his plane is delayed
Picture it: You’ve been waiting for what seems like an eternity for your spouse to return from overseas to be with you in America, where you can finally begin to live life as husband and wife. You have it all planned, from the “welcome home” dinner to your outfit. To make the occasion extra-special, you’ve prepared an elaborate flash mob to greet your sweetheart disembarking from the plane.
Reality: Everything that can go wrong, will.
Lindsey Eastwood, 31, an attorney based in Alabama, wanted to surprise her husband, Jon, 37, with a flash mob at the Atlanta airport. Originally from Wales, Jon finally had his immigration visa approved and could legally move to the U.S.
The couple were married in July 2017, but they have been waiting almost 12 months for Jon to finally, officially, join Lindsey in America.
Lindsey’s troupe of local singers and dancers were going to perform “Coming to America,” “I’m Gonna Be (500 miles),” “At Last,” “I Knew You Were Waiting,” and “Welcome Home” at the Atlanta airport on Friday, according to AL.com.
Ali Ramsaier, a singer Lindsey had found on GigSalad, lent her talents to the moving tribute.
“Within a few minutes of talking to Lindsey, I could feel the love she had for Jon and I was up for the challenge,” Ramsaier told Yahoo Lifestyle. “I went to the piano and started brainstorming.”
Ramsaier, seemingly inspired by Lindsey’s love for Jon, contacted her friends who were professional musicians in the area. At the rehearsals, it all seemed to flow together perfectly.
Ramsaier, whose voice can be heard in the solo of “At Last,” said, “It was done out of love. I feel each person involved gained confidence through it.”
All the performers had their routine down perfectly. The only problem: Jon was stuck at JFK airport in New York — his flight to Atlanta was delayed, and he wouldn’t be able to arrive there on Friday.
“I was on the interstate halfway between Birmingham and Atlanta when Jet Blue notified me the flight was canceled, and that no flights were leaving New York,” Lindsey said to Yahoo. “… I called my family and told them not to leave Birmingham because they were planning to drive to Atlanta for the flash mob. I called Ali and asked her and the choreographer to make the final decision about how to move forward because I was so upset.”
“I was very torn,” Ramsaier admitted. “At the end of the day, this performance is a symbol of love. Love is love. No matter who you are or where you come from. This was a beautiful gift that needed to be shared and I wanted to encapsulate it.”
But the show must go on.
Lindsey wrote on Facebook, “No flights are leaving NYC. Jon is stuck in JFK where he will be sleeping tonight, but hope to be with him tomorrow. PLEASE LIKE the video to make me feel better. Jon Eastwood, this is for you.”
Jon watched the performance on FaceTime. “It was such an amazing surprise. I was overwhelmed with emotions in terms of how thoughtful it was and how much I wanted to be there with Lindsey. I am so grateful that she is my wife,” he said.
Lindsey and Jon are probably not upset about the flash mob snafu anymore — as of Saturday, Jon, who hadn’t seen Lindsey since May, had gone home to Birmingham with his bride. The couple, who met through Jon’s sister, are excited to finally spend time together and fully enjoy their marriage.
“The look in [Lindsey’s] eyes when she speaks about Jon. The way she wanted to create a romantic gesture. … I believe there is true love. It’s out there for me and for everyone else,” Ramsaier said.
As for the happily reunited couple? “We plan on traveling whenever we can so that we can see more of the States together and the world (hopefully without delays), and we hope to start a family soon,” Lindsey said.
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