First comes love, then comes football: N.S. groom surprises bride with Buffalo Bills tickets during wedding

A groom’s wedding-day surprise for his Buffalo Bills fan bride – is a real touchdown.

It’s been a touchdown start to marriage for some Nova Scotia newlyweds.

Sean Smith knew he wanted to surprise his wife Olivia Doiron during his vows, but he wasn’t sure how.

“The first original thought was I was going to use a snow machine above us,” said Smith. “We tried a few ways to do that, but it didn’t end up looking quite right.”

He then had to switch gears and decided to surprise his bride with tickets to a Buffalo Bills game of her choice.

“She’s basically been like, ‘We’re going to the Bills this year at some point.’ So I was like, perfect. She’ll enjoy that.”

Doiron was very surprised by the gift. A video from their ceremony showing her shouting in excitement has now been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

“The fact that we’re going to be able to go to a Buffalo stadium, experience that crowd, the tailgate and everything is going to be a surreal experience. I can’t wait,” she said.

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The couple has been together for more than six years and tied the knot in December, but they’ve known each other much longer.

“We actually went to high school together, so we kind of grew up in the same neighborhood, but weren’t really friends, you know, just families were acquainted,” said Doiron. “After university, we both moved back to Moncton, New Brunswick, where we’re both from originally, and just kind of rekindled there.”

They moved to Halifax just a few months into dating and have lived in the area ever since. Now, their Sundays are filled with football, though Doiron hasn’t always been a Bills fan.

“I actually used to be a Packers fan, but I got tired of the old quarterbacks that wouldn’t run the ball. They wouldn’t do anything but throwing, and Josh Allen is the complete opposite of that. He will do whatever it takes to get the first down, and I just fell in love with that,” said Doiron.

“I’ve been watching them every Sunday ever since.”

Smith is also a fan, but perhaps not as big a fan as his now-wife.

“If they score like one yard on a play, she’s freaking out getting the dogs on the go. There’s screaming. There’s alarms going off. All that. I enjoy it. I love them,” said Smith. “I’m not that level. She’s ready to run through a table for them.”

The two have never been to a Bills game, so the question now is when.

“They were sort of placeholder tickets that I had at the wedding, and so I just wanted to leave it up to her in case there was a specific team that she wanted to see them play or potentially even a different place to see them,” said Smith.

“Now with this amazing playoff run that they’re on, it’s seeming more and more likely like we should really put a bow on this thing and just sort of go this weekend.”

Since their video has been shared, Bills fans, also known as ‘Bills Mafia’, have been reaching out to them with lots of tips -- including where to find the best tailgate. A restaurant near the stadium has also offered up a plate of free Buffalo wings.

“The Bills fans are unmatched for how nice they are in accommodating,” said Doiron.

“The comment sections can be a scary place, and they have been nothing but supportive from everyone.”

The couple is now hoping for a weekend they’ll never forget.

“I’m hoping that the Bills see it. Everyone’s been tagging them. That would be amazing. A cherry on top of this whole experience if that happens,” she said.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.