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Ride in bright orange Bel Air would be ‘cherry on top’ for South Surrey bride

Shalane Wellard on the hunt for ‘awesome’ classic car to deliver her to the church July 5
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South Surrey’s Shalane Wellard is looking for the owner of a bright orange classic car she spotted near 196 Street and Highway 10 in early May, in the hope she may be able to use the vehicle for her July 5 wedding. (Unsplash photo)

Planning a wedding can be complicated and stressful at the best of times.

Throw in a global pandemic, and trying to pull together a ceremony and reception might drive any couple to distraction.

Not Shalane Wellard and Jason MacKay. Instead, the pair has been rolling with B.C.’s ever-changing rules and restrictions as the clock ticks down toward their summer nuptials.

One addition, however, would make the couple’s happy day even brighter – specifically, a vibrant orange 1956 Chevy Bel Air.

At least, to Wellard’s admittedly untrained eye, that’s the make, model and year, that best matches the car in question.

Early in May, she spotted the eye-catching vehicle in the area of Highway 10 and 196 Street, on the Surrey-Langley border.

READ ALSO: COVID-19 restart plan welcome but B.C. couple postpones wedding again

Since that day, the South Surrey woman has been trying to find the owner, posting on classic car club websites and searching Facebook groups. So far, she’s had no luck.

Because the province has been in lockdown, with residents asked to stick to their own health district, she’s confident the owner lives somewhere within the Fraser region.

Wellard knows she can rent a vehicle for the big day, but she wanted to take one more stab at finding this particular automobile.

“To (have it) drive me from the photographer to the church – wouldn’t that be epic?” she said.

“My (wedding) colours are orange and grey. Can you imagine pulling up and stepping out of this awesome car?”

READ ALSO: ‘A little different’: Vancouver ‘micro-weddings’ help couples during COVID-19

Time is running out, though, because Wellard and MacKay, are set to be wed on July 5.

Yes, it’s a Monday, but there’s a reason the pair chose the unlikely date. It marks the one-year anniversary of the day the two of them sat – socially distanced – in camping chairs in a Tim Hortons parking lot and admitted they had feelings for one another.

“It’s a pandemic relationship,” Wellard laughed, explaining that she and MacKay had actually known each other through their church for the past four and a half years. But “something flipped” at some point, she said.

Initially, the couple believed they would be limited to 10 wedding guests. Now they will be allowed to have 50 people join them at their ceremony in Newton, with family and friends from out of town tuning in via Zoom.

Part of what Wellard originally envisioned for the day was a drive-through receiving line. Despite the relaxed rules on gatherings, that will still happen, she said, acknowledging that everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to being in close contact with others.

Having the perfect vehicle to do that in would make it all the more special, she said.

“After the roller coaster of trying to plan a wedding during a pandemic, wouldn’t it be nice to have that piece come together?” she said.

“Wouldn’t that be the cherry on top?”



brenda.anderson@peacearchnews.com

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Brenda Anderson

About the Author: Brenda Anderson

Brenda Anderson is editor of the Peace Arch News.
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