Watch Houston couple's sweet 'social distancing' wedding reception

HOUSTON, TX (KTRK) -- It may not have been the wedding they planned, but a Houston couple wasn't going to let the COVID-19 outbreak stop them from getting married. Instead, they came up with a unique way to celebrate their nuptials.

"Our wedding was supposed to take place in my hometown of Abbeville, Louisiana," said bride Brittany Hebert-Franklin. "We were really excited about our wedding."

"Then all of a sudden, this whole coronavirus epidemic came along," added her groom, Bobby Franklin. "And it seemed like it changed every minute."

The couple had invited 300 guests to their wedding. But after city and county officials recommended cancelling large gatherings due to COVID-19 concerns, they decided to change their plans.

"We have amazing support from our family and friends, and our best friend called the Brazoria County Courthouse," said Brittany Hebert-Franklin. "She said, we are getting you married on March 20th."

"We weren't waiting for another year, and so we said, we're going to the courthouse," said Bobby Franklin.

The couple got married by a judge on their original wedding day, with their parents standing by. But when they left the courthouse, they were stunned to see what was waiting for them outside.

"We got down the street in Lake Jackson and we saw so many friends and family," said Brittany Hebert-Franklin.

Wedding guests lined the road at a safe distance from each other, cheering and holding signs. They threw flowers and rice at the bride and groom's car. Many even wore the same attire they had planned to wear for the wedding.

"We put things in perspective really quickly," said Brittany Hebert-Franklin. "We have God in our relationship and we know he has a plan."

Despite not having the wedding they had planned, the couple still has a great sense of humor.

"If there's a time to test that marriage real good, it's being in quarantine!" Hebert-Frankin said, as the couple laughed. "We had to cancel our honeymoon and now we get to be in quarantine together for several weeks."