Starting a life with the person you love is a momentous occasion and the wedding and honeymoon celebrations are certainly unforgettable for all. But newlyweds Will and Ashton Weber really upped the ante on wedding memory-making, when they hooked a monster 800-pound tiger shark on their honeymoon.
The Maryland-natives said their "I do's" in Florida before heading to nearby Navarre Beach, 26 miles east of Pensacola on the Gulf of Mexico, to celebrate their honeymoon.
The couple booked a night of shark fishing with Dylan Wier and Blaine Kenny of Coastal Worldwide, a conservation-minded fishing company. Shortly before sunset, the newlyweds headed out to the beach where Weir and Kenny had set up their baited shark lines—one set further out into the Gulf than the other. Everyone hunkered in to wait.
In true newlywed luck, the Weber's didn't have to wait long: In the Youtube video posted by Coastal Worldwide, one of the lines tugs just after sunset. The Penn 130 rod is passed to Will, who slots it into a harness and starts fighting.
Shortly after, another line is hit, and Ashton is put to work reeling too.
The guides excitedly talk about seeing something huge jump in the water, and try to work out where each fish may be. One of them can be heard saying, "if you guys [hook] up on the same fish on your honeymoon, that would be crazy."
That is exactly what happens. As the sun sets and the headlamps come out, it's confirmed that Will and Ashton have done the unthinkable: they've caught the same shark. The shark took both of their baits and they're now reeling in the same tiger shark.
Dylan wades out into the water to bring the shark in, and as it gets into shallower water, it's clear that this fish is a monster, at 12 feet long and an estimated 800 pounds.
Will says that when he got in the water with the tiger shark he was "blown away, completely in shock" at the size of the fish.
A Happy Ending for All
Courtesy of Coastal Worldwide
Tiger sharks are a protected species, and must be released quickly and in good health. After some quick pictures, the team works together to get water flowing over the shark's gills and push the shark back out into deeper water.
The guides give the honeymooners two of the circle hooks used to land their tiger shark, a tradition when the shark is over 10 feet long. The couple can be seen putting their hooks together to form a perfect heart. Aww.
And the honeymoon isn't over yet! Ashton and Will are headed out on a swordfishing trip to complete their trip. What's next, a 1,000-pound marlin?
READ MORE: How to Plan a Florida Fishing Trip (and Hopefully Avoid the Tourists)
