A San Diego couple getting married at one of the United States’ most storied golf courses had the surprise of their lives when they stumbled upon the nation’s president. Brian and Stephanie Tobe were at The Lodge at Torrey Pines the morning of Oct 11 getting ready for their wedding when they first got word President Obama was in the area playing golf. They had heard rumors that the president would be at the same course as their wedding was taking place but didn’t think much of it. Around noon, they heard the president was on the course. “We’re stacked up against the window, looking out as we see him coming down across the green,” Stephanie said, recalling how they watched the president head to the 18th hole. The couple’s wedding ceremony was set for 4:30 p.m. at a spot right above the 18th hole, Stephanie said. Their photographers, Erin and Jeff Youngren, had been trying to see if the couple could get closer. The couple were putting the final touches on their respective wedding outfits when their photographers spotted the president coming nearby. They saw he was shaking hands and decided this would be the couple’s only chance to meet him. Erin barged into the room and said, “This is our chance.” Stephanie said she didn’t hesitate. “I picked up my wedding dress and just started running down the hall,” Stephanie said.
“Our friends are yelling and screaming the moment we come out onto the grass,” Stephanie said. “I darted ahead; I didn’t care,” said Stephanie, who recalled running ahead of her soon-to-be-husband. “I just had to get there.” “Honestly, I’m normally a pretty shy person, but man, yesterday, for the wedding day and in that moment, I didn’t care about anything,” Stephanie said.  The couple met the president, shook his hand and took a couple of photos with him.
“It was just really nice, just totally unexpected,” Stephanie said. “I never thought we’d have a chance in the world to meet him.” Though the talk was brief, Brian, a doctor at the Veterans Administration office in San Diego, said he talked to the president about his work at the hospital and their shared connection to the University of Chicago. Obama was friendly and a good listener, Stephanie recalled. “He specifically told my husband Brian not to step on my dress,” said Stephanie, laughing at the memory. Her wedding dress included a long lace train. Stephanie’s Aunt Judy, who would be officiating the wedding, even asked the president if he would like to take on her role and officiate the wedding, to which the president jokingly replied that Judy looked like she could handle it.
The wedding was delayed less than an hour for the whole affair, the couple said, and meeting the president took the edge off the rest of the wedding.  — NBC 7