- Pearl and Collin Hansen got married on March 26, 2022.
- They chose their
last name by flipping a coin at the altar.
Pearl and Collin Hansen use coin tosses to make decisions a lot, as the newlyweds told Insider.
Pearl, 28, and Collin, 25, met working at their college library. They both worked the Friday night shifts no one else wanted, so they had plenty of time to chat.
Their professional
They planned their
Even before they got engaged, it wasn't an assumption that Pearl would take Collin's last name.
Both Pearl, whose maiden name is Lee, and Collin could be the only members of their family to carry their last names into the next generation, and because Pearl is a teacher, the idea of changing the name her students use every day felt daunting.
As they were trying to decide what last name to choose, Pearl said she listened to an episode of the "Freakonomics" podcast on which someone made a joke about wishing they had flipped a coin to decide their last name when they got married.
"The idea stuck," Pearl said. "I thought it was really funny."
The concept also felt natural to Pearl and Collin.
"We flip coins a lot," Collin said, as it often helps them decide what they truly want.
What started as a joke between them turned into a plan during their engagement. Pearl and Collin agreed to choose their last name by flipping a coin after they said "I do."
They stipulated that whoever won the toss would fill out the change-of-name paperwork for the other to cushion the blow.
At the end of their ceremony, during which Pearl's mom walked her down the aisle and the couple said vows they wrote themselves, Pearl and Collin's officiant flipped a coin, as their photographer TV Tran of Sons + Daughters Photography captured.
Collin ended up winning the toss, making them Mr. and Mrs. Hansen.
The one-of-a-kind moment was memorable for the Hansens' wedding guests, but it became fun for millions when a
The TikTok had nearly 2 million views on Thursday. The Hansens had no idea they went viral until their friends started messaging them while they were on their honeymoon.
@diaryofasolotraveler Congrats my friends!!!! ❤️ #weddingtiktok #weddingtraditions #weddingtrends #weddingtok #weddingtiktok2022 #weddingday #friendsgettingmarried #BridgertonScandal #WomenOwnedBusiness #OscarsAtHome #UnsealTheMeal ♬ Just a Cloud Away - Pharrell Williams
"It was honestly just so ironic that the thing that we'd get our 15 minutes of fame for was a coin flip," Pearl said.
"Their coin toss really resonated with me, and given the amazing number of comments posted about the video, apparently it resonated with lots of others as well," Alyssa Danielle told Insider. "I think the reason is that it's a more equitable way of deciding the last name when you get married, instead of just assuming that the man in the relationship is the one who gets to keep his name."
"In this day and age, with hyphenated names and women not changing their name at all, this is a nice way to uphold an old tradition of the name change, and at the same time modernizing that concept by essentially leveling the playing field," she added.
If you're going to pick your name in a nontraditional way, the Hansens recommend being confident in your decision.
"The coin flip's definitely an option, but I think that honestly, it's most important that you're both comfortable with whatever's happening because you will get pushback," Collin said.