Oprah's Impromptu Tulsa Shopping Trip

Oprah Winfrey is treated like royalty almost everywhere she goes. The queen of television stopped at Tulsa's Promenade Mall this weekend before she surprised two couples at their wedding receptions.

Monday, June 5th 2006, 9:54 am

By: News On 6

Oprah Winfrey is treated like royalty almost everywhere she goes. The queen of television stopped at Tulsa's Promenade Mall this weekend before she surprised two couples at their wedding receptions.

News on 6 reporter Joshua Brakhage has more on Oprah's impromptu shopping trip and the impulse buy that wasn't on her list.

Bride Bethany Francis says she had contingency plans for nearly everything about her wedding, except for what to do when Oprah showed up. "My mom, I think, about had a heart attack. She watches Oprah all the time. We were just completely shocked. No one really knew what to do. I mean, Oprah doesn't normally show up at someone's wedding, especially in Tulsa, Oklahoma."

But Oprah and sidekick Gayle King didn't show up empty-handed. Just a few hours earlier, they were shopping for gifts at Dillard's inside Tulsa's Promenade Mall. Promenade Mall officials say their security team went to work when the two arrived.

Shoppers say they didn't shut down the store, but kept everyone 50 feet away. They say Oprah checked the bridal registry, and found the dishes Bethany and her husband Morgan were registered for. Not only did Oprah grab the dishes as a wedding gift, mall managers says her friend Gayle grabbed a brand-new purse before they left.

Guest Judy Pattinson spotted Oprah at Dillard's and later at the wedding. "I hugged her tonight when she came in tonight... and I said, 'I saw you at the mall today." And she said, "we can't tell you ahead of time.'"

Oprah had one more surprise up her sleeve when she ran across the street to the party for newlyweds Ben and Heather Klein. They agree that Oprah's surprise appearance was worth more than any gift. Ben Klein: "We wouldn't forget tonight anyways, but it'll always be something to talk about so, it's going to be a blast. For 50 years we'll have a story to tell other people."

Oprah is on a cross-country road trip that started in California. She'd made 16 other stops before Tulsa. Her next stop was Fort Smith where she surprised the congregation at a Sunday morning church service.

---
First Photo courtesy - Jim Mixon Wedding Videos