Couple Finds 'Perfect' Christmas Tree in Forest — but They're in for a Shock When They Get Home (Exclusive)

• In December 2023, Hayden Hardesty and her boyfriend went to cut down their first Christmas tree together in Washington’s Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
• When they arrived, Hardesty’s boyfriend saw what appeared to be the “perfect” tree
• However, when they pulled into their driveway, Hardesty realized the tree had had a rough ride
• Recently, Hardesty noticed one of those iPhone memories pop up on her phone with a picture of a tree and shared it on TikTok
• The video exploded, garnering more than 23.8 million views and 7,700 comments

One couple went viral for sharing the story of last year’s Christmas tree accident.

It all started last holiday season when Hayden Hardesty and her boyfriend decided to cut down their first Christmas tree together in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest for a fun date night. According to the forest’s website, cutting down a Christmas tree is legal in Washington state, as long as you purchase a permit.

When they arrived, Hardesty’s boyfriend saw what appeared to be the “perfect” tree. Covered in snow, it was difficult to estimate how big the tree actually was, especially since they were pushing through up to two meters of snow.

“We hauled the tree back to the truck, loaded it into the bed, and began our two-hour drive home on the highway,” Hardesty tells PEOPLE.

Hayden Hardesty takes photos of a Christmas tree in a car.

Hayden Hardesty

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However, when they pulled into their driveway, Hardesty realized that the tree had had a rough ride.

“We took the tree out of the back of the truck,” she recalls. “By this time the snow had melted and it was clear that the tree had lost some branches in transit. We just looked at each other in silence and then burst out laughing because there was NO WAY it was the same tree we loaded into the truck two hours earlier.”

Things only got worse from there. When they brought the tree inside, they realized it was too tall for their living room. They brought him back out and spent 15 minutes debating what to do.

In the end, they decided to cut off the top, reasoning that the lower part has the most branches, and keeping the top will help preserve the natural shape of the tree. However, after they made the cut, the tree became even flatter and unwieldy.

“Once we cut down the tree, there was no going back – we were totally committed to putting it up,” says Hardesty. “We put it back inside, threw out a bottle of wine, and started decorating. Honestly, it was so funny wrapping the lights around a literally 2-inch trunk and trying to find branches to hang them on. We had a blast decorating our Charlie Brown tree and using everything to the last branches for hanging decorations.”

“It definitely wasn’t what we envisioned, but we ended up with a hilarious, memorable tree and a great night,” she continues. “When we finished decorating and putting the tree in the water, we sat on the couch and just laughed about how this was going to be a Christmas we’ll never forget. It was such a fun day, full of laughter, it made us love the tree even more . We ended up keeping it until January!”

The Christmas tree at Hayden Hardesty’s house.

Hayden Hardesty

Recently, Hardesty noticed one of those iPhone photo memories pop up on her phone with a picture of a tree, and she couldn’t help but laugh. With the holidays coming up, she decided to share it on TikTok for her small group of friends.

“Just bringing this back to life for a second… Wishing us luck this weekend,” she captioned the post. But to her surprise, the video blew up, garnering more than 23.8 million views and 7,700 comments.

Reading the comments, Hardesty says she felt seen as users said they too were shocked by what happened during the tree’s journey from the forest to their home. Several commenters even shared stories of how the video reminded them of parents bringing home a tree and starting a family tradition.

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“Then it got a million views and I thought it was crazy,” Hardesty says. “I thought it would stop there, but it continued to get 100,000 views practically every hour for days… From the comments I’ve read, people LOVE our Charlie Brown tree and think it’s hilarious.”

“I’m honestly impressed with how many jokes people and brands have come up with about a simple tree,” she adds. “Some of my favorites are: ‘We decorate and don’t judge,’ ‘So lucky to be chosen,’ and ‘2 is generous.’ ”

“I hope I was able to spread some Christmas cheer and make people laugh,” she continues. “The tree brought a smile to our faces and reminded me that imperfections are what make these ‘perfect’ moments and things special.”

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Hayden Hardesty with the Christmas tree.

Hayden Hardesty

The resident of Seattle adds that the couple soon plans to go shopping for this year’s Christmas tree, and after last year’s mishap, they made a plan to prevent the situation from happening again.

“We might need to seal this off the top of the truck bed [time]she says.

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Source: HIS Education