An engaged co-pilot couldn’t stop smiling after a sweet surprise from his crew and passengers.

When Southwest Airlines (SWA) flight attendant John Phan was told by Captain Curtis Merdan that their flight’s first officer, Warren Wudtke, would be getting married not long after landing, he knew he had to make the Oct. 12 trip extra special.

“I told the captain that I would try to do something memorable,” Phan tells PEOPLE.

He continues, “The first thought that came to my mind was how ironic that this event was taking place on this flight because we were flying from San Antonio to Dallas that day.”

They were flying “The Texas Triangle,” which refers to SWA’s origin story. The story goes: More than 50 years ago, two men — Rollin King and Herb Kelleher — walked into a bar in San Antonio and drew a simple triangle on a cocktail napkin. They wrote “Dallas” at the apex of the triangle, “San Antonio” on the bottom left and “Houston” on the bottom right to represent their business plan, which was to fly between the cities several times a day, every day.

“LUV was born that day,” Phan tells PEOPLE. SWA’s ticker symbol, LUV, comes from the company’s early love-themed marketing. 

Inspired by this, Phan sprung into action after inflight service. He made an announcement to passengers about Wudtke’s upcoming nuptials. Then, he asked passengers if they’d be willing to write down their best relationship advice and words of wisdom on the airline’s beverage napkins, which all feature a sketch of The Texas Triangle.

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One passenger wrote, “Always put each other first,” before adding, “Never stop dating!” 

“Enjoy the moments not in the air — those will mean the most to your wife,” signed a pilot and his wife.

The crew collected the napkins from passengers as they secured the cabin for arrival. They also quickly created a “Love is in the Air” crown for Wudtke to wear.

“After we arrived at the gate and the cockpit door opened, I made an announcement congratulating the first officer, and asked the passengers to give a round of applause,” Phan says. 

A shocked Wudtke was then presented with the crown and napkins. Almost all 76 passengers participated in the surprise.

“Of course, the mood was infectious,” Phan tells PEOPLE. “The passengers wished the first officer well-wishes as they deplaned, and the first officer was overwhelmed with such ‘LUV’ and kindness from our passengers and crew.”

Wudtke married Jenna Ryan on Oct. 18 at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Illinois.