MASHPEE, Mass. — A couple gathered with family for a Cape Cod wedding found themselves without an officiant minutes before being wed, until a Massachusetts mayor wrangled special permission to perform the ceremony.
Carlo DeMaria, the mayor of Everett, Mass., was on vacation Saturday near the venue in West Yarmouth, when the mother of the bride asked if he could help.
The minister who was supposed to perform the ceremony had canceled at the last minute because of an emergency.
DeMaria said he called Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito to request special authorization to wed the couple, who recently moved to Cape Cod from Pittsburgh.
Matt and Naomi Kalliath are both are physicians and will start positions at hospitals in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
WATCH: An unlikely hero steps in to save a couple's wedding day.
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) July 15, 2020
Doctors Matt and Naomi Kalliath were dressed and ready to say "I do" on Cape Cod on Saturday, when their reverend canceled. (?: @nancygouldphoto) pic.twitter.com/2ZOgySEbnP
The couple originally planned to get married July 11 in Pittsburgh, near where they met during their residency, but had to change plans because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It really means a lot that they took time out of their Saturday afternoons to make this official for us,” Matt Kalliath told the Cape Cod Times, speaking of the elected officials.
DeMaria officiated the couple’s union at sunset wearing a polo shirt and shorts and reading their vows off a cellphone. The outdoor ceremony included the couple’s dog.
“They’re a wonderful couple, and the vows were truly beautiful,” DeMaria told the newspaper. “It was a special day for them, and I was just happy being a part of it. I just want to wish them a lifetime of happiness.”
On Tuesday, the newlyweds met DeMaria again for lunch to thank him for rescuing their special day.
“It’s nice to see one work out, especially under these circumstances,” he said.
