A soon-to-be mother, Brianna Lucca-Cerezo, fell sick just 10 days before her anticipated due date with her first child.
Prompted by a headache and sore throat, she contacted her OBGYN, who suggested she go to the hospital. Contractions had begun earlier in the week, but Brianna was uninformed until her hospital visit.
Pregnant Bride Marries Her Fiancé in Hospital
The timing was less than ideal-Brianna and her fiancé, Luis, had planned to marry at City Hall on February 17 in a relaxed ceremony with extended family.
Brianna hadn't even ordered her wedding dress, intending to do so through Amazon's same-day delivery service that morning. However, her plans were disturbed when she tested positive for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), resulting in doctors at AdventHealth for Women to choose for labor induction. Brianna remembers feeling panicked, with numerous thoughts racing through her mind.
A nurse, Elvia Birnholz, began questioning Lucca-Cerezo for paperwork, including, "Are you single or married?" Lucca-Cerezo replied, "I was meant to marry tomorrow, but the baby decided otherwise today." Birnholz was taken aback.
"We've seen instances where mothers couldn't attend their baby showers because their water broke unexpectedly, but I've never had someone mention, 'I'm getting married tomorrow,'" she comments. "Since we have a chaplain available, I proposed, 'Maybe they could have their wedding ceremony here.'"
Although Lucca-Cerezo somewhat chuckled at the idea, she had her marriage certificate and both wedding bands in her purse. "We agreed, we're going ahead with this today," she explains.
Hospital Staff Utilized Bedsheet to Fashion Into Wedding Gown
As news of the impending wedding spread, hospital staff sprang into action. One nurse, Gaby Pinzon, arrived carrying a stack of bedsheets.
Lucca-Cerezo remembers, "She introduced herself and inquired, 'Would it be acceptable if I created a wedding dress using these sheets?'" Despite her surprise, she shares, "I felt immensely grateful because I had worried I might end up marrying in a hospital gown."
Showing Pinzon screenshots of the intended wedding dress, a halter-top style with an open back and leg slit, Lucca-Cerezo waited. After thirty minutes, Pinzon had crafted a sheet dress that replicated the gown flawlessly, as noted by Lucca-Cerezo, who remarked, "It matched every detail."
Two doctors rushed to the gift shop downstairs to buy flowers, while another nurse took on the role of wedding DJ. Birnholz informed colleagues that they were welcome to attend the impromptu wedding.
Lucca-Cerezo's immediate family, including her mother, step-father, and siblings, arrived at the hospital, while Luis' family joined via FaceTime from West Virginia.
Nervously, Luis awaited his bride's emergence from the bathroom, adorned in her makeshift wedding gown, to the tune of "Let's Get Married" by Jagged Edge. Following the ceremony, doctors induced labor for Lucca-Cerezo, and 12 hours later, baby Landon was born on February 18.
The couple intends to have a formal wedding in the future, complete with a traditional dress.
Lucca-Cerezo expresses her desire for a beach wedding, stating, "I've always dreamed of getting married on the beach." She adds, "We're inviting all the nurses to join us."
