A Maryland woman who couldn’t wear the gown she chose for her wedding reception due to the pandemic decided to wear it to her vaccination instead.
Sarah Studley of Baltimore had to cancel plans to get married in San Diego, according to a spokeswoman for the University of Maryland Medical System/Medical Center.
"We had a grand plan to get married in San Diego at Balboa Park,” Studley told News4. “There’s a really big organ pavilion there.”
She was able to wear her wedding dress when she instead had a scaled back wedding attended by only immediate family members in a civil ceremony at what has been dubbed “The Marriage Hut” — a converted snack shop outside the San Diego County Clerk’s Office.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
“It was probably not gonna be a great idea to get all of the people we loved most in the world together in one room in the middle of a pandemic,” she said.
But the gown she planned to wear to her canceled reception went unused — until Sunday.
“I saw a couple months ago a woman when she went to get vaccinated, she dressed up in a cocktail dress," Studley said. "I was like, ‘That’s such a great idea. I have my own dress sitting in my closet that needs to be worn.’ So I dusted it off.”
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Studley showed up at the M&T Bank Stadium mass vaccination site wearing the gown so she could finally be seen in it, delighting the staff.
“She looked really pretty," said Richie Stever, who was working at the vaccination site.
She said the upbeat mood at the site was the closest thing to a party she’s seen in months.
“I wanted to celebrate for myself and seize a little joy in a time that’s been sort of dark,” she said.
“I would say so far, this is the most memorable shot that I’ve witnessed," Stever said. "Very nice to see. Very, very nice to see.”
