Hurricane Earl Doesn't Deter Maryland Couple From Getting Married

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. - Kenny Atwell and Janine Folineo planned their dream wedding on the water by a lighthouse in the Outer Banks. Family and friends rented four houses but Hurricane Earl was following just behind them.

’They called our house at 8 o'clock in the morning on Wednesday. There was a message saying the island was evacuated. It was mandatory. We had to get out,’ said Atwell.

So they all moved to another part of the Outer Banks but they were forced to evacuate again, and this time they headed home to Charles County. But they made good use of the time.

’We were in car on the way home from North Carolina, five and a half hours, planned the entire wedding,’ said Folineo.

’We call it the Blackberry wedding because it all went down on the Blackberry," Atwell said.

The couple had to pull a lot of strings, but in one day, they found a church, a bakery and a place for the reception.

’We got a call in the afternoon and it was an emergency situation. A cake emergency,’ said Deborah Taylor.

Taylor works at the Charles Street Bakery. She doesn't know the couple personally, but decided to help them out.

’I felt sorry for the bride. I figured she was probably going crazy,’ Taylor said.

At the salon around the corner, her hairdresser was happy to help too. A judge even waived Maryland's 48-hour waiting period to give them a last minute marriage license.

’I think it really shows how many people really love and care about you when people come together to try to make something really special happen for you,’ said Folineo. ’If we can make it through this, we can make it through anything. We've weathered the storm.’

’In ten years, when we’re on the anniversary, I want to have the wedding down there again. I don't want to give up on it,’ said Atwood.

They'll just have to keep an eye on the forecast for September 2020.