Vacationing Mayor Rescue Cape Cod Couple's Wedding

YARMOUTH, MA — Matt Kalliath and Naomi had to cancel plans for a big wedding because of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the Mashpee couple decided to have a more intimate ceremony on a Cape Cod beach, but even that almost didn't happen — because the reverend never showed up.

The mother of the bride frantically started looking for a wedding officiant and ran into Everett Mayor Carlo Demaria.

Kalliath told the Boston Globe DeMaria happened to be on vacation with his family. He saw the family in distress and was asked if he could officiate the wedding. Demaria said he didn't have the authority to lead the wedding, so he got on the phone with Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito to get special permission. The administration gave their blessing and allowed the mayor to wed the couple.

Kalliath told the Cape Cod Times Baker later called to congratulate the couple. He thanked DeMaria for taking the time to make him and his wife's day and Baker and Polito for making sure the wedding was official.

"It really means a lot that they took time out of their Saturday afternoons to make this official for us," Kalliath told the Cape Cod Times.