When it comes to wedding planning, most brides have certain expectations of what their special day will look like. It usually involves a beautiful dress, flowers, a ceremony, a reception, dancing, and a photographer capturing all of these elements for posterity. Most brides even plan for the unexpected, because inevitably, things don’t always go according to plan.

Just ask 33-year-old Laura Schlaefer. Her wedding planning went so smoothly that she expected something to go wrong. “I figured maybe my dress alterations would be slightly off or I’d forget to wear my ‘something blue,’” said Laura. “But I never expected this. Then again, no bride can really prepare for missing her wedding.”

It was Friday, October 17, 2014, and Laura and her bridesmaids were busy getting ready for her wedding. At one point, she felt like she couldn’t breathe, but shrugged off the feeling as typical wedding jitters. Soon, Laura and her wedding party headed to Lafayette Park to take photos. It was also when she and her groom, Dan, would have their ‘first look’ before the ceremony.

After taking pictures at the park, Laura and Dan headed to a nearby restaurant, where they had their first date. Coincidentally, they ran into a woman who helped calm Dan’s nerves before that first date. To commemorate their special day, this same woman ordered champagne for Laura and Dan. Unfortunately, right after their toast, Laura suffered a major seizure and passed out.

Thankfully, Dan, who also happens to be a volunteer firefighter and certified paramedic, caught Laura as she fell. When Laura regained consciousness, she was in an ambulance, talking to the paramedics.

“It was really scary. I didn’t remember who anyone was. The only thing I knew was that I was getting married that day, and needed to get to the ceremony,” she recalled.

Laura arrived at Saint Louis University (SLU) Hospital’s emergency department (ED), feeling nauseous and very confused. She was shaking uncontrollably and had vomited. “The nurses kept asking me if I wanted to change out of my wedding dress and into a hospital gown, but I refused. I had every intention of making it to my wedding, so there was no way I was taking that dress off,” said Laura.

The ED physicians and nurses worked diligently to assess Laura’s condition and run her blood work. However, Laura and Dan soon received a phone call from their minister. The start of the ceremony had already come and gone. Their minister had to catch a flight that night and wouldn’t be able to wait much longer.

“That’s when we decided to have our minister come to SLU Hospital and marry us there instead,” said Laura.

Once Laura and Dan decided to get married in the ED, the staff wasted no time setting up for the ceremony. “One of my nurses came to me and said ‘we need to have a wedding,’” said Jeanne Fogarty, nurse manager of emergency services at SLU Hospital. “I thought she was joking.”

Unfortunately, the chapel was unavailable, so Jeanne and her team chose one of the new treatment rooms with larger windows. The nurses used white sheets as drapes in the background and displayed flowers around room. They brought Laura her ‘something blue’ – a pair of blue slipper socks – and promised to videotape the entire ceremony.

“This was a first for us at SLU Hospital,” said Jeanne. “We were trying to come up with anything and everything we could to make it feel like a wedding and not a hospital. We even had other staff and visitors as our audience. I’m pretty sure seeing a wedding in the ED was a first for them, too.”

One of the nurses hummed “Here Comes the Bride” as Laura’s stepson, Noah, pushed her down the aisle in a wheelchair. Fortunately, Laura’s photographer came to the hospital to capture the event.

“Everyone in the emergency room went above and beyond that day to help make our wedding day special. Even the security guard was upbeat and positive,” said Laura. “Some of the nurses cried during our ceremony, and cheered for us after we were officially married. They also gave us a nice card, which everyone had signed.”

Eventually, Laura’s blood work came back okay, so she was cleared to be discharged. Still wearing her wedding dress, Laura and Dan quickly headed to their wedding reception at The Top of the Met, where they were greeted by lots of cheers from their wedding guests. Better yet, they were able to enjoy the last hour-and-a-half of the reception. Although she didn’t get to do much dancing that night, Laura enjoyed the first dance with her husband followed by a father-daughter dance with her dad.

“My wedding day definitely didn’t go as planned, but it was certainly unforgettable,” said Laura. “More importantly, we did exactly what we intended to do: we got married.”

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