“I was going to be walking down the aisle, walking behind the guns, walking to him.” That was the plan for Claudia Gallego--marrying her sailor aboard the Navy battleship USS Wisconsin.
“My fiance loves this ship,” said Gallego.
But with just eight days to go before she says “I do,” Claudia found herself scrambling to find a new site--all because Congress still hasn't re-opened the government.
“I never in a million years thought our wedding day would be affected by it,” said Gallego.
Even though the USS Wisconsin is owned by the City of Norfolk, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum organizes the free weddings on-board for active duty sailors.
The chairs and decorations for the ceremony are all ready to go, but the Navy employees that set them up are all at home on furlough.
“Since they handle all the ceremonies, the ceremonies have been postponed,” said Gallego. “I lost it, because that meant I no longer had a ceremony site.”
Claudia didn't want to hold her breath waiting on Congress, so she came to NewsChannel 3 asking us to take action.
“We knew if anyone was going to make it happen, it was you guys,” said Gallego.
NewsChannel 3 went straight to those who run the private side of Nauticus, and after hearing Claudia's story, they immediately offered to help.
Within 30 minutes, we got results--Nauticus agreed to host Claudia’s wedding even if the government shutdown lasts through her wedding day.
“I am trying not to cry, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said Gallego. “Despite everything, our wedding day is going to be what we want and the day we have hoped for.”
