Crime & Safety

Waterfront Wedding 'Rescue': Susquehanna Hose Company Gives Bride and Groom a Lift

The Susquehanna Hose Company saved the day for the Westminster couple near Concord Point Lighthouse.

Taylor and Chris Karabaich had just taken their vows at the Concord Point Lighthouse when they were faced with their first big problem as husband and wife.

After the Saturday ceremony, the Westminster couple's ride to the reception didn't arrive.

"Behind on time due to a late ceremony start, we decided to send the bridal party to the reception in the limo and then have it come back for the bride and groom," wedding photographer Beth T blogged. "It was the perfect solution, but only IF the limo driver remembered to come back—which he did NOT!!"

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Susquehanna Hose Company members noticed the situation from their vantage point at the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, where they were having a crab feast.

Firefighter Sam Cubberley said he and his wife, Sonya, approached the newlyweds, who were on the phone; they declined assistance.

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"We returned to the crab feast but after a few minutes saw the hand expressions of the bride and groom and knew it was time to act," Cubberley said. "I grabbed the driver and we brought [Engine] 535 around the block to give them a ride.

"They were happy to see us," Cubberley continued. "As we rounded the corner to the reception, we turned on the lights and siren."

The wedding party was waiting at La Banque de Fleuve on Saint John Street.

“There was that brief moment of nobody really knowing what happening, and then the doors opened,” Kimberly Barth, owner of La Banque de Fleuve, said.

Rather than Susquehanna Hose Company firefighters, Taylor Karabaich emerged from the engine in her wedding gown.

The crowd outside La Banque de Fleuve cheered, including bystanders who weren't part of the wedding, Barth said.

“I always get a little emotional when I see the bride for the first time because you get to know [them] so it’s always special—that first sight, that first look when they come in,” Barth said. “But I’ve got to tell you, that was exceptional.”

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