• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2026 ABC News
  • Family

Couple marries at hospital hours before welcoming baby

1:59
Couple marries at hospital hours before welcoming newborn
Courtesy of Saint Luke’s East Hospital
ByYi-Jin Yu
February 22, 2024, 7:42 PM

A Missouri couple married in an impromptu wedding at a hospital last week, hours before they welcomed a baby boy on Valentine's Day.

Sara and Brandon Perry were originally supposed to say "I do" on Feb. 16, but their plans were sidetracked just a couple of days before the big day.

Sara Perry, a police officer, was 35 weeks pregnant at the time and she told "Good Morning America" that on Feb. 13, she woke up and realized her water had broken.

"We were like, 'OK, I guess we're not going to make it to Friday,' so we went to the hospital," the 39-year-old said.

Related Articles

MORE: Kindergarten teacher gets married in front of her students

Sara Perry was admitted to Saint Luke's East Hospital in Lee's Summit, Missouri, and while there, she mentioned to hospital staff that she and her then-fiance were likely going to miss their wedding.

"One of the nurses was talking to another nurse from down the hall, and I guess her patients were in there also getting ready to have a child and the husband is an ordained minister," Perry explained. "And he's like, 'Well, hey, I could do it before I have my baby.' And so their nurse came back and told our nurse [and] our nurse came in and told us. She was like, 'I know this sounds crazy. But if you'd like, we can have an ordained minister that's having a baby down the hall come and marry you two.'"

The Perrys said they were immediately on board with the idea, especially since they had already secured their marriage license the day before and had it in their truck.

Editor’s Picks

Couple married in hospital to keep special date

  • Feb 12, 2021

Mom of preemie carries baby instead of bouquet in hospital wedding

  • Aug 13, 2019

Couple 'weds' in hospital for groom's 100-year-old grandma

  • Jun 21, 2019

"It's what we both wanted so there's no reason to delay it," Brandon Perry said.

Sara and Brandon Perry married on Feb. 13 at Saint Luke’s East Hospital, where Sara had been admitted after her water broke at 35 weeks.
Courtesy of Saint Luke’s East Hospital

Their wedding festivities, complete with a bouquet toss, unfolded quickly -- within about 30 minutes -- since Sara Perry was already in labor and was having contractions at the time.

Sara Perry wore a wedding gown and veil fashioned from hospital linen and even had a bouquet toss with hospital nurses participating in the tradition.
Courtesy of Saint Luke’s East Hospital

"While we were trying to get everything ready and I was trying to fix my hair, the nurses had made up a veil out of gauze. And then they got a bouquet of flowers together and they'd wrap that with gauze and I made a toga white dress out of a sheet that was on my hospital bed," Sara Perry recalled, adding that it was "all fun."

The staff at Saint Luke’s East Hospital helped celebrate the couple with “Just Married” decorations at their room and a wedding cake from the hospital cafeteria.
Courtesy of Saint Luke’s East Hospital
The Perrys had planned on marrying on Feb. 16 but moved their wedding date to Feb. 13 ahead of their baby’s arrival on Feb. 14.
Courtesy of Saint Luke’s East Hospital
Sara and Brandon Perry married hours before welcoming their baby boy Oliver on Feb. 14.
Courtesy of Saint Luke’s East Hospital
Two Saint Luke’s East Hospital nurses served as the Perrys’ witnesses and signed their marriage license.
Courtesy of Saint Luke’s East Hospital

Related Articles

MORE: Groom battling cancer gets married in hospital

About nine hours after their wedding, the Perrys said hello to their newborn, a boy named Oliver, who was born at 1:47 a.m. on Feb. 14. He is the first child for the couple and the second for Sara Perry, who is also a mom to a 5-year-old son named Sebastian.

Sara and Brandon Perry married hours before welcoming their baby boy Oliver on Feb. 14, 2024.
ABC News

Now 8 days old, Oliver had to spend his first week in the neonatal intensive care unit, but is now healthy and was discharged Thursday morning.

"He's officially the sweetest valentine I've ever received and we'll get to celebrate that for years to come, which is wonderful," Sara Perry said.

The Perrys said they still plan on having a destination wedding, either in Mexico or in a Caribbean country later this year.

Related Topics

  • Parenting

Editor’s Picks

Couple married in hospital to keep special date

  • Feb 12, 2021

Mom of preemie carries baby instead of bouquet in hospital wedding

  • Aug 13, 2019

Couple 'weds' in hospital for groom's 100-year-old grandma

  • Jun 21, 2019

Up Next in Family—

Doctor delivers 2 sets of twins on his 34th birthday

April 14, 2026

'Duck Dynasty' star Sadie Robertson Huff opens up about 8-month-old daughter's choking incident

April 13, 2026

Wife remembers husband who died saving kids from rip current

April 8, 2026

Parents of 3 open up about facing cancer together at the same time

April 8, 2026

Shop GMA Favorites

ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Sponsored Content by Taboola

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2026 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2026 ABC News