BALTIMORE | 127 | WEDDINGS
a joke,’” she says. In disbelief, guests were
snapping pictures. Brittingham, along with
the Pantry Catering staff, started usher-
ing people out the back of Main Street
Ballroom up a narrow staircase.
Cymbor could not believe how quickly
the water had filled the parking lot, lifting
cars. Water and debris pushed up against
the big glass doors, and the water was
steadily climbing. “It’s amazing how much
water the doors held back,” says Cym-
bor. He heard Brittingham say they were
evacuating and went to grab Rigney.
Still in a state of shock, Rigney took off
her wedding shoes and slipped them into
a little suitcase she had with her. She also
grabbed her “something old,” a handker-
chief made by her great-grandma, and
placed it in the case before putting on
flip flops and running out, the marriage
license still sitting on the table. One of
Cymbor’s friends took the suitcase from
Rigney’s hands and said she would be in
charge of it.
“It went from 0 to 100 like that,” says
Cymbor. At this point the front entrance
was completely blocked with floodwater,
and more water was rushing in from the
side entrance. Everyone started going
up the back staircase to escape, but soon
water was pouring down that staircase as
well. It felt like being on a sinking ship.
Brittingham, one of the last people out,
could see the water outside was now waist-
deep and seeping under the door. “We
could see dumpsters floating around the
parking lot, and we were worried if they
hit the door all the water would rush in,”
she says. Vendors put what they could on
top of tables and followed the guests.
In her wedding dress and flip flops,
Rigney felt herself go numb. “I almost
couldn’t react,” she remembers. “This is
really bad. This is really bad,” she kept re-
peating. “We were in shock,” says Cymbor.
In addition to their own panic, they also
had 160 guests to worry about, including
their two-week-old nephew, five other kids
under the age of 6, and Rigney’s 92-year-
old grandfather.
As they all exited the ballroom, up onto
the street, they needed to figure out where
Harbor East 801 Aliceanna St 443-872-0000 theoceanaire.com
Whether you are looking to host a large dinner party or a smaller intimate
celebration, we invite you to consider The Oceanaire. We specialize in making all
of your occasions unforgettable with our exquisite menu and superior service.Vandiver Inn
301 S. Union Ave.
Harve de Grace, MD
410.939.5200 vandiverinn.com
[email protected]A UNIQUE kind of
Wedding FUN that’s
just MINUTES Away,
but WORLDS Apart...