Chicago Couple Marries at Michigan Sheriff’s Office as Winter Storm Closes In
A winter storm nearly ruined a Chicago couple's big day until a county clerk stepped up with a Plan B.
A winter storm that hit Michigan on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, closed schools, restaurants, and even county buildings across the lower peninsula. It also closed the facility a Chicago, Illinois couple planned to be wed at in Cass County, Michigan.
Teresa Capua and Charles Kaufman traveled to Michigan to be wed in the Cass County Administration Building. The date was likely set well before there was an idea a big winter storm would be hitting the area.
Sadly, the Cass County Administration Building was closed early due to quickly deteriorating weather conditions. That closing automatically meant all appointments, including wedding ceremonies, were canceled.
Once Cass County Clerk/Register Monica McMichael found out the date had a special meaning for the couple and that they had traveled from Chicago for the nuptials, she immediately began formulating a backup plan.
That's where the Cass County Sheriff's Office comes in. The sheriff's office remains fully staffed and operating no matter the weather. Cass County Sheriff Richard J. Behnke agreed to host the ceremony at the office.
Cass County Clerk/Register Monica McMichael officiated the ceremony for Charles and Teresa while Sheriff Behnke and Cass County Office Clerk Ronica Born served as the couple's witnesses.
While the location may seem less than ideal for most, it was rather serendipitous for the couple. The groom was a 37-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department.
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