Twitter Saves Same-Sex Wedding Almost Thwarted By Hurricane Sandy (PHOTOS)

WOW: Twitter Saves Same-Sex Wedding From Hurricane Sandy
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Stories of strangers coming together have taken over the Internet in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Here's another one -- and this one is perhaps one of the sweetest ones we've heard.

According to the Daily Dot, two California women planned to get married this week during their trip to New York City. Kelly and Rosa were able to obtain a marriage license from the clerk's office on Monday. But when they returned to the same office on Tuesday morning for the actual ceremony, the damage done by the hurricane had forced the office to shut down.

The couple was determined not to leave New York unmarried, but their flights back to California -- scheduled for Thursday -- were rapidly approaching.

Luckily, Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson sent out a plea via Twitter on the behalf of his friends.

Within minutes, Anoop Ranganath -- a licensed officiate in the city -- had replied and was willing to hold the ceremony.

Ranganath, Foursquare’s lead iPhone engineer, told the Daily Dot he wasn’t actually following Dickerson on Twitter at the time. Instead, he spotted a retweet from a former coworker and immediately offered his services.

“It's such a great story! How could I not?” he said.

Sandy had forced Foursquare’s Soho HQ office to shut down, and Ranganath was working at a midtown location just a few minutes away from Kelly and Rosa's hotel.

The original plan was to hold the wedding at Central Park, but it was closed due to the effects of the hurricane. Instead, the couple got married at Columbus Circle.

Ranganath and the couple asked a lady sitting on a park bench to act as a witness. Coincidentally, the lady was in the city to celebrate the one-year anniversary of her wedding in New York last year.

Seventy five minutes after Dickerson had tweeted for help, he received photos of the newly-married couple.

“The whole thing only took 45 minutes of my time,” Ranganath wrote via email. “It was a pleasure and an honor.”

Rosa and Kelly weren't the only couple trying to get married in New York City this week.

The Huffington Post reported that Gabrielle Mecham and Ashley Saverino traveled 3,000 miles from California to get married in New York only to be thwarted by Hurricane Sandy.

The couple also planned to be married in Central Park, but they were unable to get the proper paperwork due to the storm.

“We thought everything would be settled by Monday but it just got worse and worse,” Mecham told Bloomberg Businessweek.

Before You Go

Hurricane Sandy Random Acts of Kindness
(01 of13)
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Dr. Dave Ores posted on his tumblr, "I’m open today if I can help anyone. Until 6 pm. Spread the word. Thanks. 189 east 2nd street btw A and B"And that's not all he's doing for his neighbors in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. He also assembled 80 sandwiches today and handed them out on the street. Plus, he plans to do the same tomorrow. (credit:Dave Ores )
(02 of13)
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A Facebook update from The Drink in Manhattan hopes to help their fellow bars in the area. (credit:Facebook )
(03 of13)
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This photo of a friendly neighbor on the East Coast has gone viral. (credit:Reddit )
(04 of13)
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The Dutch offers up free food to New Yorkers. (credit:Twitter )
(05 of13)
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Newark Mayor Cory Booker invited Hurricane Sandy victims to his house to charge their electronics, watch movies, and even get a free lunch. (credit:Twitter )
(06 of13)
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This photo, taken by Instagram user Emily Katter shows people writing down their emotions about Hurricane Sandy on Post-It Notes. (credit:Emily Katter )
(07 of13)
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This magical young man is helping Hurricane Sandy victims. (credit:Twitter )
(08 of13)
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Lonestar Taco headed downtown to feed the people in the South Street Seaport today. (credit:Twitter )
(09 of13)
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Anderson Cooper posted this photo on Instagram, writing "Sharing power from our sat truck with Hoboken residents needing to charge phones and get online #Sandy" (credit:Instagram )
(10 of13)
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According to the Sayville Patch, a Lincoln Avenue, Sayville resident is hoping to make life a bit warmer and satisfying for local neighbors and community members in Long Island. (credit:Sayville Patch )
(11 of13)
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Banfield Pet Hospital, the world’s largest veterinary practice, is offering free office visits and physical exams for more than 140 hospitals in the states affected by Sandy, according to a statement. The waived office visit fee covers a physical examination by the veterinary team; however, excludes any testing, treatments or medications. (credit:AP)
(12 of13)
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According to the Hurricane Sandy Acts of Kindness Facebook page, "A resident assists in rescue efforts with his jet ski as emergency personnel rescue residents from flood waters brought on by Hurricane Sandy in Little Ferry, New Jersey October 30, 2012." (credit:Facebook )
(13 of13)
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According to the Examiner, Ann, from East Northerport, New York is just one of the many good samaritans who used Facebook as one way to offer shelter and hot showers to friends and family in need. She is currently hosting her daughters' friends whose homes are without power. My sister and brother in law are here now showering and catching up on news and hot tea," she reports. "I try to live the golden rule." (credit:AP)