Chele and Justin Downs were forced to hold their outdoor reception in a neighbor's barn with more than 100 guests - and horses.
Meredith and Ryan Herbert were headed to Ocean City for their weekend wedding festivities, but Irene, which was making a beeline for the resort, also doused their plans. So they moved everything up a day, getting married the day before the storm arrived and holding a brunch just hours before Irene stormed through the county.
The Downs are headed to a honeymoon on Lake Erie. The Herberts are in the Caribbean.
Rescheduling wedding activities in a day or two isn't easy, especially when they took months to plan. Mass text messages went out, venue changes were announced on Facebook, music lists were emailed, flowers were arranged in hay bales, and pickup trucks were loaded with decorations and furniture.
Yet, there was never talk of rescheduling until after the hurricane passed.
"My daughter was getting married that weekend and we were going to make it happen," said Mayo resident Sherri Hennen, Meredith's mom. "We had to remind each other that the real reason for getting married is getting to be together."
In Lothian, Tammy and Clif Turner had their backyard set up with enough tents, tables and chairs to accommodate the 160 people who planned to attend the Downs' reception there Saturday afternoon. But Friday morning, the tent rental company told them they had to remove the tents because its insurance company wouldn't pay if anyone was hurt during the storm.
While the tents were being packed up, the Turners and Justin Downs worked to find a solution without stressing out the bride, who was still asleep after being sent to bed early the night before. They were able to get help from their neighbors, the Manleys - husband Van, wife Kim and daughter Katy, who had previously offered use of their barn if the storm got too bad.
They each sent out mass text messages asking for assistance, and soon a series of pickup trucks descended on their home.
The 20 bales of hay placed around the tent stakes were used instead to decorate behind the bride's and groom's table. To save space, the round tables were replaced with borrowed oblong ones and horse troughs were used instead of coolers. The furniture in the barn's office area was removed to make way for the caterer, and the trailer containing the portable toilets was moved to a new location.
When the former Chele Turner woke up, she learned about the venue change and was promptly given a rag and gloves to help scrub down the stalls.
Everyone worked late into the night, and some guests volunteered to skip the wedding at Cedar Grove United Methodist Church so they could continue preparing the barn. They would be able to watch a video recording of it later.
"You would've thought it was choreographed, these guys worked hand in hand, together," Tammy Turner said. "They all grew up on the farm. They know driving tractors and hard work and doing chores. We were never so glad to have farm kids in our lives. It just worked out great."
At the Deale church, the groomsmen - dressed in black slacks, green shirts, black ties and vests that were black on the back - greeted female guests with a parade of umbrellas to keep them from getting drenched. The bridesmaids were dressed in brown dresses and carried lavender hydrangeas, along with the two flower girls 
As soon as Chele walked down the aisle, the church's power went out, but there was enough daylight to continue.
"We're going to get through this, guys," the bride told the cheering crowd. "I'm getting married."
The spirit continued at the barn reception. The groom is a volunteer firefighter in Prince George's County, so the couple was driven to the reception in a firetruck. The parade of umbrellas escorted guests inside and a generator provided the barn's electricity. Men were stationed around the barn's doors so that everyone was protected from the storm.
There was dancing and dining, and guests took pictures with the horses - Popeye, Gizmo, Smokey, Ace and Cricket. Who knew fallen trees, flooded basements and broken sump pumps awaited them at home?
"It was in the high winds, the rain and everything and the party was going on," said guest Ann Sams, whose power went out. "But it was so beautiful. … Every time you looked at somebody, they had tears in their eyes."
Meredith Hennen and Ryan Herbert planned a destination wedding in Ocean City, where they had had their first date. It was scheduled for Aug. 27. The 27th was important because Meredith was born April 27 and her father was born on June 27.
The wedding party left two days before with plans for a rehearsal dinner Friday and the wedding Saturday at St. Luke's Catholic Church and a reception at Harrison's Harbor Watch.
During the drive to the Eastern Shore, they learned about the wind restrictions and decided that Friday's rehearsal dinner would have to be the real thing. They called guests to notify them of the change, with many also making announcements on Facebook. They also planned to have a party on Saturday for those who couldn't make the ceremony.
They had almost reached Ocean City when they learned the town was being evacuated, so they turned around. Meredith's father, Jack, did the driving while the bride, her mother and sister Jacklyn made phone calls to change plans - again.
Eventually, arrangements were made for a Friday wedding at the Holy Family Catholic Church's chapel in Davidsonville, followed by a reception at the Sheraton Annapolis Hotel. Plans were made for a morning brunch on at the Herberts' home on Saturday.
Once they got back to town, a series of hair appointments were made at Bubbles Hair Salon. The Eastern Shore disc jockey, who couldn't attend, emailed music to the DJ who could. An Elvis impersonator made an appearance, which had been planned for the Ocean City nuptials.
The wedding colors were Malibu blue, reflected in the bridesmaids' dresses and the treats at the candy bar. There was a photo booth, fuschia orchids and pink roses. Guests were given blue welcome bags that featured saltwater taffy and Fisher's Popcorn from the Ocean City boardwalk. There were 145 guests; 190 had been expected.
On Friday, the sunshine and clear skies gave the bride an opportunity to pose on a 1936 red Chevy. The Herberts' Save the Date card had a photo of the intended date, 8-27-11, written in sand on a beach.
"It's a good thing the date was written in sand, and not in stone," newlywed Meredith Herbert said at the reception.
"If we waited and (had) done it on Saturday, that would have been sad," Sherri Hennen said, adding that she wishes the bride and groom well on their tropical vacation. "Hopefully (Hurricane Katia) will leave them alone."
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