FDNY Chaplain helps bride get to wedding after crane collapse, then marries couple at City Hall

NEW YORK (WABC) -- In the middle of all the chaos of the crane collapse in TriBeCa is a heart-warming tale of a determined bride and the stranger who helped her.

An FDNY chaplain rushed to the aid of the shivering bride standing in her white gown in the snow.

The reception went on at a Fort Green restaurant just hours later.

Family members and close friends are all thankful to be together after Friday's deadly crane collapse.

A photo showed Nesh Pillay shortly after the crane collapse, wearing her wedding gown and trying her best to get to the courthouse in time to say "I do".

She was with her mother and sister at a TriBeCa hair salon getting ready for the big day, when they felt what they thought was an earthquake.

"Very quickly, everyone in the salon was a little nervous, a little scared, no one knew what happened. It was terrifying, it was very sad," Pillay said.

Emergency workers kept everyone inside the building until it was safe to leave.

Nesh met FDNY Chaplain Ann Kansfield who was more than willing to help her get to the ceremony that she was now very late for.

"While the chaplain was walking me over in the freezing cold, the snow, in the slush with heels, while she was walking us over, I said, 'Wait, a chaplain. You can marry us?' She was like, 'Yeah, I can.' So I said, 'Would you marry us?'" Pillay said.

Sure enough, Kansfield performed the impromptu ceremony. Her husband Aaron Vanderhoff is so very thankful.

"The chaplain was there, was kind of able to turn a tragedy into a special day for us," Vanderhoff said.

They were also thankful they were able to talk on a cell phone right after the collapse, so the couple never had to worry if the other was OK.