When Drew Baker and Maddie McNamara learned a massive blizzard was barreling down on the region, threatening to disrupt their carefully planned wedding day in Boston, they were in a bit of denial. They held onto hope the forecast would change, but the projected snow totals and wind gusts grew more daunting by the day.
On Monday, the young couple awoke to snow furiously swirling outside their window at the Newbury Hotel. Hardly able to seebeyond a few feet, Baker and McNamara, who grew up together in Sudbury, could only laugh.
They were initially disappointed,but soon realized “this would make for a truly unique and unforgettable story,” Baker, 27, who works in data analytics and lives in Boston with McNamara, 27, an attorney, said by email.
They would get married during a historic winter storm, the Blizzard of ’26.Just them, in a hushedcity blanketed in snow.
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Drew Baker, left, and Maddie McNamara, right and celebrated on their wedding day.The Grahams Photography/@thegrahamsphoto
Baker and McNamara had their first brush with love in eighth grade, dating for a little while. They remained good friends through high school and rekindled their romance after both moved to Boston in 2021, Baker recalled.
A little over a year ago, Baker proposed to McNamara in the Seaport, on a pier near a spot they used to go to dinner while looking out at the water.
“We love everything about one another,” he said.
They originally arranged to hold their ceremony at the Boston Public Library on Monday, a small and intimate gathering with their immediate families by their side. When it became clear the weather wasn’t going to cooperate, stress set in and the coupletried to come up with backup options, Baker said.
“All of which also fell through,” he said. “Which led us to what we did.”
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The couple never considered postponing their wedding. They were committed to the date and didn’t want to wait another moment to start their married life together, Baker said.
They booked a longer stay at the hotel and celebrated with their families over dinner at 1928 Beacon Hillon Sunday evening. Their loved ones headed home before the storm arrived.
The next morning, as the storm raged, the couple read their vows to each other from the comfort of their suite. They got ready together, with McNamara stepping out to put on her long, white gown and returning to share a quiet, emotional moment with her betrothed.
Drew Baker, left, and Maddie McNamara, right and celebrated on their wedding day.The Grahams Photography/@thegrahamsphoto
When it came time for the ceremony that evening, the couple was joined in the hotel room by their wedding photographer, their officiant, and the officiant’s fiancée, Baker said. Their families tuned in on FaceTime.
“It was such a surreal moment to talk to them [after] and still have them there virtually, despite all of the snow,” he said. “They were all so supportive and knew this would make for such a funny story to look back on.”
Newly married, the couple braved the storm to take pictures around the city,leaving their winter gear back at the hotel.
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They smiled together on an empty Newbury Street, made snow angels and threw snowballs in the Public Garden, and jumped into the growing piles of snow on Commonwealth Avenue.In a world apart, like a snow globe made just for them, they embraced and kissed.
“It was so special to spend that moment together as the snow came down,” Baker said.
At the end of April, they will travel to Japan for their honeymoon.
“We will always look back on this day thankful that we have each other,” he added. “We know that no matter what happens, we will be there for each other and always make the most out of any situation.”
Maddie McNamara, left, and Drew Baker, right, celebrated on their wedding day.The Grahams Photography/@thegrahamsphoto
Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her @shannonlarson98.
Nearly three months since assuming office as mayor of Everett, Massachusetts, Mayor Robert Van Campen isn’t wasting any time.
The former city councilor ousted 18-year incumbent Carlo DeMaria in decisive fashion last November, but even so, issues surrounding his predecessor still linger at City Hall.
A state-led salary audit of DeMaria found $180,000 in overpayment, a finding the former mayor disputes. Van Campen says the city is monitoring ongoing investigations.
“What I’ve conveyed to my partners in government here, locally, is to allow that state process to play itself out, and then we, as a community, will make a decision,” the mayor said. “In addition to that, I recently met with Inspector General Jeff Shapiro, who visited me at City Hall. We had a great conversation about transparency in government, best practices, putting in the right systems to ensure that that type of financial oversight doesn’t happen in the future.”
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Beyond the audit, Van Campen is placing emphasis on school overcrowding.
“My objective is to try to implement solutions as quickly as I can,” he said. “Our high school today, which was built for I think 1,650 students, now houses around 2,200.”
The World Cup is creating buzz across Massachusetts, including in Everett, where the Kraft Group is looking to build a soccer stadium.
To alleviate that problem, the mayor is using federal ARPA funds to repair the old Everett High School and seeking out other spaces that could be used in the future.
“Would I like to build out new classroom space for the students of Everett in the next one to two years? Yes, that’s my ideal,” Van Campen said. “But I want to make sure that if we do it on a quick timeline, it’s done in a correct and proper fashion.”
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Also in focus for the mayor is a new soccer stadium for the New England Revolution on the shores of the Mystic River.
The Kraft Group, Boston, Everett and the state Legislature have all taken steps to make the project a reality, but Van Campen says there’s still more work to do.
“It’s a transformative project, it’s a breathtaking project,” said Van Campen. “But I’ve been clear with all the stakeholders around that project, and the other larger developments going on down there, that we have to make sure that transit issues are comprehensively addressed, that pedestrian access issues are comprehensively addressed, that all those issues have to be addressed to perfection in order for these projects to succeed.”
Tune in on Sunday, March 29 at 9:30 a.m. for our extended @Issue Sit Down with Van Campen.
“No Kings” rallies are scheduled in Boston and across Massachusetts on Saturday and are expected to draw large crowds, organizers said.
Organized by the ACLU of Massachusetts, Indivisible Mass Coalition, and Mass 50501, the event is a mass mobilization in protest of the Trump administration.
The No Kings theme was created by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
“The Trump administration is trying to shred the Constitution; the No Kings movement is an unequivocal statement that we, the people, will not let that happen. This will be the third global No Kings Day, and it’s not just about protesting what’s wrong—it’s about building something better. We intend to show our power, build our power, and power a democracy that advances freedom, equality, justice, and dignity for all,” organizers wrote.
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The rally, one of thousands scheduled across the country this weekend, is planned for the Boston Common from 2 to 4 p.m. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend Boston’s rally. Other events are scheduled in Pittsfield, Northampton, Lancaster, Worcester, Framingham, Methuen, Lexington, and towns in southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape. For a map of No Kings events near you, click here.
Speakers include elected officials Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Gov. Maura Healey, Sen. Ed Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and civic leaders Hessann Farooqi Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, Darlene Lombos, president of the Greater Boston Labor Council, Carol Rose, executive director of ACLU of Massachusetts, Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Massachusetts, and others. It will be moderated by Rahsaan Hall, president and CEO of Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.
There will also be performances by the Dropkick Murphys, Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians, BVOCAL Chorus, and Jimmy Tingle.
A previous No Kings rally in October drew massive crowds estimated in the tens of thousands.
NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston
An aerial view of the crowd at Boston’s “No Kings” rally on the Common on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
ALLSTON, MASS. (WHDH) – Boston police are searching for a gunman who opened fire in Allston Thursday and left one person hurt.
Police responded to a radio call for a person shot in the area of Brighton Avenue at approximately 6:46 p.m. When officers arrived, they said they found a male “juvenile” suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim’s age has not been released.
Boston police said the shooter fled the scene and remains at large. No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Boston police.
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This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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