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‘Truly unforgettable’: A massive nor’easter couldn’t stop this Boston couple from getting married – The Boston Globe

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‘Truly unforgettable’: A massive nor’easter couldn’t stop this Boston couple from getting married – The Boston Globe


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 see beyond 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 hushed city 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 couple tried 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 Hill on 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.





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Boston, MA

Portion of Storrow Drive, Soldiers Field Road will close nightly through August – The Boston Globe

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Portion of Storrow Drive, Soldiers Field Road will close nightly through August – The Boston Globe


An inbound stretch of Storrow Drive and Soldiers Field Road will be closed each night through August for tunnel repairs, officials announced.

Starting Monday, the closures will begin at 8 p.m. and last until 5 a.m., state officials said.

Road closures begin at North Harvard Street in Allston and stretch along the Charles River Esplanade to Mugar Way in Boston, near the Hatch Memorial Shell, officials said.

Traffic will be detoured into Cambridge over the Anderson Bridge, along Memorial Drive, and then be routed into Boston over the Longfellow Bridge.

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The closures will allow ongoing repairs to the Storrow Drive Tunnel in the Back Bay. The work is the first phase of a two-stage project to extend the lifespan of the tunnel, which carries roughly 50,000 drivers to and from downtown Boston daily.

The outbound portion of the tunnel and accompanying roadways will not be affected.

State transportation officials said changes to the work schedule will be made when necessary to minimize impacts during major local events at TD Garden, Fenway Park, or during the FIFA World Cup and 250th anniversary celebrations scheduled for this summer.

Additional changes may be made without notice due to weather.

Transportation officials have not specified when the closures will end.

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Bryan Hecht can be reached at bryan.hecht@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @bhechtjournalism.





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Ole Miss softball to play Boston in NCAA tournament Lubbock Regional

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Ole Miss softball to play Boston in NCAA tournament Lubbock Regional


This story has been updated with new information

OXFORD — Ole Miss softball is back in the NCAA Tournament after making the Women’s College World Series a season ago.

The Rebels (34-24) will play Boston (46-13) on May 15 (1 p.m. CT, ESPNU) in the Lubbock Regional. Ole Miss is the No. 2 seed in the regional, and Boston is the No. 3.

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Texas Tech (52-6), the No. 11 overall seed and regional host, will face No. 4 Marist (37-19).

The Rebels went 6-18 in SEC play this season, and have a largely new-look roster from the team that made the WCWS last season.

Ole Miss beat South Carolina and Tennessee in the SEC Tournament to improve its seed.

Freshman Madi George has burst onto the scene in the SEC. The first-year infielder leads Ole Miss with a .385 batting average. She has a team-high 21 home runs and 58 RBIs.

Seniors Emilee Boyer (3.86 ERA), Kyra Aycock (3.97 ERA) and junior Lily Whitten (3.04 ERA) are the primary options in the circle for coach Jamie Trachsel.

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Trachsel is in her sixth season leading the Ole Miss program. She led the Rebels to their first WCWS appearance in program history in 2025.

What to know about Boston, Texas Tech and Marist in Lubbock Regional

Boston entered the Patriot League Tournament as the top seed and the Terriers delivered. Boston beat No. 2 Colgate 12-1, becoming the second team in Patriot League history to four-peat as conference champions. Boston is on a 12-game winning streak. Kylie Doherty leads the team with a .396 batting average and 26 home runs.

Texas Tech made the 2025 WCWS championship series, losing to Texas in three games.

Texas Tech lost just three Big 12 games this season but lost in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. The Red Raiders are a strong threat to get to the WCWS again. There are four Texas Tech batters hitting over .400. Star pitcher NiJaree Canady leads the Red Raiders with a 1.24 ERA. She has 209 strikeouts.

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Marist plays in the MAAC and won the conference tournament. Marist split a two-game series against South Carolina early in the season. Ava Metzger (12-3, 2.51 ERA) and Peyton Pusey (.404 batting average) lead the team.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_



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‘This is really just the start of it all’: Mojo Boston makes splashy debut at City Hall Plaza – The Boston Globe

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‘This is really just the start of it all’: Mojo Boston makes splashy debut at City Hall Plaza – The Boston Globe


Attendees held umbrellas as The Bends performed at Mojo Boston on Saturday.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

Mojo, a music brand and concert organizer, was founded in 2021 by Charley Blacker, Alex Parker, and Emily Donovan while they were students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The trio of friends decided to create Mojo out of their shared love for music and house shows.

“We saw there were so many local musicians that were so talented, but they didn’t have the platform we thought they really deserved,” Blacker told the Globe during Saturday’s festivities. “So we thought if we could do the behind-the-scenes work of organizing photographers and [provide] a social media platform, we could give these musicians the platform they deserve.”

Attendees danced as The Bends performed at Mojo Boston on Saturday.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

Five years later, the team behind Mojo is sticking to their mission, tackling their biggest venue yet with this weekend’s event at City Hall Plaza, which previously served as the original location for Boston Calling before it moved to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston. Boston Calling announced last year that it is taking a one-year hiatus in 2026, with plans to return in 2027.

In addition to getting the chance to work on such a big event with his best friends, Blacker hopes Mojo Boston can help “lead to a lot more opportunities for local music.”

People browsed food vendors at Mojo Boston on Saturday.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

There was a wide range of genres represented at Saturday’s event, from the pop-rock stylings of The Bends to house and garage music from DJ AC Slater. Prior to the Boston debut, Mojo brought a festival to Pennsylvania’s Happy Valley in April and returned to Amherst later that month to host another event.

Mojo Boston attendees and former UMass Amherst students Emily Bowler and Max Debeau have been familiar with Mojo since its inception, watching the organization go from hosting basement shows to full scale music festivals. Debeau noted how many of the acts at Saturday’s event have worked with Mojo in the past, performing at UMass and other shows around the Bay State.

“To see it all come together has been great,” Debeau said. “This is the stage that they all deserve.”

“It’s crazy how quickly they were able to erect something so amazing,” Bowler added.

Amanda Giroux danced away from the stage while The Bends performed at Mojo Boston on Saturday.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

Formed in New Bedford, the band Autumn Drive was one of 18 acts that performed at Mojo Boston, and they are no strangers to a Mojo show.

“We’ve done, I think, every single Mojo that there is, so we’re very tight with them,” said guitarist and singer Charlie Gamache. “When we found out they were doing a big festival [in Boston], I was like, ‘We want in no matter what.’”

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The band emphasized how much their relationship with Mojo has meant to them over the years, with Autumn Drive drummer Joe Gauvin praising the organization for “always putting us in front of a crowd that’s there to see music and hear us.”

Michael Asulin, of Stoughton, and Jackie Ludicke, of Miami, Fla., talked while wearing ponchos at Mojo Boston on Saturday.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

From a makeshift stage out of wooden pallets in his basement to Boston’s City Hall Plaza, Blacker is is proud of Mojo’s success and is already looking ahead at what’s to come.

“This is really just the start of it all,” said Blacker. “We have very lofty ambitions and goals, and we have nothing but confidence in our ability to accomplish everything we set out to do.”


Gitana Savage can be reached at gitana.savage@globe.com. Follow her on X @gitana_savage.





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