Human Interest

Couple Marries in Hospital to Honor Groom's 100-Year-Old Grandmother: 'This Was Just for Her'

Sky Howard and Clay Cameron had an unofficial wedding ceremony in Charlotte Bussard's hospital room

Published on June 21, 2019 01:19 PM

Sky Howard and Clay Cameron got married at the hospital in May so that Clay's 100YO grandma could be involved. — Photo: Amy Taylor with A Taylored Image

Sky Howard and Clay Cameron plan to tie the knot on New Year’s Eve 2020. But the couple had no problem putting on an extra special mock ceremony months earlier for Cameron’s 100-year-old grandmother, Charlotte Bussard.

Bussard, born in November 1918, was able to see Cameron marry on May 29 in an unofficial ceremony in her room at Hemphill County Hospital in Canadian, Texas, the couple told Good Morning America.

“She’s the matriarch of that family,” Howard told GMA. “Her health declined pretty rapidly and she was put in hospice. That worried us. We didn’t want her to miss that moment.”

Fearing that Bussard may miss the actual wedding, the couple brought the ceremony to her. Howard wore a wedding gown and Cameron sported a suit and cowboy hat to recite their vows in front of the centenarian.

“Everyone in the room was warm and happy,” photographer Amy Taylor (of A Taylored Image) told GMA. “The way she was looking at Sky and Clay was amazing.”

Howard and Cameron enlisted the help of Dr. Frederick, a physician at the hospital and close family friend, to officiate the wedding, although he’s not an ordained minister, according to Yahoo! Lifestyle.

It was just the four of them in the room, with Howard’s three children and Clay’s son staying home.

“Her condition was pretty frail. We didn’t want to bombard her with a bunch of people,” Howard told Yahoo. “This was just for her.”

While keeping the early wedding a secret, the couple took two days to prepare the surprise, according to Yahoo.

Howard told the site that the family initially expected Bussard to live to their wedding day, but “her health started going downhill.” The mock wedding seemed to be just fine for her.

“They got her dressed, and she got to see Clay dressed up,” Howard said. “She likes to see her grandsons dressed up. He was wearing his coat and hat — she was really excited!”

Taylor shared photos of the ceremony in a Facebook post, drawing comments from social media users everywhere.

“[One hundred] years of life,” she wrote in the post. “I’m sure many blessings, including watching her grandson, Clay make vows to his soon to be bride, Sky, at the end of this year… since the truth of it is.. we aren’t promised tomorrow but I’m betting she’s made the most of her days.”