HOUSTON – A Houston-area woman has made a remarkable recovery after being injured in the Boston Marathon bombing a year ago.
Local 2 has been following Rebekah Gregory Dimartino's progress after undergoing surgeries to save her leg, to her surprise engagement and now her fairy tale wedding.
It is every girl's dream to get married in a castle, but the main attraction on the big day won't be the huge estate -- it will be Rebekah and Pete's wedding.
There was angelic music and the pedals of cherry blossoms showering the wedding.
But to appreciate this storybook ending, you have to turn back the pages to a chapter in history the couple and the rest of the world will never forget -- the 2013 Boston Marathon.
"April 15 was the best and worst days of our lives," said Rebekah.
Just feet from the finish line Rebekah, her son, Noah, and then-boyfriend, Pete, were injured. Her leg was shattered, but her spirit, just like the phrase on her bracelet, remained strong.
The last year was not picture perfect, as Rebekah spent 52 days in the hospital and had 20 surgeries. But during her recovery, to her surprise, there was also an engagement.
Months later, viewers watched her transition from a wheelchair to standing on her own, and then standing inside of the famous Kleinfelds dress shop in New York City, for a reality TV show, looking for the perfect white dress.
"My mom was crying and I was crying, and I was like, 'This is the dress. I know this is the dress,'" said Rebekah.
Ultimately, America got the chance to say "Yes to the Dress." The wedding website, The Knot, picked the couple for their dream wedding and allowed readers to vote on dresses, the cake, rings, theme and venue, which turned out to be the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.
Through all of the wedding frenzy, there was one thing Rebekah was hoping for.
"I'm excited for her and I know she really wants to walk down the aisle when we get married," said Pete.
On her special day, staring into the eyes of the man she loves, that's exactly what she did. As the rain came down, so did the tears.
"That brought tears to my eyes," said family friend Ross Mueller. "Don't tell Pete."
"We truly could not have gotten through it without you guys, and for the first time today I was able to walk down the aisle," said Rebekah.
"I think that she's selfless, very strong, kind-hearted," said Pete.
Rebekah said where evil tried to knock her down, God has kept her standing. In a recent interview for Glamour magazine, she said, "This whole situation has made me appreciate myself and us more than ever... I've got huge scars but at the same time every time I notice them, I think... 'I'm a survivor.'"
From the flowers, to the first dance, and first kiss as husband and wife, it was truly a day to remember.