In what can only be described as a unique way to start the new year, Janeen Bailey and Steve Smith chose to exchange vows amid the chilly waters of Barton Springs Pool's New Year polar bear plunge in Austin, Texas. Shrouded in decades of a love story that saw them part ways and later reconnect, the couple waited not with swim trunks, but wedding attire this year, as reported by KXAN. Their ceremonial leap into matrimony marked the culmination of a romance rekindled at the same event in 2015.
Joining the newlyweds were hundreds of intrepid Austinites diving into the New Year with a splash. Despite the forecast high for the day only creeping into the 50s, participants braved the spring-fed pool's 70-degree waters. According to FOX 7 Austin, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson described the plunge as a gutsy goodbye to the past year.
At the site of their romantic reunion, Bailey and Smith immersed themselves in not just the crystalline waters but also in the shared experience with friends and strangers alike. “I will cry,” Bailey told KXAN, expressing gratitude for the support received on their special day.
