TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A Tampa Bay Fed-Ex worker was recently hailed a hero for helping a bride before her big day.

Pick-up and delivery manager Anthony Carvajal learned a custom-made wedding dress was not going to reach a local bride in time for her wedding day. It was scheduled to arrive to her on a Monday, following her Saturday vows.

Carvajal said he received multiple calls from the bride, the groom and the rest of the wedding party, as well as the shipper of the wedding dress to describe the situation and let him know what was happening…the exact day of the wedding.

Staffing at the company was limited, as it was a Saturday, but Carvajal launched into action and tracked down the dress. He learned it was packed in a truck parked in the FedEx Ground yard.

“My initial thought was, obviously after hearing, ‘hey the customer called and let me know about the wedding and the contents of the package being her dress,’ at that point, I noticed I have to do something, I have to exhaust all options because she’s getting married [Saturday] and she can’t get married without her dress,” Carvajal explained.

He jumped into action with the tracking ID for the bride’s order and determined what trailer the package was assigned to. He found the specific truck in their lawn outside and began to search by hand, package by package, checking the address of each box he looked through.

Carvajal said it took him about three to four hours to search the trailer, but he called the groom immediately upon finding the package for him to pick it up.

“I was going to do everything I could, even if it meant staying later, I was going to find that package that day,” Carvajal said. “I don’t know what she would’ve done if I hadn’t found that package, but I wasn’t going to let that be an option.” 

Carvajal will receive FedEx’s “Purple Promise” award this month. The award acknowledges employees who go above and beyond in providing service to customers who “exemplify the ‘Purple Promise,’ that ‘I will make every FedEx experience outstanding.'”

He said the reward caught him by surprise.

“I’m deeply humbled by it, I’m very appreciative of it….I knew in that moment there was nothing more outstanding to that customer, to her specific, to be able to produce her dress and that she could continue with her wedding day,” he said.

“This was just part of my job and I’m glad I was able to do this for that couple.”