Imagine this: 19 days before your wedding, a tornado destroys your venue! That's exactly what happened to Julia and Michael. They had to find a new venue -- then notify guests and vendors -- with very little time to spare. Talk about testing a marriage, before it even begins! But there's a happy ending -- I'll explain (and share some photos) in this blog post.
August 22: Julia and Michael get an unfortunate piece of news. Their venue, Greenhouse Gala in Waterville, was hit by a tornado. The twister ripped the roof from the building. The manager told them there was no way repairs could be complete in time. A full refund was helpful, but having just 19 days to find a new location... what would you do? Adding to the challenge, Julia and Michael live over 3 hours away. Luckily, they both grew up here, so their parents were able to help with making calls and site visits.
What if they couldn't find any venues for the same date? Would guests still be available for a different date? Would other vendors like the photographers, the caterers and I still be available? Luckily, those questions never had to be answered. Upon hearing about Greenhouse Gala's predicament, The 1917 Ranch in Richfield Springs suspended its "one wedding per month" policy. When Julia and Michael found out, their mothers made a visit and it was a done deal. In the end, the location was the only change. The date, the schedule and everything else remained as originally planned!
September 10: Wedding day. Everything ran smoothly! If guests didn't have to be notified about the move, they probably wouldn't have even known the entire wedding was (literally) torn apart, moved 20 miles and flawlessly put back together, all in less than three weeks.
Key Wedding Song Selections
- Ceremony Processional: Boden, Sweeney & Coleman/How Long Will I Love You
- Ceremony Bridal Entrance: Wedding March (traditional, violin version)
- Ceremony Recessional: Boden, Sweeney & Coleman/How Long Will I Love You
- Wedding Party Intros: Walk the Moon / Shut Up and Dance
- First Dance: Dan & Shay / From the Ground Up
- Bride / Grandfather Dance: Tim McGraw / My Little Girl
- Groom / Mother Dance: Rascal Flatts / My Wish
- Bouquet Toss: Beyonce / Single Ladies
- Cake Cutting: Maroon 5 / Sugar
- Last Dance of the Night for Everyone: Lifehouse / Hanging by a Moment
Photo Gallery
Here are just some of the photos I snapped -- click the blue button at the bottom to see 16 more and like/share/tag them all on Facebook!
Click any photo below for a larger version.
I'm so glad everything worked out for Julia and Michael. The 1917 Ranch provided a great setting for the celebration and it seems everyone had a great time. Thanks for selecting me as your wedding DJ! You'll definitely have a memorable wedding story to recount with friends and family for many years to come.