Real Weddings :: Laura & Mary a.k.a. Hurricane Matthew Outdoor Wedding Fun

This weekend we had the pleasure of coordinating a wedding we’ve been planning for several months.

Laura & Mary came to us to assist with managing their wedding planning so they could focus on the process of relocating to North Carolina from DC. The couple expressed wanting a fall themed celebration full of acorns (a favorite of Laura!), harvest colors, themes and comforting good food.

Their vision of a tented backyard wedding at a private residence in Apex, NC, right outside of Raleigh was picturesque and perfect. But one week prior to the wedding, the news was full of reports monitoring a hurricane system that was headed in the general direction of the wedding location.

Cargo & Co. Events met with the couple 2 days before the wedding to discuss possible Plan B options and ultimately opted to stay the course as the weather reports had reduced the hurricane to a rain event. Here’s the breakdown of what occurred the day of the wedding.

Saturday Morning:

9:30am - Cargo & Co. Events visits the tent, checks on rental deliveries (Tent’s OK considering the rain!)

12:30pm - Frantic call from the bride’s sister on location—The tent is flooding!

1:15pm - Cargo & Co Events Heads to the Tent Company’s Office. They are in the dark (power’s out) and are now advising not to use the tent as the weather forecast has changed will be worse!

1:30pm - Cargo & Co. Events braves backroad flooding to arrive at the tent location, contacts a backup venue (they are open!) and advise the couple of the need to move the wedding

2pm - Instructions given to Caterer, Photographer and DJ to head to the new place

SET UP Madness Ensues

5pm - Wedding Ceremony Occurs!! YAY

5:30pm - Backup Venue loses power NOOOOO! *Scrambles for flashlights, candles and a generator

Couple signs marriage certificate by flashlight!

6pm-10pm - Dinner, Wine flowing, Dancing in the Dark with DJ on generator

FIN!

We would be remiss if we didn’t give EXTREME THANKS to all that helped during this Hurricane Matthew craziness. Thanks to Erin, our intern/event assistant who’s car battery died after she trooped out in the rain to assist!

Thanks to Grand Rental Station, American Party Rentals, Nine 19 Photography, DJ Paradime (David you always ROCK!), Durham Catering (you went WAY above and BEYOND!), Officiant Angela Coulter, Doyle’s Vineyard and MOST OF ALL Laura & Mary for their patience, flexibility and ability to trust us when we had to make snap decisions on their behalf in extreme weather!