Wedding preparations went smoothly for Oregon couple April and Michael Wolber, and once their wedding day arrived, it seemed that everything would go according to plan. Except, of course, for the enormous wildfire that was building strength and heading straight for them.
The Two Bulls wildfire was rapidly approaching and they were in danger of losing their dream wedding.
April and Michael Wolber chose a special location for their nuptials, the Rock Springs Ranch just outside Bend, Oregon — a spot that just felt like, to them, “our place.”
The wedding party was actually in place and the groom was waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle, but instead, a fire truck roared up, sirens wailing, and evacuation seemed imminent. Disappointment wound its way through the group as they contemplated what moving the wedding party really meant.
That’s when love saved the day. The parents of the couple begged the firefighters to allow them to complete a quick ceremony, and Michael turned to the pastor and told her that he had to marry his bride on this day in this location.
Fortunately, they were allowed to do a speedy wedding before hastening off to the backup reception location.
The photographs their wedding photographer, Josh Newton, snapped of the couple with a raging wildfire in the background are exquisitely timeless. And while this was not the wedding the couple had in mind when they were arranging the big day, they were able to roll with a very unexpected situation and turn their wedding into something memorable.
Weddings take immense planning, and so many things can go wrong at the last minute to turn those plans upside down, whether it’s foul weather, illness or someone forgets to show up. The Wolbers were determined to have a beautiful wedding and took circumstances out of their control — a dangerous wildfire — and turned it into something positive. They stuck to their commitment even though the environment wasn’t ideal, and they may have an even more fascinating wedding story to show for it.
Life does not always go according to plan, and being able to work through obstacles is a trademark of the most successful couples. What mattered most to April and Michael Wolber was their wedding, their day and their marriage. And love found a way to make it happen.
More about marriage and relationships
The proposal that took four years, 26 countries and lip-synching
What to buy your husband for Father’s Day
8 Relationship challenges only Type A personalities understand
Leave a Comment