Elizabeth and Jake Landuyt said their wedding day was like something out of a dream, that is until the unthinkable happened.
When her father was giving his speech at the reception, a few moments in some guests interrupted him, CBS News reported Tuesday.
The cottage next door to the wedding venue located on Mackinac Island, Michigan, had caught on fire and everyone was forced to evacuate, meaning the couple also needed to leave the reception.
“I didn’t know where we were going,” Jake recalled, adding, “I just figured we had to walk away from that.”
“So we just started heading toward the church,” Elizabeth explained.
Photos showed firefighters working to put out the flames:
Inside the church where they were married, the couple prayed earnestly for everyone’s safety. Thankfully, no one was injured and the building was eventually saved.
But little did the couple know that outside, neighbors had joined forces to help save their special day.
The venue’s chef took the 120 meals, that were only halfway prepared, and told his staff to take them to the restaurant next door.
“We just ran with it,” a staff member noted. “We just cooked it, sauced it and off down the street it went,” another added.
They served the food at a resort with space available and whatever they lacked, another nearby restaurant provided.
Mackinac Island does not have cars, therefore, everything had to be done without their assistance while relying on the kindness and hospitality of strangers.
A bellhop stepped up to bartend, and a woman walking down the street carried a box full of flowers. It took less than one hour for things to get back on schedule.
“To have them pick up the reception out of ashes, in a very literal sense, made the wedding better than we ever could have imagined and one that, while we don’t necessarily recommend, it’s a day and an experience that we’ll cherish forever,” Jake concluded.