No need for nixed nuptials thanks to Metro generosity
Halifax couple amazed at help after floods in Fredericton threatened their wedding day
It may not have been the storybook wedding many young girls dream about, but the generosity of some Moncton businesses made for a truly unique matrimonial experience for a Halifax couple yesterday.
Autumn Hanniman and Travis Forsyth's plans were quite literally sent awash as a result of the ongoing flooding of the St. John River in Fredericton.
The couple was set to be married yesterday in Fredericton, but received distressing news from Service New Brunswick that their wedding plans would likely have to be cancelled due to the flooding in the area.
"We tried to plan a quiet, quick elopement and get away and it flipped around upside down on us," Hanniman said.
The couple, who met 22 years ago as a pair of 10-year-olds, had picked Fredericton as a location because "there was no one there that we knew." They decided the small-scale wedding consisting of only a handful of their closest friends would not be postponed.
The next morning, Hanniman made a quick call to the Service New Brunswick office in Moncton and before she knew it they were in the car on the way to Hub City "literally making phone calls to plan along the way."
After arriving in Moncton and securing a marriage license and reverend, the couple then arrived at Lutes Florals on Mountain Road, only 20 minutes before closing time on the eve of the wedding.
"You just try to make things happen for people in this type of circumstance. To me it's a wonderful true human interest story," said Betty Shorey, store manager at Lutes Floral who was glad to offer the flowers for the wedding -- free of charge. "You're just doing it for goodwill and to add to that story that she one day will be able to tell her children. That's what pushed me forward to do it."
Right next door, the bride-to-be stopped by Moka Spa and Salon, where they were also more than happy to accept the bride for last-minute hair and makeup, also free of charge, unbeknownst to Hanniman.
"We had an opening and we were very happy to get her in as quickly as possible. My staff was all on board and said 'lets help her out, lets get together and do this.' We were very excited for her," said spa owner Lori Maniex. "We thought it would just be a nice gift after everything she'd gone through."
In addition to flowers, hair and makeup, local business Kandy Kafe also donated a candy arrangement to the wedding, Delta Beauséjour provided the location for the wedding and Holiday Inn Express gave the couple a suite for their stay. Only hours before the ceremony yesterday, a surprisingly relaxed Hanniman reflected on the generosity that allowed this wedding to come together on the original date.
"Everybody has been so amazing, that's the most important thing. We didn't even know where to start, but one thing led to another, led to another," she said.
Although she admits Moncton wasn't originally on their list as a possible location, she concedes they might now have to come back every year for their anniversary.
"It's not about the wedding, it's really about the marriage and that's the most important thing. For us we were determined -- we had picked May 2 and we had talked about May 2 for four months and we thought May 2 it's going to be," she said. "My four months of planning went out the door in about two hours and got pulled back together in twelve hours -- thanks to Monctonians."
And with such an impromptu wedding in Hub City, the question begs asking -- What lies in store for the honeymoon?
"We might have to keep that top secret," Hanniman joked. "We really don't have a plan and that's the whole plan. We didn't have a plan because we didn't want a plan. No schedule, nowhere to be."
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