Last-minute dream wedding for Irma evacuees
HIRAM, Ga. - The Atlanta community came together to help out a couple who was forced to evacuate coastal Georgia the day before their Jekyll Island wedding. It was all because of Star 94.1's The Jeff & Jenn Show.
On Sunday, Tori Olmstead and Nick Rhodes both said "I do" during a beautiful ceremony in Hiram. They were thrown a fairytale wedding at The Cotton Gin at Mill Creek, where they were surrounded by incredible floral arrangements, dreamy decorations and all of their closest family and friends.
You would never know the entire thing came together in just one hour.
"It was absolutely incredible," Tori told FOX 5's Katie Muse Wednesday morning. "We honestly don't have words. It was seriously more than we had ever dreamed of."
Last week, Tori and Nick were devastated after Hurricane Irma forced them to cancel their Jekyll Island wedding, which they had been planning for nearly a year.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time they were faced with devastating news related to a natural disaster. In 2011, while Nick was earning his Ph.D. in Tuscaloosa, an EF4 tornado ripped through the city and they lost everything they owned. Then, last October, Hurricane Matthew forced them to evacuate their brand new Saint Simons Island home two days after Nick proposed.
So, when they learned they would once again have to leave their home due to another hurricane, Tori said she completely lost it. That's when some of her bridesmaids came to the rescue and reached out to Star 94.1's Jeff Dauler.
Dauler told his radio co-host Jenn Hobby, and last Friday morning they turned to their Jeff & Jenn Show listeners in hopes of saving the couple's wedding.
Calls instantly started pouring in with people wanting to help out and about one hour later, the entire wedding was planned. Everything from the florist, the caterer, to the venue, and even a photo booth!
MORE: Atlanta radio show helps plan last-minute wedding for Irma evacuees
"While it's very sad, your story was so inspiring and resonated with so many people," Dauler told the bride while on the air last week. "Your entire wedding has been taken care of by The Jeff & Jenn Show family."
Tori said Amanda at Cotton Gin looked at her wedding board on Pinterest and literally made her vision come to life. Everything was completely taken care of. The only items the couple brought included a handmade guest book and pictures of loved ones who have passed away for a memory wall.
"Most everything was donated," Tori said.
That included stunning photos taken by Ashley Upchurch with Sage and Cedar Photography, catering and floral arrangements by Southern Peach Events, Videography courtesy of ICG Films, new invites and other paper items from Paper Daisies and a DJ from Premier Entertainment Atlanta.
Tori said she and Nick are very grateful, and never imagined anything like this.
"We never asked for this, we were willing to get married in somebody's backyard. We just wanted to be married to each other," she said.
Tori said during the ceremony, they were moved after the minister asked the attendees if they promised to support and lift up the couple, and they all responded, "we will."
"It was moving because that was already what all of our friends had done and what our beloved city had done," Tori said. "We miss living in Atlanta, and this makes us miss it more!"
Last week, Hobby described the act of kindness as, "Southern hospitality at its finest."
The newlyweds are now preparing to go home to Brunswick.
"We're not sure when we will be let back in. Our honeymoon was canceled, so we have nothing to do but get home and help any neighbors with any damage," Tori said. "From what neighbors have said, our house may be okay."