A couple in England reworked their wedding plans and got married by candlelight after Storm Eunice knocked out the power to their venue.
Johanna Harrison-Oram put out an “impossible request” on Twitter asking if anyone in Devon or Somerset had a generator available to power her wedding to her partner Sam. Her tweet gained traction and was retweeted more than 2,000 times.
“Our wedding venue is without electricity, power, or water and 87 guests were sent to other hotels last night,” she wrote. “Power not being restored until at least 6pm.”
The BBC reported that thousands of people lost power in several counties, and various regions were flooded following the major storm late last week.
Harrison-Oram provided an update the following day on Twitter and said in addition to the venue not having power, the church also did not have power.
“A generator was found but there were issues in getting it connected,” she explained.
The couple ultimately got married by candlelight, and Harrison-Oram noted that the wedding party searched for an alternative venue. While there was no power available, there was, at least, running water.
“We were surrounded by so many people that we love and everyone was so supportive,” she wrote.
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People were urged to stay at home as high winds from the devastating storm led to school closures and flight cancellations. The storm also claimed the lives of several people. A number of people have been injured as well.
Per the BBC, hundreds of schools closed throughout Wales and affected areas of England. Several bridges were closed and more than 400 flights from or within the United Kingdom were canceled, per Cirium, an analytic firm. Fallen trees blocked roads and train cancellations and speed limits were put into effect.
The couple spoke with BBC Breakfast about their wedding experience.
Harrison-Oram said they knew the ceremony would move forward and said it was “beautiful.”
“We had bridesmaids and groomsmen in the wedding party running around passing mobile phones, making it possible Saturday morning,” she said.
She continued and said that she knew the ceremony would be “wonderful,” but did think there would be people who may not be able to attend.
“Everything that we planned just happened completely differently,” Harrison-Oram said.
While the day did not go exactly as planned, the newly-married couple did have a chance to have their first dance together before the ceremony ended.
Newsweek reached out to Johanna Harrison-Oram for further comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
Another couple celebrated a memorable wedding in the middle of a “historic” blizzard.
Newsweek previously reported that Sally and Adam Irujo were snowed into their hotel in Providence, Rhode Island, but decided to move forward with exchanging their vows at the Providence Public Library.