More than a wedding - a story of community after Hurricane Irene

I donated this video to the couple, here's the story and the video.

This was an extraordinary wedding. On August 28th life changed for the people of Pittsfield Vermont. Tropical storm Irene struck hard, it destroyed 9 homes in a town of 427 people, and it cut off the roads completely to the north and the south. Pittsfield was an island, with no power and no phone service. But something amazing and beautiful happened. The community grew. Whatever you needed, someone had for you. A makeshift medical clinic was set up in the library, food and water distribution in the Volunteer Firehouse, freezer emptying cook outs on the green, and a makeshift school and soccer games for the kids. Bicycles and ATVs replaced cars for transportation, and hugs replaced nods as the standard greeting in town.

Brian and Del'Rae had been planning their wedding for over a year. Two weeks after the floods things were getting better around town, but travel was still very difficult and both Brian and Del'Rae seemed to spending all their free time helping out their neighbors. This is where the wedding got special. They decided to hold the wedding in Pittsfield, instead of in a neighboring town as they had originally planned. So the church where morning town informational meetings had been held would hold the wedding ceremony. Sharon Mayer, an event planner at Killington, volunteered to help them get organized. Riverside Farm (who had postponed an out of town wedding due to the flood) donated space in their beautiful wedding barn. The drinks were served by the folks from the Clear River Tavern (Jason, who had been manning cook outs on the green and Doug, who had been busy with his duties as town constable). Food was provided by the Swiss Farm Inn. Flowers were provided by the Pittsfield Garden Center. And many other folks stepped up to help out. I did what I do, I donated a wedding video.

When you watch the video you'll see Brian and Del'Rae unloading and handing out supplies, you'll see a little of the flood, you'll see the National Guard passing through, you'll see our neighbor Ottell sending the couple off with an old fire horn from the PVFD, you'll see a lot of love and celebration, and finally you'll see the town of Pittsfield sign that was washed away and recovered.

Brian and Del'Rae married on Vimeo

[Kris Richardson]

I love this Marion. I'm not too far from you, in NH, so I know first hand the devastation that Irene caused. This is a great story, very well done!!

Kris

[Marion Abrams]

Thanks Kris- not a lot of people are aware of the damage.

For those who haven't watched the video yet, it's not depressing it's joyful. Only the first 15 or so seconds are flood footage.