In April of 2014 when Lars and I booked the venue, we knew we could have some fires in the area. I've been visiting Chelan every year in the summer since before I was born and I was aware of the dry and dusty conditions. However, it was our dream wedding location and even if there was a fire, we didn't think it would impact the wedding. Our venue owner in Manson was very confident that the weather would be in our favor, and so were we.
Weeks before the wedding, the Wolverine Fire was all over the news. 30,000 acres huge and no signs of stopping, I began to worry that the smoke would travel down the lake and make it hard to breathe for our guests. The Friday before we left our venue owner emailed to say that everything was normal where he was. Some smoke present in the day, but around 3pm the wind would blow it away and everything looked great. The Wolverine Fire was and is very far north and on the other side of the lake from the venue, and no one seemed to have any concern that it would reach us. I took some breaths and began packing for the week of vacation, trying to tell myself that people who live in Chelan know better than I do.
Lars and I decided to front load wedding week, meaning instead of taking vacation after the wedding we took the week before it off. We rented a beautiful and spacious house on the Columbia River in Orando for all of our wedding party to gather. We had people from Denver, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Half Moon Bay and good ol Seattle all breaking their necks to be there, and I could never be more thankful. It was truly some of the best days I've ever had. #teambride has seriously the most amazing people I've ever known. We laughed, we drank, we drank some more and we just caught up with each other.
We went into town on Thursday to play putt-putt and swim and catch up with some friends who came into town early for the wedding. A little hazy in the air but overall still hot and sunny. Weather wise, things seemed to be looking up.
Friday morning I wanted to take my photographer Joya and newly crowned assistant Katie to brunch at one of my favorite places in Manson, Blueberry Hills. I stop in Chelan to fill the car with gas, and directly across from me on the hill is a line of rolling flames, heading down the hill towards businesses and homes. I call Lars immediately to give an update, I send a picture. I go into the Safeway to pay for the 100 cupcakes to be picked up the next day and I call my dad to tell him what I'm seeing directly across from me on the hill. The flames look small, everything will be fine; I try to tell myself as I drive to brunch.
We have brunch, we make jokes about the flames and obvious wedding themes I'm missing, and we reassure me that it's going to be fine. I head home.
The flames are still moving and have no intention of shrinking in size. I get home and I jump right into bed to cry to Lars "This wedding is going to be so bad." The smoke would surely bother people, and that would be the talking point at every table, and ultimately it was MY fault for gathering everyone in the middle of a fire. I get up from my nap, run into my Woman Of Honor Beth's room and sob about the Chelan Butte Fire that might stop this wedding. Of course, she says calmly that everything is going to be okay.
My family comes to see the house, I cry more. They know I'm stressed about the fire and I'm a perfectionist with a side of OCD and all I want is everything to go off without a hitch. They tell me to relax, and so I try.
We leave the house at 2pm to arrive at the venue at 3pm for photos and a rehearsal and some dinner. To get to Chelan, we had been driving through Chelan Falls, a smaller highway that took us 20 minutes to get to town as opposed to driving all the way back to Wenatchee and up the other side of the river which takes 1+ hour to get to Chelan. We pile in and head out, and upon coming into town we are engulfed in huge black smoke; the Chelan Butte fire had grown massively since the morning, and was now visible driving through town down backstreets and unbelievably close to homes and businesses. I spent most of the drive to Manson looking out the window and saying "oh no no no no no"
Chelan was covered in flames and smoke.
We got to the venue. #teambride says "We are here now, so lets just worry about one thing at at time. Get your dress on and lets take some photos!" Despite my actual crippling fear, I did. We took some beautiful photos. I can't even wait to see them. We finished our photos around 5 and began to gather everyone for a rehearsal of the wedding. I take a moment and look back towards town. Across the lake from us, near Lake Chelan State Park another large cloud of black smoke, signaling another fire was moving up into the air around us. We find the venue owner who informs us that all of the valley has lost power. We have no power. The fire was now called "The Reach Complex" and had flare ups on every side of the lake. We were going to make the best of it, and continued with the rehearsal.
We did two run through's, my dad forgot to come back up the aisle and get me, and we all laughed. We ate dinner and I tried not to panic. We were going to have a wedding tomorrow, and that was it.
We cleaned up and got out of the venue before we couldn't use the daylight to see anymore. As a preventative action we left all of our formal wear at the venue. We head home, all in silence listening to the radio tell us what roads are closed and what we need to do. We hear our back road is open, so we head that way to see if we can sneak through the flames.
Downtown chelan is covered in a thick smoke. Our back road is closed, and I see flames behind peoples homes, getting ready to engulf them. We drive towards the other side of town, to get back to Wenatchee to drive up the other side of the river to get to Orando. We pass the waterslide park only to see a huge row of flames on top of it. We pull over to make sure all of our cars are together and everyone is safe. Directly across the two-lane road, flames are burning towards me. We are standing directly across from a huge destructive fire. We need to get out of town, so we all pile back into the cars and head towards Wenatchee. Anne has taken over driving as I'm having a meltdown. We ride in silence.
We finally get through Wenatchee and over to the other side of the river, anticipating an arrival home where we can all be together and all be safe, and there's a road block. Road closed, miles before our house. We pull over at a gas station right next to the blockade and I jump out of the car, almost immediately crying and call Lars to tell him "we can't get home." Passersby getting gas tell two of us that "Everything is gone, you can't get through" but Beth and Anne decide to run up and ask the blockade men themselves what's happening. They arrive back to the car to say "get in we are going through"
The fire is no where near the house, but they are trying to limit traffic who want to get to the end of this highway and turn around. The bridge is unsafe, the fire was moved and no one can go that far on the road. We make it to the blockade, tell them where we live and hand them a huge plate of cupcakes. The firefighter smiles and is friendly and helpful. We trek home.
We finally all make it home, Friday night, the night of my 24th birthday and I am dead on the inside. I get a call from friends staying in town. They've been evacuated and need a place to stay, I tell them to get their butts over here, as the more people around, the better we all feel. Other friends went back to the westside entirely, barely escaping the fire.
They arrive, share videos of trying to buy beer in a pitch black safeway, and we laugh. We all feel as though we've just escaped the end of the world. We fill jugs with water in case we need to leave, we all charge our cell phones. We are all here, we are all safe, and tomorrow is a new day.
I get in bed. Lars says "In the morning, it will be better." I'm skeptical. My parents have no power. No cell phone service in town except verizon. Telephone poles have been destroyed, no way of getting in touch with anyone except my dad. I try to convince myself that tomorrow the fires will be done. We will still get married tomorrow as planned.
I wake up on 8/15/15, our wedding day at 9am. Roads are still closed, evacuations still happening, no power in the valley. I wake Lars up, "we might need to move the venue" I say casually, as he looks like I just told him we should go to the moon. "I just think it would be easier to stop guests at Wenatchee than to try to get them all into the smoke ridden valley that has no power." I call a favorite destination in Wenatchee to just see if they have availability to have a wedding. They already have one booked, another couple in the same position. I check roads again, the back up way out of town is now in jeopardy, opening and closing periodically.
Before I know it, the wedding party team is fully assembled and calling venues all over Wenatchee trying to find a place to host us. We've got 3 "I'm ready right now" locations, and after looking at photos and hearing about the couple who owns it, we decide on Warm Springs Inn and Winery. They are ready when we are. We officially decide to spread the word. Phones are being passed from ear to ear, talking to our DJ, the venue, our parents, our friends.
Moments after deciding, an earlier email comes through, our caterer is pulling out- the air quality is too bad to get anyone out there. They arrived at the venue at 730 am to begin cooking- no one was there. We call back and explain that no one would have been there at 730 even if we were getting married there, we couldn't be at the venue until 10 at the earliest, and there was no onsite cooking; both things we had explained many times before this day. He says he is heading back to Everett, even though is business was, according to the info we were given, based out of Wenatchee. Beth gives him the new location and we assume he's handling it.
We pack up, finish painting signs, send our two friends who are just wedding guests to be the first ones at the venue to set up. Our old venue owner drives our clothes into town, finds all of our parents (who have no phone service so we can't reach them) to tell them what's going on. An unbelievably nice and courteous thing to do, as we were no longer his problem.
We get to the venue, skyped with Kiro 7. Julie and Warm Springs staff were the saving grace of the day and words could never express how thankful I am to them and their help. They saved my wedding, and I will forever be thankful.
Pushed the wedding back to 530, some guests made it to the old venue, but had time to turn around and make it to the new ceremony. I don't puke or cry through my vows, but do cry as my dad says "this is the last time I get to say I love you Ms. Hines" as he walks me down the aisle.
Food arrived, nothing like we ordered, no plates or silverware, 1 keg of sugary cider but we all ate.
Q13 wants an interview, Lars and I again express gratitude for the Inn, and how thankful we are we made it here.
We danced our butts off, we cleaned up and we got back to our house, to celebrate what we all just pulled off.
The entire #jorgensenwedding2015 wedding party was amazing and gracious, but I have to give a special shout out to #teambride because, lets be honest, I needed more help than Lars did. Mark, Mark, Ryan and Jordan: Lars loves you all so much. I love you all so much. I'm so glad you were all there to share this day with us and keep Lars cool as a cucumber. You are wonderful people.
Anne, my future doctor is an amazing person. Cooking for me to make sure I don't pass out, calmly telling me everything is going to be okay, I really love her so much. I'm so thankful for all of her help this week.
Joshua, my baby brother showed up with my favorite drink, a new favorite cup and was ready to paint at the last second to get ready for this wedding. What a gentle and loving person I am so lucky to know.
Renee, my little flower, was always there to calm me down. Also cooking for me, running around town getting last minute shit, and painting chimp portraits until we had to leave for the actual wedding. She spent most of that wedding crying, but she made it. And I love her.
Kraigles my baby boy was EARLY to leave on monday morning for a week of drinking. He rolls with literally anything you throw at him and I could never have gotten married without him up there with me.
And Beth, my right hand woman. I literally would be dead without you. You made this wedding happen. You organized everything and were a beacon of light and hope. You are such a powerful and loving woman and I am so lucky to have you in my life. I LOVE YOU.
Many many thanks to everyone who attended the wedding, with a new location at the last minute. Your flexibility is not unnoticed, and Lars and I appreciate it.
My mom and dad and sister who put up with all of my worries this week, you are the ones who dealt with the most. I'm so lucky to have you as my family.
Joya and Katie, from photos to pants you two really put in some work. I adore you both, and thank you so much for capturing this day.
Papa J- you were the perfect officiant. Thank you for caring about our wedding so much, we couldn't have done it without you.
Carl and Staff at Green's Landing- you helped so much even when we couldn't get married there. I'm eternally grateful for everything you did to make our special day a reality. Green's Landing is still a beautiful place, and one day we will return.
Julie and everyone at Warm Springs Inn and Winery- Lars and I will be staying at the inn every year for our wedding anniversary as long as we are in the states. You are all wonderful and amazing people and I can never express in words how much your hospitality meant. You saved our wedding, and I will always be thankful.
Jack and Ali- you did so much work and you both were just supposed to be guests! I love you, I appreciate everything you did. We are happy to return the favor at any time.
Anyone who was a part of the wedding on the day or elsewhere: Thank you for coming. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for your flexibility, and your faith in us. We love all of you, and thank you for everything you did/have done/will do.
More pictures and thanks to come- my hands hurt.
Love,
The Jorgensens
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