Over the few days, staff at the Red Lion (our wedding venue) have been a bit overwhelmed. Given the sudden absence of the primary (and only legal) entrance to their property, it isn’t terribly surprising. However, plenty of individuals have taken the opportunity to help out and provide unexpected generosity and kindness.
As I’ve posted elsewhere, the brides for this weekend have had to relocate and the Red Lion stands to lost $30,000 in business from lost weddings alone. Of course, bridezilla comes to mind when sudden last minute changes in wedding plans occur, not to mention changes as sweeping as having to suddenly relocate your wedding. 9News.com and Colorado Daily have covered some of the gracious (and profoundly unlucky) couples impacted by the washed away bridge. What the Colorado Daily article doesn’t mention is the graciousness and generosity that both the Red Lion and the couples are experiencing. Wedding planners, venues, and customers pulling together to relocate weddings, help pay for the bridge, and get the bridge rebuilt.
When I spoke to Tina the day after the bridge went kablooey, she was stressed and overwhelmed, but she had a plan to make the weekend weddings happen. While ultimately she was not permitted to use the back road to shuttle people in for the weddings, she was committing to making sure those couples still had the weddings of their dreams (despite Mother Nature’s contribution). Like other brides, I called to check in and ask to be kept in the loop on developments. I also offered up the idea of a temporary bridge and told her I would happily pay my part. From Tina’s comments in the article, I have a feeling that other brides also offered up support and optimism.
A washed out bridge is an act of God. Finding ways to express kindness, support, graciousness, and generosity in the aftermath is the essence of humanity. It’s life-affirming to see how people have truly risen to the occasion, just like the swollen waters of Boulder Creek that caused it all to happen in the first place.
