Helene’s devastation changed everything about their wedding, except the important part
Hurricane Helene whittled down the guest list by more than half. Her father couldn’t get there to give the bride away. And the caterer and photographer were shut out by downed trees and power lines and submerged highways.
But the love between Sereyna Bianchi and Gavin Walker was deeper than any floodwaters, so the pair stood before 45 of their most intrepid friends Saturday night to promise it would last forever.
The wedding at The 1927 Lake Lure Inn was both a demonstration of the kind of flexibility marriage requires and a desperately needed bit of joy in the face of a natural disaster.
“It never really occurred to me we would not do it,” said Bianchi, a graphic designer and project manager in Raleigh.
The remnants of Helene caused historic devastation across Western North Carolina. It killed at least 30 people in Buncombe County alone, the sheriff there announced Sunday.
Lake Lure and its close neighbor Chimney Rock were hit by a powerful flood Friday as Helene’s rains filled the Broad River to overflowing. In Chimney Rock, the river went crashing down Main Street, sweeping away the pavement and more than half of the buildings that lined it, along with houses, cars and infrastructure. Much of that came to rest at the top of Lake Lure or against or on top of the bridge over the Broad that connects the two communities.
The wedding couple’s original wedding venue, Morse Park, was obliterated by the flood. No problem; Bianchi simply moved it to a grassy area beside the pool at the inn.
No caterer? No servers? No worries. Bianchi’s family rallied. A cousin who’s a chef toured the inn’s pantry and coolers and, with the innkeepers’ blessings, put together a perfect reception dinner of prime rib.
Bianchi, a devoted do-it-yourselfer, had brought with her a van full of decor to create a “Great Gatsby” theme, with Art Deco gilded mirrors and floating candles on the tables. The hotel, built just before the Great Depression, provided the perfect backdrop.
Sara Walling, Bianchi’s aunt, said her niece was the opposite of the petulant bride who pouts when her best-laid plans go awry.
“She had been planning this for a year, down to the last detail,” Walling said. “Then this storm comes along, and that’s all out the window.”
During the reception, the bridal party crossed the muddy parking lot of the inn to take photos with the lake behind them. Just then, several trucks carrying uniformed troops from the N.C. National Guard rolled up, finished for the day, and stopped to wish the happy couple well.
