Couple finishes vows, then wildfire forces an evacuation — and guests rebuild the wedding

Jeff Robison and Grace Goddard's Utah wedding celebration turned into an evacuation moments after they finished their vows.

Rather than let a nearby wildfire shut down the evening, their guests helped set up the reception again at another location.

What happened?

Around 7 p.m. Saturday, the couple had just completed an upper-terrace ceremony at the Natural History Museum of Utah when the Bonneville Fire began affecting the event, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

During the vows, they had not been paying close attention to the fire. The danger became obvious only after a helicopter passed overhead on a water drop and a staffer shouted, "everyone off the terrace."

About 160 guests followed the newlyweds into the lobby, where the reception space had already been arranged with seating and flowers. Less than an hour later, museum staff told the group to leave the building entirely.

Guests then moved to an emergency alternative. The Tribune reported that the backup site was Garden Park Ward, a historic Yale Avenue meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often used for wedding receptions. Using the museum's PA system, Robison told everyone to gather there in an hour, and they did.

At the church, guests and vendors rebuilt the reception on the grounds. The caterer, The Blended Table, also kept the meals warm, according to the Tribune. The wedding cake was the main thing that did not survive the move after it was dropped amid the confusion.

Why does it matter?

Due to low snowpack, dry conditions, high winds, and a warming climate, wildfires have gotten off to a record start in the U.S. this year. Many areas are bracing for an intense wildfire season this summer that is projected to last longer than normal. 

Although the wedding was interrupted, everyone ultimately came together and made it a memorable event. However, it's just one of many ways people's lives can be affected by wildfires, and even the groom admitted that a disrupted wedding pales in comparison to the dangers posed by wildfires. 

As planet-warming pollution increasingly fuels more powerful wildfires, more and more people are impacted. From the devastating loss of life and property to the stress of being evacuated from your home to the growing amount of smoke polluting our air, many people across the country are feeling the impacts of wildfires. 

What are people saying?

"I'm pretty sure every single one of our guests came to Garden Park," Goddard told the Tribune.

After she and Robison stopped for a Diet Coke on the way over, Goddard said they arrived to find guests had "worked together to re-create the whole wedding layout from the museum on the lawn — complete with table decorations, seating arrangements, and extra lights."

She added that everyone seemed "willing to pivot" and even happy to be "part of the action."

For Goddard, the night ultimately reflected something larger about the couple.

"A large part of our relationship is blending faiths and families," she said. "The fact that everyone came together — especially the guests and the vendors — was awesome."

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