When Julie Parlaman began planning Emily Straus and Zach Bastow's fall wedding at the ThorpeWood mountain retreat, she assured the family that it never snows in October. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn't get the memo.
"Trees are falling, roads are closed, power is out and it is still snowing!" Parlaman wrote Monday on her Facebook page, an update she forwarded via email to a reporter.
But the nuptials, originally scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sunday in Thurmont, weren't foiled by the storm, or the comedy of errors it triggered.
Family, friends and ThorpeWood employees scrambled to make the wedding weekend work in the midst of a power failure.
"This couple is amazing and so easygoing," Parlaman wrote. "It will be a memorable weekend."
The antics began Saturday evening, when, fueled by a generator, the ThorpeWood kitchen was available for the caterer's prep work. The rehearsal dinner was relocated to the retreat's lodge because of falling tree limbs and road closures.
"Of course in the midst of them heating up their food, the propane ran dry!" Parlaman wrote.
AmeriGas made an emergency trip to ThorpeWood to refill the propane tank, but not before guests were finding candles, using headlamps "and just having a grand time," according to Parlaman's notes.
All 139 expected guests made it to the lodge, and were rewarded with hot cider and homemade doughnuts.
This was a first for the Thurmont retreat, and Parlaman said that there was nothing the staff would have done differently, except have no snow.
"Emily and Zach had a beautiful ceremony, amazing meal and all-around amazing day in spite of STILL not (having) electricity," Parlaman wrote Monday.
The happy couple could not be reached -- they are on their honeymoon.
-- Stephanie Mlot
GOOD JOB GUYS!!!
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