WAYNESVILLE, Ga. — Choosing the perfect wedding venue can take months of planning. For one local couple, that dream location was nearly lost to the Highway 82 wildfire. But tonight, their celebration of love is moving forward against the odds.
Just across the street from the charred trees on Old Highway 259, a very different scene is unfolding. While the devastation from the wildfire is still clearly visible showing the destructive path the flames carved through the area the Red River Estate stands intact.
The venue narrowly avoided the massive Highway 82 wildfire, which has burned more than 22,000 acres. On the drive into Waynesville, the scars of the blaze are unavoidable.
“I just didn’t really expect what we were driving into,” said wedding guest Savanah Melton.
“It’s really pretty out here and you’re just driving and all of a sudden it’s like all green, and then it just stops and it’s all ash.”
For Melton, the excitement of seeing her friend walk down the aisle was briefly met with fear a few weeks ago. She recalled how the venue was “literally surrounded” by the advancing fire, leaving the fate of the ceremony uncertain.
Despite the nearby destruction, the wedding is proceeding exactly as planned. Guests are choosing to focus on the silver lining of the near-disaster.
“If you want to put a positive spin on it, they’re kind of just rising from the ashes with their new life together,” Melton said.
Emergency crews remain in the area working to contain the wildfire.
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