ANDOVER — Danielle White spent more than nine months planning her wedding. But when the day, Sept. 9, 2023, finally arrived, she wasn’t sure if her dream would come true.
A powerful microburst ripped through the area the day before, blocking roads and leaving much of Andover and the surrounding communities without power and in the dark.
“There was that freakish storm,” she said.
The wedding was planned for the Lanam Club which, like most places, had lost power in the storm. Despite the storm’s destruction, White said she held out hope that power would return in time.
“I did think at that point there was a chance that the wedding would not happen,” she said.
Besides all the planning she also thought about her guests.
“There were some people who had flown in from California and North Carolina, and Baltimore,” said White. “I was very upset.”
White’s family swung into action.
“My mom, dad and sister began calling everywhere they could think of, begging them to maybe host a wedding for us that night,” she said. “They definitely held it together for my sake.”
One place answered the call: the Andover Country Club. The venue had a generator and even called in extra staff for the occasion.
“I was so relieved and overjoyed,” she said. “I couldn’t believe that we were still able to do it.”
The club was able to recreate many details down to a planned ice cream bar, she said.
“We were essentially making immediate decisions on numerous wedding details that would take months of planning in a time frame of five hours,” said John Perry, White’s father.
Even the weather cooperated, White added, as the previous day’s storm gave way to beautiful skies.
“There were guests that didn’t even realize there had been a change in venue,” she said. “It exceeded all of our expectations.”
Besides a loss of power, White and her guests also had to contend with blocked roads. Despite the obstacles, everyone made it, though many, including the bride, had to take detours around town to reach their destination. White credited her family for never giving up on her wedding.
Her father praised the staff at the Country Club, especially manager Jackie Cormier.
“This may seem overly dramatic, but they saved the most important day in my daughter’s life with their willingness to drop everything and host her wedding,” said Perry. “I want everyone to know this. The town of Andover should be very proud to have such a business in its community.”