Hurricane Sandy’s path of destruction has put life on hold for
millions of residents in states along the Eastern Seaboard. The Knot
estimates the weather disrupted wedding plans for more than 2,300
brides-to-be this week.
The Knot created a
Facebook page as an online forum to connect brides with venues and
vendors to reschedule this week’s weddings and to keep the more than
4,000 November ceremonies on track.
The Facebook page called “
Helping Brides in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy”
is a place where East Coast couples can share tips, find available
venues and talk to local experts. Helping couples tie the knot as
scheduled is the main goal for The Knot, the most-trafficked wedding
website.
“We knew we needed to come up with a fast and easy way to connect as
many brides to wedding planning pros and venues as possible,” Anja
Winikka, TheKnot.com’s site director, said. “We felt like it was our
responsibility to connect the two.”
From Nov. 1 to Nov. 25, vendors are asked to list their businesses,
addresses, availability and contact information. Many venues in New
York, New Jersey and Connecticut lost power and sustained damage from
flood waters, forcing brides to make major adjustments. “Planning a wedding is stressful enough,” Winikka said. “It’s full of
unknowns. But when you add a natural disaster into the mix, it can
cause a total breakdown of plans.”
Using the Facebook page created on Thursday, Facebook user Kelley
McGrath put out a general inquiry about available hotels in Montvale,
New Jersey with room for guests. Mcgrath wrote: “Nephew is getting
married Friday at Seasons in Montvale. Venue has power, but hotel
Marriott Courtyard does not have water, and without water they can not
allow us in. Any suggestions on other hotels to check out. We have
guests coming from as far as Japan.” The Knot’s senior events manager,
Susana Diharce Guzman, promptly offered to reach out to contacts in the
area
For brides worried about wedding reservations in Lower Manhattan, The
Knot’s editors suggested that couples find a new restaurant in the
Upper East Side, big enough to accommodate a large group since it’s
still unknown when power will be restored to city businesses.
The editors are using the Facebook page to provide local and expert
knowledge during a difficult time. Many of the editors live in areas
where Hurricane Sandy’s effects were seen firsthand, according to
Winikka.
“Most of us live in areas that were affected by the storm,” she said.
“Bubby’s, a well-known Brooklyn wedding venue, flooded just around the
corner from our co-founders’ apartments. It was clear that anyone
planning a wedding in the affected area would have to make massive
changes to their wedding plans, and we wanted to do all we can to help.”
Are your wedding plans on hold because of Hurricane Sandy? Tell us in
the comments if you’re using social media to reschedule or organize
wedding plans.
Mashable
