'We understand if they can't make it': Wildfire highway closure upends Tofino wedding plans
In March 2022, Sebastien Foellmer got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend Hope Moir on a beach in the picturesque coastal community of Tofino. She said yes.
“We both just love Tofino. We go there two, three times a year. It’s definitely my favourite spot to be,” said Foellmer.
The Squamish couple decided to get married in Tofino as well, with their nuptials set for Saturday, June 10.
"We chose Tofino because it has a lot of sentimental value to us," said Moir.
Seventy-seven guests have RSVP'd for the beach wedding, with nearly half coming from out of province.
But the wildfire-related closure of Highway 4, which connects Tofino to the rest of Vancouver Island, has upended their plans. The only option left for the bride and groom and their guests who can’t fly to Tofino? A very long detour on a gravel forestry road.
“We have lost a couple of guests. There are some guests that said they won’t come because they don’t want to risk taking this route,” said Foellmer.
But more than 70 attendees have committed to making the trek.
“People have upgraded rental cars to make sure they have appropriate vehicles,” said Moir, who has also given them a list of what to bring.
“Jerry cans of gas, towing kits, spares, snacks, water … everything you can think of. We have given them the run down of how to prep. And given them also that we understand if they can’t make it, and everyone has different comfort levels.”
The couple’s Tofino-based wedding planner is impressed by how they have handled the unexpected hiccup.
“With weddings, as you can imagine, there are a lot of stresses without something like a natural disaster,” said Zoe Baillie with Rare Earth Weddings.
“Everyone just seemed to have a positive attitude instead of going to worst-case scenario.”
But she says her weekend clients who are coming to Tofino are worried about how they and their guests will get home after their weddings.
“It’s easy to just focus on getting here and the excitement of the wedding, and I think there are a few people starting to look toward the end of the trip,” said Baillie. “At least if people have to stay longer, they’re stuck in paradise over here.”
Fear of driving the detour and getting stuck in Tofino is likely behind the cancellation of two of photographer Chelsea Gray’s weekend bookings.
“I was supposed to do a family session tomorrow with a family that got stuck in Parksville, so they’re not able to make it up. I had a proposal photo shoot set up, someone who was supposed to drop down on one knee on the beautiful beach,” said Gray, who owns Wild Coast Wedding Photography.
Foellmer and Moir did briefly consider a last-minute change of venue, but they have their heart set on a wedding in Tofino. And they’re grateful most of their guests will still join them, even if some of the supplies and decor won’t make it.
“I will eat on Costco paper plates and eat Tacofino if that’s what it takes,” said Moir. “We just want to be there and get married with everyone who loves and supports us.”
Sebastien Foellmer and Hope Moir are seen shortly after they got engaged in Tofino in March 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.