Hear the version of this story that aired on NPR's Weekend Edition.
Weddings are big business in Gatlinburg. In fact, by some estimates, this tiny resort town is second only to Las Vegas for destination weddings. The wildfires that killed 14 people and damaged 1,700 structures also destroyed one of Gatlinburg's matrimonial icons: Cupid's Chapel of Love.
The owners have fond memories of their little white wedding chapel.
Guy Jacobs and his business partner, Lee Bennett, have married couples there for nearly a decade. The quintessential chapel had a gingerbread shape and a white gazebo out front. Visible from the Gatlinburg’s main drag, the picture of it burning shared across social media became an iconic image of the fire.
“There it is – gone,” says Jacobs, pointing to a picture of the chapel post-fire that someone put on Facebook. “That's what's left. That white pile of rubble is what's left.”
Bennett and Jacobs were in New York when they first heard about the firestorm that resulted in mass evacuation, so they drove through the night - 12 hours - to get back home, hoping the little chapel was safe.
“When someone sent us that picture of our chapel on fire, it was devastating,” says Jacob.
“This is a big deal because the chapel has become a de facto symbol of Gatlinburg's wedding industry, which, thanks to low costs and easy-to-get licenses, is one of the country's busiest wedding spots. Between their two chapels, they hold about 2,000 weddings a year. The majority of which average between $600 and $700. A package that gets a couple pictures, hair, makeup and a cake.
With one of their chapels gone, there was only one thing to do - get back to work.
Determined to stay on schedule, they moved all of Cupid's weddings to their other location in Gatlinburg that survived. But still, the cancellations rolled in as folks assumed the worst. But some customers, like Pam and Ken Neal, were determined to follow through.
They had booked the $99 “Get ‘Er Done” special a month ago, so they drove three hours from Cookeville, Tennessee, to get hitched. They arrived almost an hour early, but no matter - they were married right then and there. Ten minutes later, they were outside the chapel, beaming, "Pachelbel's Canon" still playing in the background.
“He is a very, very, very sweet person - very, very caring, very loving. So I could have looked this world over and never have found another one,” Pam says.
Ken is more forward with his sentiments.
“This is the first time I've ever been in love,” Ken says with a smile. “I know it's true love. I mean, I read it. I looked it up on the internet.”
Pam erupts with giggles.
“It's like,” Ken continues, “you know you're in love when you forget to put your shoes on before you leave for work, you know.”
No forest fire will keep people from falling in love or needing a place to get married, so the owners of Cupid's aren't concerned about their livelihood. But they are worried about those who died and the hundreds who lost everything, including three of their own employees.
Copyright 2016 WPLN News
