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Severe Storms Destroy Wedding Venue, Couples Left Scrambling

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A popular farm in southern Minnesota was destroyed in Thursday night's storm. Now, several couples are left scrambling to find a new wedding venue.

WCCO's Kate Raddatz shares how one couple's family and friends jumped in to help.

When Kori got engaged to her boyfriend Thomas, she had a vision of saying their vows in a rustic farm.

"It's beautiful, it's romantic, it has everything we've ever dreamt of," said Kori Lock. "I'm like, 'Tom, this is it.'"

They found the Red Barn Farm in Northfield. It's known to thousands who have enjoyed handmade pies at the farm's weekly pizza nights over the years, but on Thursday, the barn took a beating in the storm. And on Friday, it was left in pieces for the owner and his family to clean up.

"It's going to be a long road," said Pat Winter, owner of the Red Barn Farm. "Just kinda got back on our feet again, now we're going to have to start all over again."

Kori got the news Thursday night while she was getting her nails done, just two days out from the wedding.

"It was devastating," said Lock. "I couldn't stop thinking about how they felt and how scared they were just sitting in their house."

Now instead of pampering, the bridal party is spending the eve of the wedding playing wedding planner.

"The best thing about this whole thing is to see family and people you don't even know come together," Lock said.

Kori says one thing is certain: no matter where she gets married, all that matters is that the people she cares about will be there.

"I don't care if it's at the courthouse or my kitchen, we are getting married tomorrow."

The good news is this afternoon the couple was able to find another barn to host their wedding in Red Wing Saturday.

They're letting their guests know of the change of plans tonight at their rehearsal dinner.

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