Nicole Byrd and Josh Hall.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The wind screamed as it hammered the house where Nicole Byrd, Josh Hall, and their six children lived. The family bunkered down in the hallway to hide from the turmoil around them, and it would turn out that the hallway was the only area of their house to survive the EF-5 tornado that carved through town on April 22. The couple and their children survived but Byrd's arm was broken in three places when a tree collapsed on it.
 
Before the disaster struck, Byrd and Hall had been planning their wedding. Very few of the couple's belongings were recovered, but among them was Byrd's wedding dress, a positive sign that encouraged the couple to continue with their plans. Their story was featured on a local news channel and caught the attention of prominent florist and designer Frankie Peltiere, who reached out to friends in the community to help him give the couple their dream wedding.
 
Kim Garner, president of St. Louis-based BEST Transportation, was one of those Peltiere contacted. She was so touched by the couple's story that she provided Town Car transportation for the bride and groom. “Knowing that we are able to help our colleagues turn this tragedy into an unforgettable experience for the family means the world to us,” Garner said. “As are all of the participating vendors, we are honored to be a part of their special day.”

One of the trees that collapsed on the house broke Nicole's arm in three places.

Tami Heroff, a wedding planner with Perfect Day Weddings and Events LLC, coordinated the project and organized the vendors helped by Evonne Grabauskas of Beautiful Celebrations.

Thanks to the generosity of the 16 vendors and cash donations for many others, Byrd and Hall realized their dream wedding on Saturday, July 16 at the Stegton Inn.

Source: BEST Transportation; KSDK.com; Michael Campos, LCT assistant editor