It was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives, but Travis and Carsen Snider's wedding day got off to a nightmarish start.
The Great Falls couple arrived at their wedding venue in White Sulphur Springs to find a scene of utter chaos.
Tables were overturned, wine bottles shattered, and all the decorations had been destroyed. The damage extended further, with propane tanks emptied and extension cords cut. Nearly everything had been destroyed.
Watch the couple's reaction to the wedding day vandalism:
“There were 10 clam bottles just opened up and dumped on the floor. Even chalkboard signs were cut in half,” Carsen said.
“They had those troughs outside. One was full of pop. One was full of beer. They went and stabbed every single can that was in there. Someone was dedicated to ruining this,” added Travis.
However, the community of White Sulphur Springs was bound and determined not to let that happen.
Word began to spread around town about the vandalism. Businesses and strangers began pitching in to help the family save the Sniders' wedding day.
“We felt so bad,” said Mack Bilbrey, who works the front desk at the Edith Hotel.
The hotel volunteered to wash linens and tablecloths for the couple while also collecting picture frames and other decorations to replace those that were destroyed.
“I called my manager and I was like, 'what can we do? What can we pull together?” explained Bilbrey. “We just laid out a table in one of our rooms and laid out everything they could take and said, Take what you want.”
Just a short distance down the road, Bar 47 also pitched in collecting shot glasses to replace those that were broken by the vandals.
“Everybody kind of had something they could contribute, and we were texting people,” said Amber Coburn, the manager of Bar 47.
The town’s grocery store also did its part. As employees helped print new pictures for the couple, customers in line also caught wind of what was happening.
“I guess there was a couple of people who donated to our honeymoon fund. They were listening to our story,” Carsen said.
By 4:30 p.m., just in time for the ceremony, the venue was transformed and looked as if the vandalism had never occurred.
“When we came down for everything, it was like it never happened,” Travis shared, reflecting on how the community had turned a disaster into a celebration.
“It was happy tears at that point,” Carsen added.
The experience showcased how love and community spirit can triumph over adversity.
“Don’t let stuff ruin your day because at the end of the day, love wins,” said Carsen. “Seriously, love won that day and love is all that matters.”
Carsen and Travis Snider say they have no idea who would have targeted them to ruin their wedding day. The Meagher County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the vandalism but has made no arrests at this time.
