Couple Turns Wedding into Epic Family Vacation After Hurricane Erin Halts Their Destination Ceremony

A Massachusetts couple refused to let Hurricane Erin completely derail their plans after the storm forced them to call off their wedding on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

On Sunday, Aug. 17, Amber Beninati and Lucas Patruno received an evacuation order just one day before they were scheduled to marry in Ocracoke, according to WRAL News.

The cancellation came as Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina with winds up to 105 miles per hour, 30-foot waves, powerful currents, and heavy rain while making its way down the East Coast, per the BBC. The Outer Banks was among the hardest-hit regions.

The couple had planned a small, intimate ceremony with just their four daughters present, WRAL News reported.

Instead of letting the storm wash away their joy, Beninati and Patruno turned the canceled wedding into a family vacation. They spent time on the beach in Nags Head and made plans to visit Washington, D.C.

“We decided to spend the rest of our vacation meandering home,” the couple told WRAL News. “We drove through the Shenandoah Valley, tomorrow we’re going to head to Washington, D.C. We’re kind of just trying to do some fun stuff with the kids, rather than just go home and sit around.”

Their daughter Carina admitted she was disappointed to miss out on her role as flower girl but still found a silver lining. “And I guess I got another win, because now I’m going to be on TV,” she joked.

Patruno said the experience became a lesson in resilience. “For us, we’ve been labeling it perseverance. We’re going to get married still. We’re going to push through this. We’re going to work together, and it’s going to make us stronger.”

The couple now plans to reschedule their wedding in the Outer Banks in 2026.