Tom & Linda Jones
December 5, 1997

When I awoke on our wedding day, December 5th 1997, there was a beautiful dusting of snow ... perfect for a winter wedding. Neither my soon-to-be-husband, Tom nor I could predict that twenty-four hours later the headlines would read: "33 inches!!!"

The blizzard began about 3:00 p.m. that day, as I was leaving the hair salon with my sister. We remarked how beautiful all the snow would look with the bridesmaids' hunter green and burgundy dresses!

Our ceremony at St. Jude the Apostle Church was supposed to begin at 6:30 p.m., but there were only a handful of guests at that time—apparently, our family and friends were still attempting to make it to the church in the blizzard! We decided to postpone the ceremony a bit to allow guests extra time to get there...little did we know that, in Edinboro, many of our out-of-town guests were guided off the interstates because of the weather. Both I-79 and I-90 were closed!
They decided to head for the church using Route 99, only to find that trip quite treacherous. Most of them recognized the sign for our reception hall, Nick's Place at 12246 Route 99, and decided it would be best to remain there until we arrived from the ceremony.

Nick's Place was where our "Wedding Day Angels" were found! Owner and "head angel", Mary Ann Strand welcomed our guests into their "pearly gates," hours before our reception was scheduled to begin. Mary Ann and her "helper angels" made them warm and comfortable, served them coffee and hors d'oeuvres, and periodically called the church to keep our family and friends updated on the eventual progress of the ceremony!

Meanwhile, our wedding at the church was beautiful and in-town guests were able to come. It took our wedding party 2 hours to arrive at Nick's Place, but what a special surprise when we got there! The Strand family, always good-natured and with a keen sense of humor, had placed beach umbrellas in the mounds of snow outside the building! Inside, our out-of-town guests and quite a few who braved the elements were waiting for us, and we were able to enjoy the reception just as we'd planned—regardless of the late hour! Mary Ann even invited late-arriving guests into the kitchen to fill up their plates after the food had been put away!

To this day, Mary Ann and her heavenly family call me the "Blizzard Bride," and Tom and I remind ourselves how lucky we were to have these angels as a part of our special day. When both of my daughters planned their weddings, there was no question where their receptions would be! The Strands are miracle-workers! Their dedication to hosting events and "going above and beyond" is a true blessing to our family and our community!