MENASHA (NBC 26) — Four days before Sue Dollhopf and Leo Wehner were supposed to get married, an EF-3 tornado tore through their church.
Suddenly, the couple’s wedding plans were the last thing on Sue’s mind.
“That was put on the back burner immediately,” Sue said.
Instead of spending the days leading up to her wedding preparing for the ceremony, Sue was helping her church begin the difficult process of picking up the pieces.
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The tornado caused significant damage to the church, leaving the building without power and surrounding roads blocked by debris and downed power lines.
Their pastor, Rob, said Sue’s experience in commercial insurance made her a natural fit to help with the recovery.
“Where most brides, three, four days before their wedding, are taking care of A, B, and C, right? She’s taking care of safety,” he said.
Sue wasn’t alone.
Leo spent those same days alongside her, clearing debris, helping set up emergency power and doing whatever needed to be done.
“Tell me what you need, and I’ll do it,” Leo said.
At the same time, the couple had no idea whether their wedding would even be able to happen at the church as planned.
“There was no power, debris blocked roads, and downed power lines made the church parking lot unreachable.
“Every day, everything changed," Pastor Rob said. "Everything was uncertain. And you just couldn’t plan anything. Nothing was guaranteed."
Then, on Thursday — just one day before the wedding — the power lines came down, clearing the way for guests to reach the church.
“And so then it was on,” Pastor Rob said.
Friends and family rallied together to transform the fellowship hall and prepare the space for the wedding.
After a week filled with uncertainty, Sue and Leo finally got the moment they had been waiting for.
They said “I do” at the church where they had planned to get married all along.
“The storm kind of took so much from us, right? But it didn’t take the reason why we’re here,” Pastor Rob said.
For Sue, the week was a reminder that while a tornado could change their plans, it couldn’t change the reason they were getting married.
“That was the one thing I never doubted," Sue said. "I knew Leo was the right person for me."
And after a week of damage, uncertainty and helping their church rebuild, the couple began their marriage surrounded by the same community they had spent those four days helping.
