The whole city united to hold a wedding that was almost canceled due to a fire (9 photos)

It's good when you are surrounded by people who care. Here's an example: residents of a small town did everything possible to help a young couple on their wedding day. After all, the place where it was supposed to take place burned down just a few hours before the ceremony.





The Herb Lyceum in Groton, Massachusetts, burned down, leaving one couple without a wedding venue just hours before it was due to start



This beautifully restored 19th-century home, surrounded by four acres of fragrant gardens, greenhouses, and flowering trees, was a real a dream wedding venue.

Every bride and groom wanted to have their wedding here, in a cozy and picturesque setting filled with rustic charm.





Will Gilson, whose family has owned the historic wedding venue The Herb Lyceum since 1989, was devastated when the fire engulfed the entire property in flames early on September 1. When he saw the building completely engulfed in flames, he knew there was nothing he could do. He was also worried about the wedding that was scheduled to take place later that day.

“I’m standing there with the whole team that runs the place, and we’re watching the flames burn, and our first thought is, ‘How do we make sure this doesn’t ruin someone’s wedding?’” he recalls.



With the help of the nearby Groton Inn, Gilson was able to find a venue and even put together a menu for the couple within an hour of calling the hotel.

“It was really nice that they were so forthcoming and said, ‘Sure.’ Like, without even discussing the financial side of things, they just said, ‘We’ll figure it out later,’” Gilson says. It was a truly kind gesture.

Other local businesses were also aware of the problem and helped out where they could. A nearby restaurant even temporarily removed several items from its regular menu to help with emergency food for the event.

“We ended up giving this, giving that, bringing flowers for decorations, and so on. It was really sweet,” said a Groton resident. “The whole town came together at the last minute to make sure the wedding went ahead as planned.”

Will Gilson, whose family has owned the historic wedding venue since 1989, was devastated when the fire took it all







Gilson noted that he and his The team is working to address the many issues surrounding the upcoming weddings in the coming weeks and months, and the entire community continues to help in any way they can:

“We’ve had people reach out to us offering tents, heaters, and extra hands if needed. And even the city has offered to find a suitable location in the conservation area for the time being where we could hold these events.”





Of course, in the future, Gilson hopes to restore the burned-out venue to its former glory. He has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds. “As we come out of this tragedy, we know that we want and need to restore the building so that we can continue to share this amazing space with the public,” he says. “While nothing can replace the century-old beams and wood that were used in the reconstruction, the spirit of the building remains. And it will rise from the ashes.”

Judging by how friendly and united the people of this town are, there is every chance of that happening.