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Couple flees hurricane, weds in Peachtree City

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizen.com

David and Sharon Snowdy of New Orleans were supposed to be married Saturday in New Orleans by their parish priest.

But in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, they found themselves in Peachtree City, and so they said their vows in a brief service Friday night at Holy Trinity Catholic Church instead, hosted by Father John Walsh.

Instead of being surrounded by friends and relatives, they settled for Sharon’s mom and sister being at the service, along with quite a few strangers who attended mass Friday night and became witnesses for the couple. The church hosted an impromptu wedding reception, and the Snowdys still planned to honeymoon in Canada.

As luck would have it, they didn’t even need to change their airline tickets, as their return Delta flight was set to have a layover in Atlanta anyway, David Snowdy noted.

In fact, it was a Delta connection that brought the Snowdys to Peachtree City in the first place. Sharon’s sister used to work for Delta, and she called friends who recommended they come here.

The family has been staying in a hotel in Peachtree City and they have been amazed by the generosity of local residents, Sharon Snowdy said. People have offered to pay for their hotel rooms — and some have done so on the sly — but the couple declines such offerings, noting there are folks out there who need the help far more than they do.

“It’s amazing the outpouring of sympathy and concern,” Sharon Snowdy said.

As for their homes, the couple had planned to live in Slidell, a suburb of New Orleans, and commute to the city where they both work at a local public television station. The bridge in between Slidell and New Orleans is now out and could be for a while, so they likely will stay in the home of David’s deceased father, which is closer to where they will temporarily work in Baton Rouge, La.

The day they evacuated, David had brought his photos and videos to his dad’s house, which weathered the hurricane quite well, from his old apartment which likely had significant water damage.

“We’re very fortunate,” Sharon Snowdy said. She felt especially lucky to have gotten through to their parish priest so he could vouch for them with Father Walsh via phone. “God had his hand in this,” she added.

Many of the Snowdys’ friends weren’t as lucky, as they suffered severe damage from the hurricane, Sharon said. Although it’s hard to get through on the phone lines, those who they’ve contacted were glad to know the Snowdys still got married, even if the game plan was changed somewhat.

“Everybody is like, ‘Oh, finally there’s some good news,’” Snowdy said.

Sharon is also excited about the possibility of having three different wedding anniversaries. They got married in a civil ceremony Tuesday before Probate Judge Martha Stephenson, then again Friday at Holy Trinity — and they plan to tie the knot one more time when they can reschedule all their friends and family for the ceremony they originally planned in New Orleans.