Tornado forces frightened bride, groom to seek shelter in hotel basement — here’s what happened next
They were blown away by this act of kindness.
A Wisconsin wedding was thrown into turmoil when a tornado tore into town — but a singing stranger saved the day.
Newlyweds Alex Schilke and Sarah Hipke were serenaded by Jack Jones at a Lake Geneva resort after their nuptials were derailed by dangerous weather on Jun. 22.
The couple and their 181 wedding guests were forced to hunker down in the hotel’s basement alongside Jones and his family, who were also seeking shelter from the storm.
Amid pouring rain and wild winds, the basement was plunged into darkness when the power went out.
However, a resourceful Jones managed to quell the crowd’s fears and create matrimonial magic by pulling out his guitar to sing for the bride and groom.
Jones performed Ed Sheeran’s ballad “Perfect” and shared a video of the heartwarming moment to TikTok, where it has been viewed more than 1 million times
“A tornado in Lake Geneva brought a wedding party into the basement of the hotel where our family reunion was happening!” the singing samaritan explained in the caption beneath the clip.
“They hadn’t had their first dance yet, and I happened to have my guitar. The power was out so everyone put up their [cell phone] flashlights and we tried to give the bride and groom a special moment. I’m extremely grateful I was able to sub in to sing and congratulations to the happy couple!”
Footage shows the guests standing around Schilke and Hipke as they sing along to the romantic track.
Viewers swooned over Jones’ performance, with one writing: “Well it looks like you’re all family now.”
“Strangers coming together to give others a beautiful moment,” another commenter cooed. “Kindness is the key to happiness.”
“As an event planner for 30 years, I don’t think I could have made a more memorable moment,” a third impressed pundit proclaimed.
After 2½ hours in the basement, the tornado warning was lifted, and the newlyweds were able to go back upstairs and resume their wedding night as planned, dancing in the venue’s ballroom.
But they’ll be forever grateful to Jones, who says he has been blown away by the reaction to his video.
“It was definitely a surprise that it blew up the way it did,” the singer told People. “I think it’s been great. The comments have been very uplifting. A lot of times, I go on social media and I exit the apps feeling worse, but this feels like spreading joy.”
“It’s been really cool to see so many people connect with Alex and Sarah’s love story,” he added.
