Sask. couple's wedding nearly washed out due to flooding in Arborfield

A dream wedding that took more than a year to plan was nearly destroyed when a torrential downfall washed away the Saskatchewan couple's perfectly groomed yard. 

When Danika Haugen and her fiancé, Jared Ralph, moved to a home just outside of Arborfield, Sask., the bride knew she wanted the wedding to be held there. 

"The day we moved in was the day we decided we were going to get married here," said Haugen. 

Everything changed this week when the community declared a state of emergency due to flooding and the town was ordered to be evacuated. 

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"The road is washed out coming into our driveway," said Ralph. "We were always thinking about the wedding but wanted to make sure everyone was safe before anything else."

The couple have a six-month-old baby girl, who was their focus as the floodwaters continued to rise.

Now that the mandatory evacuation has been lifted, the couple are once again focused on their wedding day.

"It's been a lot of tears for sure," said Haugen. "We had a bit of a breakdown the other day, just him and I. He got upset and told me he was really sorry he couldn't give me the wedding of my dreams."

'Come hell or high water'

But the pair have decided to go ahead with their wedding after all. They say the slogan is "come hell or high water."

"My brother just lives a mile to the south up on a hill. We're going to clean his house and yard up best we can," said Ralph.

"We took a little tour around Jared's brother's place and got a vision of what our wedding would look like," said Haugen.

"My dress is perfectly fine. We made sure to hang it up really high so that if the water come into the upper level it wouldn't be touched," said Haugen.

Community celebration

More than 300 people are expected at their wedding Saturday afternoon.

While many people in Arborfield are focusing on the cleanup, Haugen and Ralph have been overwhelmed by offers of help.

Local residents have been offering their yards and farmyards as a venue for the wedding. They've been offering to cook, clean, or anything they can do to help.

"I'm very emotional. It's just been really hard and it's been so amazing, the support and love we've gotten from everyone around us," said Haugen.

Ralph said he hopes it will be a chance for people to take a break after a devastating week in the community.

I envision it to be a beautiful sunny day and our friends and family all there not having to wear rubber boots.- Danika Haugen

"I hope that everybody can come out and have fun and forget about the last couple days," he said.

The bride said she is hoping and praying for clear skies on Saturday.

"I envision it to be a beautiful sunny day and our friends and family all there not having to wear rubber boots."

The dinner and dance are set to take place inside the Arborfield Community Hall on Saturday night.