LAKE CHARLES, La. (NewsNation) — The Magnolia House, an events venue in Lake Charles, Louisana was already struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the beloved wedding and baby shower venue is destroyed after Hurricane Laura however employees say they are planning to rebuild in the name of love.
“I never knew there was this much to the wedding business,” Gary Williams said. “But after I got involved in it, it became interesting and I became a part of this family.”
“It’s my passion,” Kerri Cheney said. “I’ve wanted to make flowers my whole life.”
Cheney is the company florist who said she lives for her brides and her work.
“Today was my first day back, not at all what I had though,” said Cheney after seeing the destruction from the hurricane. “This is my life, my world.”
The work family has been spending the last few days taking all the destruction in and making tough decision on what is and isn’t salvageable.
“You get overwhelmed,” said Cheney. “It’s like you wake up in the morning and you’re like where do I start at today? What approach do I take?”
Right now, the work family is taking it one day at time during an especially hard year for the wedding industry and happy couples who were already dealing with fears from the coronavirus pandemic.
But the duo says they aren’t giving up in the name of love.
“We not giving up,” said Williams. “We’re not gonna give up. We’re not laying down. We’re just regrouping and we’re going to go back at it.”