Bride-to-be Raegan Horak said that she and her fiancé were excited to get married at Covered Bridge Venue before an EF-1 tornado struck Texas
Credit: CNN/Facebook; Covered Bridge Venue/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- A Texas couple’s wedding plans were upended after a tornado destroyed their venue six months before their big day
- Bride-to-be Raegan Horak said that she and her fiancé had been excited to marry at Covered Bridge Venue before an EF-1 tornado hit Texas on April 25
- Local businesses have stepped in to support the couple with free services as they search for a new venue
A Texas bride is speaking out after her wedding venue was destroyed by a devastating tornado.
Speaking to CNN, bride-to-be Raegan Horak said that she and her fiancé had been excited to get married at Springtown, Texas' Covered Bridge Venue on October 10, 2026 — a special date for her and her fiancé, as it was his late grandfather's birthday.
However, the couple was left scrambling to find a new place for their nuptials after an EF-1 tornado hit Springtown on April 25, leaving much of the small town in ruins.
"[My fiancé] put me on video call and he showed me," she recounted to CNN of the moment she first saw the destroyed venue. "Of course, I'm starting to panic, because I'm like, 'What are we gonna do?' Our wedding is in less than six months."
In footage captured by 8 ABC, Covered Bridge Venue's dance floor appeared uprooted, now collapsed into a pile of rubble with the rest of the reception space. Also among the debris were the venue's tables, chairs, bar and audio equipment.
Covered Bridge Venue has hosted 90 events a year since opening in 2020, CBS News reported. Dauenhauer estimates that restoration of the damaged space will cost roughly $4 million and take about 18 months to complete.
Owner Ricky Dauenhauer previously told 8 ABC he is glad the venue hadn't been in use on that stormy night, as two events were scheduled to take place that Saturday and both parties ended up canceling.
“Messes can be cleaned up, things can be replaced, but you can't replace lives,” Dauenhauer told 5 NBC.
Bride-to-be Horak also shared with CNN that their "hearts go out to the owners" in the aftermath of the storm.
"It's definitely hard for them. It's harder for them than it is for us," she said.
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Horak and her fiancé are also dealing with their own fallout after the Texas tornado, she told CNN — but their community has come together to help the couple prepare for their big day regardless.
"We've been working with everyone and helping people clear out debris and assess things," she explained, sharing that many local small businesses and restaurants have offered them free services and meals for their wedding day.
However, the couple is still scrambling to find a replacement venue.
"We've agreed that if we don't find our date, we can always have our ceremony and our reception on the night and do the legal paperwork the day after," Horak shared.
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