Wedding Blog

After my hair and makeup trials, we planned to drive an hour down to Polson, where Good Wood, the bluegrass band we hired for our wedding was playing.

Good Wood was taking the stage from 9 to midnight that night and the next. And though I was already exhausted after everything we’d done that day (rentals, florist, tasting, hair & makeup), heading there straight with one day left in Glacier made more sense than trying to see them the next night and starting back to Seattle in the morning.

I was so wiped out that as we started the drive down, I started to wonder if we should just skip it. But I really wanted the chance to hear our band live, and going to Polson also meant I’d have a chance to meet with our fabulous wedding (and engagement pic) photographer, who lives nearby. So, I figured I’d just tough it up and have a few extra shots of espresso.

Well, just a few miles out, we were driving by an old truck that was making an awful lot of noise. I was pretty annoyed, until a minute later, the truck turned right and the noise kept right on going. Then, with a little wibble and wobble, my back left tire blew out.

I’ve never gotten a flat before, so this was a novel experience, especially going 70 on a highway. Once we got to the side of the road, I just had to laugh. The tire was completely destroyed, with shreds of it wrapped around the axle, and there, laying not a few feet from my car was the culprit - a three-inch bolt still burning hot to the touch.

Long story short, we were preparing to change the tire (by taking all the Mexi-Coke out of the trunk), when two nice local boys and their girlfriends (high schoolers, by the look of them) stopped and offered to help. Since I was all done up straight from the salon, it would have been silly to refuse.

I took a few photos and a video to commemorate my first flat and immortalize my gracious gentlemen helpers:

I would have liked to offer them an ice cold bottle of my Coca-Cola in gratitude, but all I had was lukewarm. They still accepted, more out of bemusement than anything else.After they helped us with our dinky spare, they followed us 15 miles to the nearest Wal-Mart, the only place we imagined might still be open for tire-service at 9PM. But like all the rest, Wal-Mart was closed… ensuring that first thing in the morning we’d be right back where we started, getting a new tire, if we wanted to get home before the work week.

Needless to say, I didn’t see the band play that evening, or the next. But it could have been worse - we could have been farther from the city, in the dark, and alone. As is, our misadventure was more of an inconvenience than anything. The next morning, before heading to Polebridge, we spent hours hunting for what seemed to be the ONE and ONLY tire in town that matched Mr. Cherry Pie’s low-profile treads. And THAT was less amusing.

From what I’ve heard online and seen on YouTube, I trust Good Wood will sound fabulous. In fact, now it’ll be even more of a surprise AND we have a great story to tell.

Anyone else have any amusing wedding misadventures to share?