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Multiple people injured after wedding tent collapses at the St. Regis Hotel

By Mike Petchenik, WSB-TV
By Mike Petchenik, WSB-TV

ATLANTA — During the strong storms that rolled through metro Atlanta over the weekend, a tent at a wedding in Buckhead collapsed and hurt several people.

Family and friends were gathered on an outside patio at the St. Regis Hotel on W. Paces Ferry Road just after 6 p.m. Saturday when the storm came through and toppled the tent under which the ceremony was taking place.

Two people were sent to a nearby hospital, but the bride’s family told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik that everyone is OK.

“It was pretty bad," said Fallon Byrd who works at a store nearby. “Most of the wind was blowing the doors in so we had to close and lock the doors. There was water coming in, so it was pretty bad,” said Byrd.

Atlanta fire says a strong gust of wind ripped the tent off the ground during the wedding ceremony injuring several guests.

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“That's unfortunate. Definitely want to remember that day for something else,” said Dumala Thomas, who lives nearby.

Petchenik spoke briefly to the mother of the bride who described it as a little wind event.

On Facebook, the bride posted about the incident saying it happened moments after her father walked her down the aisle and that it felt like a small tornado lifted the tent off the ground.

She thanked God and said when life gives you lemons, they made lemonade.

"I would have postponed that. You couldn't have known it would be that bad, but with the rain and the wind I would have moved it inside,” Byrd said.

Severe Weather Team 2 says there was no tornado here in Buckhead despite what the bride posted.

In an email, the general manager of the hotel told Petchenik that their staff assisted, along with the authorities and the GM says safety and security are always of their top priority.

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