Couple changes plans after Hurricane Erin cancels Outer Banks wedding

A couple is heading back home to Massachusetts after Hurricane Erin forced them to press pause on their Outer Banks wedding plans.

Amber Beninati and Lucas Patruno were planning to tie to the knot on Monday in
Ocracoke, but an evacuation alert on Sunday
night forced them to change their plans.

The couple had planned a small ceremony for just six people — the two
of them and their four daughters — in Ocracoke, but they were not even able to make it on the
island.

Their coastal wedding was postponed, but they stayed positive, turning what was supposed to be their destination
wedding into a family vacation.

The family visited Nags Head earlier this week for a beach day with the kids and is headed north on Wednesday to Washington, D.C.

“We decided to spend the rest of our vacation
meandering home,” the couple told WRAL News on Tuesday. “We drove through the Shenandoah Valley, tomorrow we’re
going to head to Washington, D.C. We’re kind of just trying to do some fun stuff
with the kids, rather than just go home and sit around.”

Even though they’re disappointed about the change of
plans, the blended family is keeping their sense of humor.

“I was looking forward to it,” said Carina Beninati, the bride’s daughter. “I mean, I was
going to be the flower girl. That was going to be exciting for me. And I guess
I got another win, because now I’m going to be on TV.

“For us, we’ve been labeling it perseverance,” said Lucas Patruno, the groom. “We’re going to get married still. We’re going to push through
this. We’re going to work together, and it’s going to make us stronger.”

The couple said they’re now planning to get married at
the Outer Banks next year.