Just two days before the big event, the city of Woodland Hills was ordered to evacuate due to a looming 20,000-acre wildfire at the edge of town. The Woodland Hills Community Center, which the couple had booked for the celebration, was behind a barricade. Sterling’s family fled his childhood home, leaving behind the couple’s carefully-chosen wedding decorations and food for 300 guests.
Relatives had booked flights and some already had begun to arrive in advance of the Saturday wedding.
"I was pretty stressed out and worried it wouldn't come together," Sarah said. "I didn't want to suddenly cancel because we did have family and friends flying in.