Brady Creel of the Dixie Electric Power Association expected to spend the week before the wedding helping bride Emily Holder with final preparations for the big day.

Hurricane Milton had other plans for the couple. A week before their Oct. 19 wedding, a co-op master in Laurel, Mississippi, volunteered to help a Florida co-op restore power after a Category 3 hurricane left 86% of its members in the dark.

Creel was one of 19 Dixie Electric crew members dispatched to Wauchula-based Peace River Electric Cooperative on Oct. 9. Creel’s leader gave them the option of not participating in the mutual aid trip, but he wouldn’t hear of it.

“Helping others is my calling. It’s in my nature,” Creel said, speaking from a mutual aid trailer near Wauchula late on Oct. 11 after a 16-hour day. “I wouldn’t like it” doesn’t help.

Public service is what unites the Moselle couple. A police officer in Petal, Holder understands the importance of calling to duty. She said her fiance, who works part-time as a sheriff’s deputy in Jones County, would be “easy-going” about helping with the recovery efforts.

“I understand that things happen that are beyond our control; somebody has to do it,” Holder said, noting that Creel was very involved in the months-long hustle and bustle leading up to the wedding. “I’m grateful that I’m marrying a man who is selfless enough to do just that.”

Did Creel, as they say, manage to get to the church on time? Dixie Electric released crews on Oct. 16—earlier than expected—so the groom returned home in time to finish setting the groom’s table and greet guests at the rehearsal dinner on Oct. 18.

About 150 guests attended the couple’s wedding in Richton. And now the newlyweds have something to share about their commitment to community.

“Brady’s willingness to help restore power after Hurricane Milton, even with his own wedding just days away, is a testament to the dedication and commitment to service that all linemen share,” said Dixie Electric CEO Randy Smith. “Their dedication and commitment to helping communities in need, even during major life events, truly embodies the spirit of service that is deeply rooted in our industry.”

Victoria A. Rocha is a staff writer for NRECA.