The reality TV star Gabriela Windey and comedian Robby Hoffman chose to marry each other in Las Vegas during their escape from the destructive Los Angeles County firestorms in January.
Gabriela Windey and Robby Hoffman: A Wedding Born from Chaos
As the rising fire disasters enveloped their home on January 7 the couple acted quickly to pick up their most important possessions before fleeing towards safety. The couple spent their nights in Las Vegas following their unsuccessful attempts at Palm Springs hotel rooms.
“When we got to Vegas at 7:30 in the morning, they gave us the penthouse suite,” Robby Hoffman recalled. “It looked like a wedding suite. Gabby turned to me and said, ‘Should we get married?’”
A Dress, a Moment, and a Photographer Named Big Nate
Windey made a spontaneous decision on her wedding dress.
“I walked into a department store, saw an off-white lace dress on a mannequin, and thought, ‘This is it.’ It was the only one in stock, a little tight, made my butt look huge, but it was perfect,” she laughed.
The officiant wore red sneakers, and their wedding photographer, known only as Big Nate, made quite the impression.
“Big Nate captured our essence,” Windey said. “We walked down the aisle to ‘H-O-T T-O G-O’ by Chappell Roan. He directed us like a pro. At one point, he told Robby, ‘My man, move an inch this way. Now hit a pose.’ But Robby’s got so much swagger that he was just like, ‘You do you.’”
From Fire to Forever
After nearly two years together, the couple was officially married. But reality quickly set back in.
“On the way home, we had to pick up air purifiers—with our cat,” Robby Hoffman said. “We didn’t know what would happen to our house. All we knew was that we had each other, and that was home.”
The structure of their house remained intact despite the disaster while their relationship moved toward love through happenstance. Their initial evacuation unexpectedly turned into wedding vows which illustrate that love emerges during unexpected moments in chaos.
