WILL REOPEN. STORM DAMAGE IS ALSO IMPACTING COUPLES TRYING TO GET MARRIED. A TREE FELL IN FRONT OF THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY CLERK RECORDER’S OFFICE, HITTING A WATER MAIN THAT MEANT NO BATHROOMS, SO THEY HAD TO CLOSE THE OFFICE. KCRA 3’S MARICELA DE LA CRUZ SHOWS US HOW THAT LED TO SOME WEDDING DAY COMPLICATIONS. STORM DAMAGE CAUSED A SMALL HICCUP FOR SOME SACRAMENTO AREA COUPLES. PLANNING TO SAY I DO THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. OVERNIGHT RAIN AND STRONG WINDS KNOCKED DOWN A MASSIVE TREE, DAMAGING THE COUNTY CLERK RECORDER’S OFFICE ON AMERICAN RIVER DRIVE, LEAVING THE BUILDING WITHOUT WATER AND FORCING IT TO CLOSE FRIDAY. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, IT DID QUITE A BIT OF DAMAGE. IT’S LIKE A 300 YEAR OLD TREE AND SO IT WAS HUGE. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE TREE REMOVED VERY QUICKLY, BUT THE LASTING DAMAGE IS GOING TO TAKE LONGER TO FIX. THE CLOSURE PUT ALL SERVICES ON HOLD FROM RECORDS AND CERTIFICATES TO DOCUMENT FILINGS AND EVEN PRESCHEDULED WEDDINGS. AND THIS TIMING COULDN’T BE WORSE. WE’RE GATHERED HERE IN THE PRESENCE OF WITNESSES. THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS IS ACTUALLY A POPULAR DAY FOR COUPLES TO TIE THE KNOT. IN FACT, 13 COUPLES WERE SCHEDULED TO GET MARRIED AT THIS LOCATION ALONE, INCLUDING ATHENA AND ALFREDO CHAVEZ. WE THOUGHT WE WOULDN’T BE SEEN LIKE TODAY BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE PLANNED IT FOR TODAY. SO WE WERE LIKE, OH MAN, THAT SUCKS THAT WE WON’T BE ABLE TO DO IT TODAY. AFTER 16 YEARS TOGETHER AND FIVE CHILDREN, NOTHING WAS GOING TO STOP THEIR PLANS. WE WERE LITERALLY GOING TO GO TO NEVADA TO GO AND DO IT. WE WERE LIKE, WE’RE GOING TO LEAVE. AND THEN I REMEMBERED THAT THIS OKAY, SORRY. I REMEMBERED THIS LOCATION WAS HERE. AND I WAS LIKE, LET ME SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY OPENINGS TODAY. AND THEY DID AT 2:00. SO I WAS LIKE, LET’S JUST GO THERE. THE COUPLE MADE IT TO THE EAST STOCKTON LOCATION. ALFREDO, CAN YOU TAKE ATHENA TO BE YOUR LAWFULLY WEDDED SPOUSE? I DO. AND AT 2 P.M., DESPITE A LAST MINUTE ADJUSTMENT, THEY TIED THE KNOT WITHOUT HAVING TO LEAVE THE CITY THAT’S WATCHED THEIR LOVE GROW. I MEAN, IT’S JUST A DAY LONG COMING, YOU KNOW, I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE FACETIME CALLS AND THE MESSAGES AND EVERYTHING. WE WILL BE GETTING LATER ON TODAY. I’M SURE. THE EAST STOCKTON LOCATION ALSO HAD 12 PRE-SCHEDULED WEDDINGS. FRIDAY. NO WALK INS WERE ALLOWED. PRIORITIZING THOSE APPOINTMENTS AND TURNING A HOLIDAY HEADACHE INTO A SPECIAL SURPRISE FOR LOVED ONES. THIS IS GOING TO BE A HUGE SURPRISE FOR EVERYBODY. THIS IS GOING TO BE LIKE, YEAH, MARICELA DE LA CRUZ KCRA THREE NEWS. WELL, THAT WATER SERVICE IS NOW RESTOR
Sacramento weddings disrupted by storm damage; 1 couple finds a way
Updated: 11:10 PM PST Dec 26, 2025
A massive tree fell on the Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder’s Office on American River Drive, causing significant damage and forcing the building to close on Friday. The event disrupted wedding plans for several couples.Sacramento County public information manager, Janna Haynes, said, “In this particular case, it did quite a bit of damage. It’s like a 300-year-old tree, and so it was huge. Fortunately, we were able to get the tree removed very quickly, but the lasting damage is going to take longer to fix.”The closure halted all services at that location, including records, certificates, document filings, and pre-scheduled weddings. The day after Christmas is a popular day for weddings, with 13 couples scheduled to marry at the location, including Athena and Alfredo Chavez. Athena Chavez said, “We thought we wouldn’t be seen today because obviously we planned for today, so we were like ‘oh man, that sucks that we won’t be able to do it today.'”After 16 years together and five children, the couple was determined to proceed with their wedding plans. Athena Chavez said, “We were literally going to go to Nevada to do it. We were going to leave, and then I remembered that this location was here and I was like, ‘let me see if they have any openings today,’ and they did at 2 p.m., so I was like, let’s just go there.”The couple made it to the East Stockton location, where they were able to marry at 2 p.m. Alfredo Chavez said, “I mean, it’s been a long day coming. We’ve always talked about it.” Athena Chavez added, “I can’t wait for the FaceTime calls and the messages and everything we’ll be getting later on today, I’m sure.”The East Stockton location also had 12 prescheduled weddings on Friday, and consolidated appointments from both offices. No walk-in services were allowed, but it turned a holiday headache into a special surprise for loved ones. Athena Chavez said, “This is going to be a huge surprise for everybody.”Water services have been restored, and business will resume as scheduled on Monday.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
A massive tree fell on the Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder’s Office on American River Drive, causing significant damage and forcing the building to close on Friday. The event disrupted wedding plans for several couples.
Sacramento County public information manager, Janna Haynes, said, “In this particular case, it did quite a bit of damage. It’s like a 300-year-old tree, and so it was huge. Fortunately, we were able to get the tree removed very quickly, but the lasting damage is going to take longer to fix.”
The closure halted all services at that location, including records, certificates, document filings, and pre-scheduled weddings.
The day after Christmas is a popular day for weddings, with 13 couples scheduled to marry at the location, including Athena and Alfredo Chavez. Athena Chavez said, “We thought we wouldn’t be seen today because obviously we planned for today, so we were like ‘oh man, that sucks that we won’t be able to do it today.'”
After 16 years together and five children, the couple was determined to proceed with their wedding plans. Athena Chavez said, “We were literally going to go to Nevada to do it. We were going to leave, and then I remembered that this location was here and I was like, ‘let me see if they have any openings today,’ and they did at 2 p.m., so I was like, let’s just go there.”
The couple made it to the East Stockton location, where they were able to marry at 2 p.m.
Alfredo Chavez said, “I mean, it’s been a long day coming. We’ve always talked about it.” Athena Chavez added, “I can’t wait for the FaceTime calls and the messages and everything we’ll be getting later on today, I’m sure.”
The East Stockton location also had 12 prescheduled weddings on Friday, and consolidated appointments from both offices. No walk-in services were allowed, but it turned a holiday headache into a special surprise for loved ones. Athena Chavez said, “This is going to be a huge surprise for everybody.”
Water services have been restored, and business will resume as scheduled on Monday.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel