Poughkeepsie Weddings Possibly Ruined by Trump Rally

What should be the most magical day in a couple's lives has turned into a logistical nightmare for those who are getting married on Sunday in Poughkeepsie.

April 17 is a date with some important significance for Tom and Caitlin. That's the date they met five years ago and the birthday of Caitlin's father, who has since passed away. So when the couple were engaged, they immediately decided that April 17 would be the day of their wedding.

And then Donald Trump announced he was coming to town.

In an open letter to Trump on his personal blog, close friend of the bride and groom, Steve Bierfeldt, explains the problems Caitlin is now facing just hours before her important day.

From secret service checkpoints to street closures, to any potential protesters, she’s worried about access to the Hotel and reception for her and her guests. She’s especially worried about her bridal party along with the photographer, florist, and hair and makeup team who will be coming into the hotel early that Sunday morning. It’s that morning that is really making her uneasy as she gets ready for her wedding.

A call to the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel confirmed that at least one wedding is still scheduled at their banquet hall on Sunday. While Steve and Caitlin are actually having their reception at the Grand View, rooms for out of town guests and their honeymoon suite are all still booked at the Poughkeepsie Grand.

She had originally had a room at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel, but just yesterday has been working out an arrangement with The Grandview to accommodate her and her bridal party....

Also, very important, is that the couple and many, many guests, are staying at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel for the night. This includes many out of town guests will will undoubtedly have difficulty navigating the roads and checkpoints.

Maureen Kangas, the General Manager of the Poughkeepsie Grand says the Trump rally has been a "nightmare" for the bride of a wedding that is still scheduled to take place at the Poughkeepsie Grand on Sunday. Kangas and her staff have been working with local police and the Dutchess County Sheriff's office to make sure the reception will go as well as possible. Kangas tells us that planning a wedding is usually a stressful time for the bride, but the addition of the Trump event next door has certainly made things exponentially worse.

The City of Poughkeepsie has banned all traffic on Market and Main Street surrounding the Civic Center and Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel starting at 6am on Sunday. With out of town guests not arriving until Sunday morning, it's still uncertain how gridlock and road closures will affect attendance at the wedding. Kangas and her staff have been planning ahead as much as they possibly can to make sure the wedding is impacted as little as possible by what's happening next door at the Mid Hudson Civic Center.

But no matter how many special arrangements or advance plans are made, it's clear that secret service checkpoints, crowds of Trump supporters and planned demonstrations by protesters have turned a special day into a logistical nightmare for those who have spent the last year planning every single detail of their big day.

Meanwhile, Bierfelt is pleading with the presidential candidate to help his friends out.

Making America great again comes in many different forms. While this may not get the coverage of a national debate, it is something that may have just as big an effect on this young women’s life, as any political election ever will. Probably even more so.

As of Saturday morning tickets for the Trump rally were still available. However, officials say that they expect an extremely large crowd both inside and outside of the Mid Hudson Civic Center throughout the day on Sunday.

We want to know what you would do if the Trump rally was held right next to your own wedding. Would you make the best of it, or do you think it would ruin the day for you and your guests? Let us know your thoughts below or on our Facebook page.