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There was a time when Sydney couple Kelly and Dave Markey thought they might miss their own wedding amid the unprecedented fire emergency.
The couple arrived in Port Macquarie in plenty of time for their big day but the trip proved too much for their best man.
Mrs Markey said she was a bit anxious about the flight situation.
There were delays at Sydney Airport due to strong winds but the couple arrived in plenty of time to marry at Harry's Lookout in Port Macquarie on Saturday, November 9.
The couple exchanged vows before about 12 guests with celebrant Geraldine Lightfoot performing the ceremony.
"It was beautiful and now I'm Mrs Markey," the bride said.
Mr Markey said the wedding itself was very nice with the weather clearing just before the end.
The Pacific Highway closure stopped two important guests from attending the wedding.
The best man, Glenn Cairns and his wife Teresa from Orange, got as far as Nabiac when they were advised the highway was closed for anywhere between 24 hours and five days.
They decided with a heavy heart to return home and gave the couple their best wishes.
"I would really like to thank Teresa, because she was driving, for her best efforts to get here," Mrs Markey said.
The Port Macquarie ceremony marked the couple's legal wedding ahead of a symbolic wedding at the Greek island of Santorini.
"We think this [Port Macquarie wedding] is going to outshine Santorini because my friends drove through fires to get here," Mrs Markey said.
Newcastle's Alana Fletcher and Garry O'Connor drove into smoke as they travelled north on the Pacific Highway and at one point saw spot fires light up around them.
They saw a helicopter dropping water about eight kilometres south of Taree.
"The next thing the grass just exploded into fire right in the middle of the road," Mr O'Connor said.
"We were right in the midst of it.
"I've never experienced anything like it before in my life."
Katrina and Frank Garen, and Maureen Dowdell travelled from Brisbane.
"It was very exciting but a little bit of anxious moments," Mrs Garen said.
"It was just orange skies everywhere and we kept praying for it to lift and for people's homes not being lost and for the change to come through the night."
Ross Haydon travelled from Sydney with his made John Mylonas and they cut in through the Bucketts Way to ensure they didn't miss the big day.
"It was an adventure," Mr Haydon said.
"When we got into Nabiac, I'd never seen so many B-doubles parked on the side of the highway in my life.
"We were getting quite close to the red glow in some parts."
More on the bushfires:
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