Tornado cancels Saint Louis Zoo wedding, couple still gets their hippo ending

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Al and Kevin Tyliszczak were supposed to get married at the Saint Louis Zoo on May 16. The hippo exhibit was set to be their ceremony backdrop, a quirky and meaningful choice for the couple of eight years who describe themselves as nature lovers.

“If you’re getting married at the zoo, at least one of the animals has to be invited,” Al said.

The couple said they originally thought the zoo would be out of their price range, but after some research, they discovered it was more affordable than many other venues. They fell in love with the idea and the hippos.

“We found ourselves drawn to the hippos more than we thought,” Kevin said.

But just hours before the wedding, a tornado warning changed everything.

“Our day-of coordinator said, ‘Hey, there’s a tornado going on. We’re not sure if this is going to happen,’” Al recalled.

The zoo shut down, and wedding plans unraveled.

“There were some tears. There were a lot of tears, actually,” Al said.

“After we calmed down a little bit, I said, ‘Kevin, I still want to be Mrs. Tyliszczak tomorrow.’”

With no power and no backup plan, the couple pivoted. They held their wedding in their powerless University City apartment.

“We got married surrounded by our families and a whole lot of Chinese food,” Al said.

The couple donated their wedding cake to zoo staff, who were busy assessing storm damage and following strict safety protocols. All animals and guests were unharmed, as were the hippos.

To make it up to the couple further, the zoo arranged a surprise.

The staff also presented the couple with a symbolic hippo adoption and an exclusive behind-the-scenes meet-and-greet with the animals that were meant to be part of their big day.

Despite the chaos, the couple says they’re grateful. The zoo refunded their full payment. The bakery refunded the cake. And they still walked away with a story that’s uniquely theirs.

“The zoo has gone above and beyond,” Al said. “Everyone has been beyond kind to us.”

And yes, they all lived hippo-ly ever after.

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