Wedding venue floor collapses in N.H., sending nearly 70 people plunging to basement

The buckled floor that collapsed Saturday, sending nearly 70 wedding guests into the basement of a building in Tamworth, N.H. New Hampshire State Fire Marshal's Office via AP

A floor collapse at a wedding venue in New Hampshire’s White Mountains sent nearly 70 guests plunging into a basement this weekend, injuring multiple people and prompting a state investigation, officials said.

Emergency crews were dispatched at 4:33 p.m. Saturday to The Preserve at Chocorua, a venue on Philbrick Neighborhood Road, after reports that a floor had given way during the ceremony, New Hampshire State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey and Tamworth Fire/Rescue Chief Richard Colcord said in a statement.

Callers told Tamworth dispatchers that more than 100 people had been standing on the floor when it collapsed, with some guests trapped beneath beams and farm equipment stored below, authorities said.

When first responders arrived, they found that venue staff and wedding guests had already begun rescuing those who fell, administering first aid and using ladders to help people climb out of the basement, officials said.

Firefighters proceeded with rescue efforts and evaluated injured attendees at the scene. Crews from surrounding communities were called in to assist and cover local stations, fire officials said.

Six adults were taken by ambulance to nearby hospitals with injuries that are not life-threatening. Four of them have since been released, officials said.

Additional guests were treated at the scene, and the full extent of injuries remains under investigation, officials said.

Officials said 144 guests were inside the venue’s Sap House building at the start of the ceremony. Investigators said roughly half of them, nearly 70 people, fell through a hole estimated to be about 20-by-20 feet when the floor collapsed.

Firefighters work at a building in Tamworth, New Hampshire, where the floor collapsed during a wedding Saturday, March 21, 2026.Uncredited/Associated Press

Officials said evidence suggests the building may have been over capacity at the time of the incident.

Tamworth, a town of roughly 2,800 residents, is about 62 miles north of Concord, N.H.

Philbrick Neighborhood Road is the site of The Preserve at Chocorua, a 26-acre estate in the White Mountains that offers events such as family reunions, corporate retreats, and weddings, according to its website. The Sap House, smaller than the venue’s large barn, is described as “a quintessential New England Maple Sugar shack” on its website. Management for The Preserve could not immediately be reached for comment.

Photos on social media appeared to show several ambulances and rescue engines on the scene. Dispatchers from the Conway and Central Ossipee fire departments said they had dispatched units.

Jaime McConkey, owner of Autumn Nomad Events, which catered the wedding, said when the incident occurred, her team and the venue team jumped into action.

“From calling 911 to quickly gathering ladders and physically assisting those involved, everyone stepped in instinctively to help in any way they could. It was a powerful and humbling moment to witness,” McConkey wrote on social media Sunday.

McConkey, who also had her wedding and baby shower at the venue, wrote, “This is more than just a place I work—it has been like a second family to me for many years."

The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating what caused the collapse. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the office at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].