Bride Dies In House Fire On Wedding Day; Groom Survives

A 19-year-old woman from Reedsburg, Wis., died in a tragic house fire that happened on what was supposed to be her wedding day.

Paige Ruddy and her fiancé Logan Mitchell-Carter exchanged vows on Monday night and had planned a ceremony for the next day to say “I do” in front of their family and friends at the Sauk County Courthouse, her family told WMTV News.

On Tuesday, a fire broke out in the home Ruddy lived at with Mitchell-Carter and his grandparents, PEOPLE reported.

Ruddy was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and died of a brain hemorrhage on Wednesday. 

It’s possible the home didn’t have working smoke detectors.

Several of Ruddy’s family members and friends have paid tribute to her since her passing.

“She was just a precious human. There was nothing about her that you couldn’t like,” Ruddy’s Aunt Holly told WMTV. “She was this presence you never knew you needed in your life, but always did.”

“Her smile was unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” she added.  “She was always there to help anyone.”

”She had a big caring heart,” said friend Lily Markgraf, who graduated high school with Ruddy. “She was there for anyone who needed it, even if she didn’t like the person. If they needed her help, she’d be there to help them. I’m going to miss her for the rest of my life.”

Ruddy’s family said she had just graduated from Reedsburg Area High School last year and planned to attend a Vet Tech program at Madison Area Technical College this fall.