After losing home to Eaton Fire, couple gets married in partially rebuilt Altadena home

An Altadena couple who lost their home in the Eaton Fire last year got married on their burned-out property as they continue to rebuild. 

Kenny Rotter and Morgan Soloway tied the knot on July 5 on their under-construction lot with 130 people watching, more than a year and a half after their house was one of more than 6,000 lost in the devastating January 2025 blaze. 

"When we went to bed, I was like, 'It's okay, the fire's moving east," Soloway said when recounting the night the fire erupted. "Then we woke up and everything changed."

They had lived in the home, which they believed would be theirs forever, for just about eight months before the fire. Rotter said it still is theirs. 

"And then three days after the fire, I was like, 'Well, let's get married on the lot,'" Rotter said. "I didn't want losing my house to define me and I felt this would be a good way to rewrite positive memories over bad ones."

The emotional affair came with its own unique flair as they continued building their lives and their new home. 

"It was a new way to bring some joy back, and we're building in some love. Instead of a guest book, we had our fam and friends sign the wood," Sotoway said. 

The couple made sure that their big day also had some comic relief, with Rotter's groomsmen walking down the aisle to "Burning Down the House" by the Talking Heads. 

"We've done the crying, I mean, I still cried plenty that day," Sotoway said. "For me, at least, it let me know that marrying him was a good choice."

They say that the process of losing their home this way has provided some of the best and worst times of their lives, but they've felt the love the entire time.

"The best is the outpouring of love and support. The friends that have reached out, the love that has been there," Rotter said. 

They're also grateful for all of the new people who have come into their lives, like friends who stepped up to help them, and the architects with Altadena Collective who are rebuilding their home, and also attended the wedding.