Lightning strike leaves Bay View couple homeless weeks before their wedding

BAY VIEW, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A man and his fiancé are suddenly homeless and without many of their possessions just weeks before their wedding.

Brandon Held and Candice Bentley were asleep in their Bay View apartment Monday morning when lightning struck their roof. It caught fire.

The apartment was left unlivable, a charred mess.

For now, they’re staying at Held’s parents’ house and everything they were able to salvage is in their garage.

"Certainly at this point in my life I don't want to be living with my parents anymore but thankfully they're here," Held said.

He estimates their losses total a few thousand dollars, and without renter’s insurance, Held says virtually none of that will be recouped.

"Most people forgo having that coverage and it's more important," said Rusty Bronson of Bronson Insurance Services.

Bronson tells his customers having renter’s insurance is a no-brainer, because a building owner’s insurance doesn’t cover the tenant’s property.

Held and Bentley are searching to find a new home quickly as they prepare for their wedding at the end of June.

Bentley’s dress was undamaged.

The couple’s three cats also made it out safely.

If you’d like to help, there is a GoFundMe set up.