Instead of letting rain ruin their big day, Illinois couple heads to Lowe’s
“How about we go to Lowe’s?”
It’s a question you’d expect to hear from new homeowners or a pro contractor, but probably not from your wedding photographer on your wedding day.
That’s exactly what happened to Stacy Howley and her new husband Michael (of about five minutes) when Mother Nature decided to rain on their parade – literally.
“The weather was not cooperating for us,” Stacy said. “We were getting married at a golf course and we really wanted pictures outside, but it was just pouring rain and there was no way around it.”
That’s when her photographer, Lauren Ashley of Lauren Ashley Studios, popped the question, “how about we go to Lowe’s?” Just that week, Ashley had been a customer at the Lowe’s of Bolingbrook, Illinois and remembers noticing how beautiful the lighting section was.
“I took some photos with my cell phone thinking, ‘Someday, I’m going to do a [photo]shoot in here,’” Ashley said. “Little did I know, it would be that weekend!”
With full trust in her photographer, Michael and Stacy said “let’s roll with it” and headed to Lowe’s.
Making the best of it
Happy to share the space with the newly wedded couple, Lowe’s managers on duty welcomed the wedding party and let them have free rein of the store. Starting in the Lowe’s garden center, Ashley whisked the couple around the store, capturing photos and memories at every stop.
“We had fun with it,” Stacy said. “We took pictures under the gazebo, in paint, in lighting with signs. It came out awesome and we get a good story out of it. And everyone, the employees, were all really nice.”
Lowe’s store manager, Wayne Brock, wasn’t working that day of the photoshoot but did hear about it first thing the next morning.
“I thought it sounded a little nutty at first,” he laughed.
Then one of his department managers received a link with all the photos and the team gathered around for a small viewing party.
“I couldn’t believe how great the pictures turned out,” Brock said. “Some of them you couldn’t even tell were in a Lowe’s store!”
Memories made
Stacy and Michael were able to capture the outdoor feel they were going for, plus a few extras they didn’t even know they wanted.
“I would say the one with the sign that we’re holding is my favorite, by the lights. There’s also one of me laughing and looking at him in front of the lights and that’s my other favorite,” Howley added.
The rain ended just in time for the couple to get back to their reception and sneak in a few photos on the grounds of the golf course after all.
Icing on the cake.
Read Ashley’s full blog post about the couple’s wedding day adventure or click through a few more photos from the photoshoot below:
