Newlyweds off to a clean start

Kalispell couple took each other to the cleaners

The Daily Inter Lake

It was a match made in Hoovers.

Sarah Browning and Luke Kehoe of Kalispell had planned an outdoor wedding Jan. 13 in Woodland Park. But by noon, when the ceremony was scheduled to begin, the thermometer had climbed to a brisk 2 below zero.

Luckily, their mothers had prepared for just such an emergency. They'd decorated the bride and groom's place of employment, and the ceremony moved inside to warmer quarters: A-1 Vacuum and Janitorial Supply.

Tables were shoved aside and a red carpet laid down to create a makeshift aisle. As company manager Dagon Browning walked his daughter down the aisle, the guests - most of whom were standing because there weren't enough folding chairs to go around - hummed or sang "Here Comes the Bride." The bride and groom exchanged vows against a bright backdrop of bolts of fabric.

And throughout the ceremony, customers browsed through vacuums and supplies.

"They [the customers] loved it," owner Fran Tabor said. "There was quite a bit of looking around, then once they heard it was a wedding, they had big grins."

The reception took place in the store immediately after the ceremony. Customers who'd expected to leave with vacuum cleaners found themselves holding slices of cake.

"The bride and groom received best wishes from total strangers who became instant friends," Tabor said. "It was a whole lot of fun and very impromptu."

Browning and Kehoe had planned a "Doctor Zhivago"-style wedding in Woodland Park's frozen rose gardens.

"Being adventurous Montana kids, they wanted to have an outdoor wedding, even though they knew it was going to be cold out," Tabor said. "But it turned out to be a whole lot colder than they thought."

Their mothers put Plan B into action and decorated A-1 Vacuum the evening before and morning of the wedding.

"The kids kept hoping the weather would warm up," Tabor said. "But the officiating people and everybody else knew a sleeveless white satin dress and below-zero weather did not go together - even in Montana."

Moving the ceremony inside benefited more than just the wedding party and guests. Tabor said the "party atmosphere" put customers in a good mood, and that the store sold more vacuum cleaners than it usually does on a Saturday.

"Everybody just had a good time laughing," she said. "It worked out very good for everybody."

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com