Thinking well outside the venue box can lead to a majorly, MAJORLY amazing wedding day. Just ask this Bride and Groom who transformed an old department store in downtown Florence into what can only be described as industrial chic awesomeness with a big side of Southern romance (and biscuits!). It’s a blank canvas that really let the true natural beauty of this day shine through. Of course, Austin Gros also has a way with capturing that beauty. The result? A whole lot of goodies to pore over in the full gallery.
From the Bride…My family moved from Atlanta to Florence, AL during my freshman year of college. I considered myself a “big city girl” and was less than enthusiastic about moving to a small town in Alabama. I met Tyler at church a few weeks into the summer and we have been inseparable ever sense. Having lived in Florence his whole life, he opened my eyes to its history and charm, and I feel in love with Florence as much I did with him.
Three years later when we got engaged, we knew we wanted the city where we fell in love to play a central role in our wedding day. So, on May 26, 2012 we were married in the former, Roger’s Department Store. A landmark in the city we grew to love, and where love grew in us. This department store was in the Rogers family for four generations, was where our mothers and their mothers shopped, where Tyler’s grandfather sold toys during college, and where T.S. Stribling based a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
And now, the store will be remembered for something else: hosting its first and final wedding. The owners of the building we’re gracious enough to let us transform the empty space that sits in the downtown of our city. Some people in town thought we were crazy (and some days we did, too) but the day ended up being more perfect than we could have ever imagined.
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Photography: Austin Gros | Planning: Ashley Winkle Events | Ceremony + Reception Venue: Former Roger’s Department Store in downtown Florence, AL | Catering: Sweet Magnolia Café | Floral Design: Lola’s Gifts and Flowers | Lighting + Sounds: OverFlo Productions | Stationery Illustration: Tyler Jones | Chalkboards: Maggie Crisler | Wedding Dress: Carriage House | Groom’s Suit: Jos. A. Bank | Tie: Billy Reid