NEED TO KNOW
- In June 2026, a New York florist spent nearly 30 minutes lying on the ground in the pouring rain to keep a wedding flower installation from falling during an unexpected storm
- At the time, the bride had no idea it was happening until she saw a behind-the-scenes video later that night
- A video of the florist has since gone viral, with millions praising the dedication and teamwork that helped make the day unforgettable
When an unexpected storm swept across Hannah and William Quillen’s June wedding, guests reached for umbrellas as rain, wind and thunder rolled over Lake George, N.Y.
What they didn’t see was florist Lexee Goertzen, 34, lying behind the ceremony flowers for nearly 30 minutes, holding up a large floral installation so it wouldn’t fall as the bride and groom said “I do.”
Little did she know that a video of that moment — taken by the couple’s wedding planner, Kelly Jeanmaire — would later go viral and amass over 4.5 million views.
“I remember thinking that this was one of those moments the couple and the florist would probably laugh about years from now,” Jeanmaire tells PEOPLE exclusively. “None of us expected that millions of people would end up seeing it too.”
Goertzen had just sat down with her sister after finishing the day’s setup when heavy rain, strong wind and thunder suddenly moved into the area, breaking one of the tallest flower installations into two pieces.
Knowing there wasn’t time to repair it, Goertzen found another solution.
“Without hesitation, I ran down the hill around the ceremony while the guests were focused on watching the wedding party walking down the aisle,” she recalls. “Luckily, the installation was big enough I knew I could hide behind it, so I just lay down.”
She remained on the ground for the duration of the ceremony, keeping the arrangement upright while rain continued to fall. But by the time it ended, she was drenched.
“My ear filled up with water from the rain, so what I heard was pretty muffled but really beautiful nonetheless. I made eye contact with the bride’s uncle at one point from around the corner, and he gave me a thumbs up, which was super cute,” Goertzen says.
“My husband and I have five kids, so honestly, it was very relaxing lying down for 30 minutes,” she jokes. “I might as well have jumped in the lake, I was so wet. I was wringing my shirt out afterwards.”
Although the weather was unexpected, Jeanmaire’s planning team was well prepared, and umbrellas were immediately distributed to guests, allowing the outdoor ceremony to continue while vendors addressed challenges out of sight.
As Jeanmaire moved around the ceremony, checking on different aspects of the event, she noticed what initially appeared to be something unusual behind the flowers.
“That’s when I noticed what honestly looked like a strange shape behind the floral installation. When I got closer, I realized it was the florist lying on the ground in the pouring rain, completely uncovered, holding one of the floral pieces in place so it wouldn’t fall,” she recalls. “I was honestly blown away.”
Almost instantly, Jeanmaire started recording the moment as a way to highlight the collaboration that makes weddings possible when plans suddenly change.
“I think the video reminded people that weddings don’t come together because of one person,” she says. “They happen because of an entire team of professionals who genuinely care about the couple and are willing to step up when something unexpected happens.”
The bride, however, had no idea any of it was happening. Focused on the ceremony, Hannah didn’t learn about Goertzen’s efforts until later that night when she came across the video on social media. Shocked, she “screamed and laughed” before immediately texting the florist.
“When the bride texted me at 11 p.m. … I was so happy that the vision of that install was maintained and she didn’t even know I was there,” Goertzen tells PEOPLE. “Which was my plan all along!”
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Looking back, the couple says it was “incredible to realize how much [our vendors] were doing without ever letting us know.”
From navigating the unexpected storm to ensuring the flowers remained picture-perfect, they say the team “handled challenges before we even knew they existed” and “gave us the freedom to simply be present and enjoy every second of our wedding day.”
The experience also reinforced that choosing vendors is “about so much more than hiring talented professionals.” Instead, Hannah tells PEOPLE it’s “about surrounding yourself with people you trust completely.”
By the end of the wedding weekend, she says, “they didn’t feel like vendors anymore. They felt like family.”
