Geared Up Issue 4 2017 | Page 8

6 Love at First Lift: Couple Ties Knot at Planet Fitness Midwest Location “I t was love at first sight,” declared Joe Keith, recalling when he met Stephanie Hughes for the first time at a Planet Fitness® in Cincinnati, Ohio. But little did he know that that same PF® location would end up being the perfect place to exchange their vows. Over the course of their relationship, Planet Fitness became more to Keith and Hughes than just the spot where they met. The couple would often meet at the gym for date night, and once the workout was over, Hughes notes they would linger around for hours just talking in the lobby or parking lot. After Keith proposed, the duo got to work planning their big day, and even though they checked out a few venues, Hughes kept coming back to the place where it all started. She reached out to Planet Fitness on Facebook, providing an account of how she met the love of her life at her local club and requesting to use the facility as the venue. “I honestly didn’t think I would get a response, but I would have been so mad at myself if I didn’t at least try,” said Hughes in a video produced by PF Corporate’s Becky Zirlen and Jenna Reynolds. “Planet Fitness responded, ‘We’re going to make this a reality for you.’ I was in such shock because I just couldn’t believe it.” After more than a year of planning, the couple was finally able to say I do on Sept. 3 surrounded by 150 family members and friends. The location, which is owned by John Clancy’s Planet Fitness Midwest (PFMW), emailed club members two weeks prior to the wedding letting them know the location would be closed for a little over 24 hours and that they were free to use any of the other 12 area locations. “The first time I met with the bride and groom I was floored with how adamant they were about having their wedding at the gym and how much Stephanie Hughes and Joe Keith were able to cap their special day with wedding photos taken at the Cincinnati club. The duo sported matching bride and groom tennis shoes for their big day. both Stephanie and Joe thought of the Planet Fitness staff and atmosphere,” said Mike Hamilton, chief operating officer Planet Fitness Midwest provided the newlyweds with $5,000, which went to cover the cost of their honeymoon. for PFMW. “When my wife, Danielle, John Clancy and I viewed the video that Jenna and Becky had created, we felt very