Let me just start this by saying that it has taken me 4 weeks to write a wedding post because I have been so exhausted from the last couple of weeks of planning it that I needed to recover for a good month first. Kidding…kind of 🙂
Someday I will do a big post on the story of myself and Peter’s relationship and the long bumpy road we took to get where we are today. But for the background purposes of this particular wedding-focused post, you just need to know that we’ve done everything backwards. We had a baby. Separated for a while. Got back together. Bought a house. Got engaged. Had a second baby. Got married at the courthouse and didn’t tell anyone.
THEN… we finally decided to have a wedding, and officially marry in a church with all of our family and friends there to witness it. Basically everything leading up to our wedding day was just us trying to see how uncomfortable we could make the Catholic church feel about us wanting to get married in it.
Miraculously they agreed…and it was the most perfect day ever.
You know when you’re going through a really hard time and someone tells you “it’s all part of God’s plan” or “everything happens for a reason” and you want to punch them in the face? Yeah…I do too. But looking back on the past 6+ years of mine and Peter’s relationship and the two beautiful children we’ve brought into this world, I truly do believe that it was all part of a bigger plan. To teach us things. To make us parents. To help us grow into the people we are today. There were times when I couldn’t see the bigger picture, but standing on the altar of that church looking at my husband, everything seemed so clear. It all makes sense now.
I always knew I wanted a simple, elegant wedding. Nothing super trendy, no bright colors. All Peter really cared about was that we had good food and a good band. Everything else was up to me. That was when I really knew I found a keeper!
I worked hard to bring the secret “future wedding” Pinterest board that I’d been pinning to for approximately 15 years to life. We ended up with classic black tuxs, black floor-length bridesmaids dresses, white florals with heavy greenery, and gold accents.
We started our day getting ready with the ladies from the Bride Bar. They came to our hotel to do our hair and makeup, and did such an amazing job. They were on time, professional, fun and such experts! Everyone looked and felt so beautiful. Especially my mom. She wore fake eyelashes for the first time in her life and I’ve never seen her feel more confident and pretty, which made my soul so happy!
Our ceremony was at the church we belong to here in our hometown. The party bus picked us girls up at the Westin, dropped us at the church, then headed to our house to pick up the guys. I never wanted to do a “first look”. Ever since I can remember, I’ve pictured the way I would feel when I walked down the aisle and saw my husband standing there for the first time.
*cue the tears just thinking about it again*
After our ceremony, we headed to the Westin Hotel in downtown Columbus for our reception. The venue is a super old ballroom with marble floors, huge floor-length mirrors and lots of natural light. I fell in love with how romantic and glamorous the space felt the second I saw it!
We started the reception with the entrance of the wedding party, and then did our first dance. We danced to “You Make it Easy” by Jason Aldean, which is a song we’ve both always loved (and that our 5-year-old son Peter knows every word to). After our dance, we did the father/daughter dance (“Daughters” by John Mayer) and the mother/son dance (“Forever Young” by Rod Stewart).
Next up were the toasts, which started with my dad. I don’t even know how to describe how funny and ridiculous and great his speech was, so instead I’ll just leave it to your imagination and tell you that he said the word vagina in front of 225 of our closest friends and family.
My sister Katie was my maid of honor and her speech was next, followed by Peter’s best man/best friend Nick. Both of their speeches were so great, I wish I could go back and re-listen to them both 100 times.
Next was dinner from the amazing chefs at the Westin, and dessert was a small 50-person cake and a big wall of donuts. Then it was time to dance the night away and drink way too many cocktails with our band, 88 Keys and the Truth. They are a four-person dueling piano band with 2 pianos, a bass player and a drummer. The leader of the band worked at the Big Bang piano bars for 10+ years (first in Nashville, then in Columbus) and if you’ve been to one of those, you know it’s a great time!
I could go on and on forever about every little detail and how great everything was, but we’ve got plenty of time for that. I still have so many more pictures plus the video which I cannot WAIT to see!
I am very lucky to say that every single vendor I worked with was a dream and I would recommend them to anyone getting married in Columbus!
Vendor Cred:
Hair and makeup: The Bride Bar
Wedding dress: Vera Wang from La Jeune Mariee Bridal Collection
Bridesmaids Dresses: Gilded Social
Rings: Leo Alfred
Church: St. Brigid of Kildare
Reception venue: The Westin Great Southern
Cake: Our CupCakery
Florals: Rose Bredl
Tuxs: Vera Wang from Men’s Warehouse
Donuts: The Little Donut Shop
Invitations/programs/menus: Katie Speelman, Speelman Creative
Photography: Alicia Mink
