Chelsea + Tim's Cincinnati Wedding

From the Bride: Our wedding was a day that I dreamed of and will cherish forever. Tim and I are high school sweethearts from Gahanna, Ohio. We both graduated from the University of Cincinnati and moved to Northern Kentucky in 2020. Our wedding vision was “simple, elegant with a touch of modern” We were intentional when planning our wedding to be harmonious with the space around us. Our colors of sky blue, navy blue, and silver complimented our reception venue, and we even matched the bridesmaids’ dresses to the blue of the Roebling Bridge.

The city of Cincinnati is a huge part of our love story and we wanted to include it in our wedding day. We created a custom logo that incorporated buildings from the Cincinnati skyline into our invitation suite, wedding website, card box, and even created a sign with the logo instead of a traditional guestbook that now hangs in our home. We created a smaller monogram “G” with the same design elements and included it on the invitation suite, welcome sign, seating chart, and I used my Cricut to monogram it on my ring box. We didn’t have a signature drink, but we did honor our local Kentucky tradition by burying the Bourbon. We buried a travel bottle of Maker’s Mark outside of the church a month before our wedding. Maker’s Mark is Tim’s Grandad’s favorite Bourbon, and he was unable to travel to the wedding, so this was one of the ways we chose to include and honor him. Burying the Bourbon definitely worked! We had a beautiful day, but not ten minutes after digging up the bottle and drinking it, we felt a small sprinkle of rain. Our bridal party raced to the party bus, and by the time we arrived at the reception all the weather had cleared up. Our late-night snack was hot French fries. They were a perfect salty snack and gave people the energy to stay on the dance floor the whole night.

Our officiant, Pastor Steve, was the Pastor of the church we attended in Gahanna. Having someone marry us who has seen our love grow over the course of eight years was incredibly special. We planned all our big reception events before dinner: first dance (“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran - the lyrics “We were just kids when we fell in love” resonate perfectly for us as high school sweethearts who started dating at age 16 and 18), cake cutting, parents dances, and toasts. Once the dance floor opened, it was packed until the end of the night! The overarching theme of the whole day was happy tears. Tim and I were thrilled to finally be married and we reveled in the joy of the day with our family and friends. Our favorite moment was our private last dance before our grand sparkler exit to the Twenty-One Pilots’ cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” We love the band and they’re also from the greater Columbus, Ohio area like us. During the dance, I was so overwhelmed with emotion. Celebrating this beautiful day with my person and beginning our marriage surrounded by the people we love the most in the entire world was everything I dreamed of and more.

Bride’s Advice: You can have a beautiful wedding in YOUR budget. Focus on the elements of your day that are most important to you and spend your money there! This magazine was so helpful for me during the wedding planning process because I gained inspiration from local brides in our area. Also, don’t be afraid to get creative and craft a vision that represents the two of you as a couple.

Photography: Ashleigh Grzybowski | Videography: Thompson Audio Visions | Location: Cincinnati, OH | Venue: (Ceremony) Covenant-First Presbyterian Church (Reception) The Anderson Pavilion | Florals: The Country Heart Florist | Caterer: The Anderson Pavilion Culinary Group | Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes | Music: DJ Mark Moore | Transportation: Elegant Excursions | Stationery + Paper Goods: Shutterfly | Hair + Makeup: Simply Makeup & Hair | Bride’s Attire: Stella York from Carrie Karibo Bridal | Groom’s Attire: Macy's | Jewelry: (Engagement Ring and Bride's Ring) Genesis Diamonds (Groom's Ring) Worthington Jewelers (Bride's Earrings) Dillard's (Bridesmaids' Earrings) SJ Bailey Co. | Credits: (Bride’s Veil) Bellissima Veils & Headpieces (Venue Coordinator) Brandi Ball with the Anderson Pavilion