Elizabeth + Ben's Fort Thomas Wedding

From the Bride: Our wedding was the perfect combination of simple, traditional style with a bit of glamour. As one of the first weddings able to take place where the majority of people were vaccinated against COVID-19, we wanted a warm and comfortable atmosphere for us and our guests. I started out the day by giving mini personalized champagne bottles to my maids and enjoying mimosas and delicious monogramed wedding cookies while we got ready at Hotel Covington. Ben and his groomsmen got ready at our home in Fort Thomas. A particularly special aspect of the day was that I used a purse given to me by mine and Ben’s mothers on our original wedding date in 2020. It was made by a family friend using both of their wedding gowns. Our ceremony took place at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Fort Thomas, KY, which is the church Ben grew up in and where his parents were married 37 years earlier. The ceremony was limited to immediate family and was an intimate affair. The most memorable sight from my wedding was when I stood at the back of the church and my husband saw me for the first time even though no one had realized it yet and I was supposedly still "hidden". His face lit up like I have never seen it before. My father sing "The Blessing" during our ceremony, which wishes blessings onto our family and children for generations. Stephanie Hilen began the live wedding painting of our exit from the church during the ceremony and continued it during cocktail hour so other guests were able to feel a part of the ceremony. My most memorable touch was visiting Ben's grandmother after the ceremony. She was unable to make it to the ceremony but we stopped by her house after the ceremony and she squeezed my hand and told us how happy she was for us. It was a special moment neither of us will ever forget.

Guests were greeted at the cocktail hour by a custom-made sign crafted by my stepfather and inspired by the “Shhh, It’s Wedding Time” sign at the Wedding Chapel at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV. The Greenbrier is a special place for us as it was one of our first vacations together and Ben and I were engaged in the chapel in 2018. Upon entering the Hotel Covington courtyard, guests were able to get a glass of celebratory champagne from a beautiful glass shelf just inside the door. Family wedding photos and the live wedding painting were also waiting in the courtyard. Hors d’oeuvres were served including corn fritters, crab cakes, caprese salad kabobs, and personal size charcuterie plates for COVID safety. We were able to join cocktail hour and contribute to our painting with Stephanie’s supervision. Ben decided to leave our mark on the painting by putting a small bluebird in one of the pews. Our signature cocktail was dubbed “Berry Schloss” and was a spring version of a Schlosser family secret recipe for bourbon apple cider named Apple Schloss. It consisted of Woodford Reserve, strawberry syrup, dried fruit bitters, and club soda.

Before dinner, my mother welcomed everyone to the event. At each place setting, in lieu of a menu card was a special prayer written by my great grandfather, Dr. Elwood A. Rowsey. My mom and her sister led the guests through this blessing. Dinner was prepared and served by Coppin’s at Hotel Covington. Entrée options consisted of Scottish Salmon, Filet Mignon, or Buttermilk Fried Chicken. We wanted to put a spin on the traditional wedding chicken meal so, being in Kentucky, went with a fried chicken. Cake cutting and dancing followed dinner with incredible entertainment from our band, The Naked Karate Girls. The band set the tone for the rest of the evening and passed out 3 ft sombreros to all the guests during one song. Over two years before when picking out a venue, my final question before booking Hotel Covington was “Can we roast s’mores at the fireplace?” and they delivered! A s’mores bar was set up at the fireplace in the courtyard (a first at this venue) and included many variations on the traditional s’more. Mini pecan tarts, lemon bars, and chocolate covered strawberries were served in addition to the incredible wedding cake by A Spoon Fulla Sugar. The evening ended with a quiet getaway between Ben and I as we rode the elevator to our wedding suite.