We see a lot of rustic, outdoor affairs but a well designed city soiree can be equally as gorgeous in our eyes. Take for instance this Cincinnati wedding that has the perfect mix of glam (hello gilded chargers) and a fantabulous urban chic backdrop. If you are yearning for more of this Ohio beauty, head over to the gallery. It is filled to the absolute brim with so many pretty images from TM Photography.
After over 8 years of dating and 15 months of planning, to say we were looking forward to our wedding day would be an understatement. Being Cincinnati natives, it was important to us to have our wedding in our hometown and we wanted to show our out of town guests why we had been raving about our city for so many years. From welcome baskets at the hotel that were filled with locally made treats to a late night snack of Skyline Cheese Coneys and Graeter’s Ice Cream, our love for our city definitely showed. We got ready at a downtown hotel and then spent the afternoon riding around a trolley to capture the spirit of Cincinnati. We wanted our portraits to be different from the lush garden of our venue.
My favorite moment of the day was doing our first look. Our videographer and photographer arranged for us to meet on the stairwell of the hotel. Walking down the hall and then up the stairs to meet my soon to be husband was one of the most surreal moments. Our team perfectly captured the moment for us in pictures. We really wanted a different venue for our wedding, while still being convenient for our guests and we found that at the Taft Museum of Art. A museum that was converted from the old Taft residence, our guests were able to view all the artwork on display throughout the evening while also enjoying the gorgeous garden space. We were married outdoors in the garden and really did not want to compete with the natural beauty of garden. Inspired by my bridal gown, all our design elements sought to capture a light, airy, and romantic feel. We used an abundance of baby’s breath, lush flowers for the bridal bouquet, and over 300 candles throughout the garden to achieve this vision.
Guests were greeted by the Bride and Groom’s favorite drinks before the start of the ceremony: Root Beer for the Bride and Sweet Tea for the Groom. A specialty cocktail of gin gimlets were adorned with “Love is Sweet” stirrers for guests to enjoy during the cocktail hour. Guests found an envelope at their seats that read “Smiles Go Here” to be used to carry their photobooth strips home at the end of the evening. In a nod to my career as a lawyer, we included a quote from the California “In Re Marriages” case on our program. We tried to include subtle, little touches that reflected our journey together as a couple. While I loved planning all the details during our engagement, at the end of the day there is nothing quite like seeing your friends and family kicking off their shoes to dance the night away. We ended up not even doing a special send off because we didn’t want to leave our reception a minute early.
Photography: TM Photography / Cinematography: Poetic Cinema / Flowers: Katie Elfers of Inspired Floral Designs / Make-Up: Nancy Dawson / Hair: Jennifer Nally / Event Planning: Cincy Event Planning / Ceremony and Reception Location: Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, Ohio / Invitations: Giddy Ink / Dress: Melissa Sweet, style: Sidney from Priscilla of Boston / Bridesmaid Dress: Melissa Sweet / Band: Airwaves