Adrianne and Rodney

Wedding Date: August 18, 2012

Coordinator: Erin and Jim

I know that I say this every time, but this blog entry is seriously one of my favorites.  Not because of it’s amazing beach theme and beautiful decorations.  Not because of the amazing food served by Weiland’s Gourmet Market.  It’s because this wedding was for one of the family!

Adrianne is one of our very own.  She was part of the event coordinator team here at the Ohio Historical Society for over six years and planned plenty of weddings while she worked with us.  It was so great to have her come back and use our spaces for her own celebration!

Adrianne and Rodney were married on the beach in Florida on June 17, 2012 surrounded by their closest friends and family.  It was an intimate and beautiful ceremony.  They wanted to celebrate with the rest of their loved ones, as well, so on August 18, 2012, they did just that.  With the tables clothed in a sandy-brown, starfish seat markers, and sandy centerpieces, the party was stunning.  Two-hundred and ten people joined Jim and I to shower Adrianne and Rodney with congratulations.

Adrianne chose the Red Carpet Area of the museum for her celebration.  This space is right in the center of our museum floor and surrounded by the exhibits.  Adrianne explained, “I am very familiar with all of the wedding spaces at OHS, but I chose the Red Carpet Area because it is so unique.   When I worked here, weddings in that space were my favorite.  The Red Carpet is very dramatic and guests have a unique opportunity to tour the museum with a cocktail in hand.  This is perfect for the cocktail hour while they wait for the bride and groom to arrive.”  Their guests took full advantage of this amenity as they enjoyed the open-bar, compliments of the groom’s parents.

It is so nice when a bride knows the space so well and knows exactly how she wants it to look.  She can basically plan the wedding herself!  Rodney, however, was still on the fence about the event space.  He couldn’t see how we could bring the feel of their beach wedding into the reception but we told him that he would just have to trust us.  Jim says: “For me, the highlight of their reception was when Rodney came to me right before it started and said, ‘I had my doubts, but you pulled it off!  It looks perfect!’”

When the cocktail hour was over the guests made their way to the tables and took their seats.  Weiland’s Gourmet Market catered the event and prepared an amazing buffet with food grilled fresh at our venue.

Honey Soy Glazed Grilled Boneless Pork Chops
Teriyaki Marinated Chicken & Veggie Kebobs
Herb Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes
Fresh Green Beans Almondine
Cranberry, Mandarin Spinach Salad with Crumbled Goat Cheese Served with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Assorted Rolls & Homemade Fresh Herbed Foccacia Breads with Butter
Vegetarian Option – Eggplant stuffed with Quinoa

Steve, from Weiland’s, catered many events for Adrianne while she worked here, so it was no surprise to us that she would choose him to cater her own reception.  He and his whole team did an incredible job.

As dinner wrapped up, Adrianne and Rodney thanked all of their guests for coming and invited them to view their wedding video.  The Red Carpet Area was perfect for this part of the evening, as well.  Guests could stay in their seats and see the video, projected onto the museum’s presentation screen.  “This was my favorite part of the reception,” says Adrianne.  “Having all of our friends and family watch the projection screen and see our beach wedding was wonderful.  They were able to see the highlights of our wedding day, witness our sand ceremony and hear us exchange vows.”  The background music to the video was the couple’s wedding song: Free by Zac Brown Band.

I have to agree with Adrianne that this was the most special part of the evening.  I certainly recommend this to anyone who has a destination wedding.  Come back home and share those special memories with the rest of your loved ones who couldn’t make the trip.

When the video ended, the DJ (Fiesta Sounds) invited the couple onto the dance floor where they danced to their song together.  After one more song for all of the married couples (the Anniversary Dance), the rest of the guests joined them on the dance floor for an energetic evening.   With an open bar adjacent to the dance floor and the museum open for their browsing, this was a great celebration.

Helping Adrianne with her wedding was so exciting and extremely rewarding.  The tables had turned and one of our own was celebrating her marriage.  We knew we had to make it special, and I think we did just that.

True to her event planning past, Adrianne’s advice to future brides is simple and sweet:

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Congratulations Adrianne and Rodney!  We are so happy for you both!

Kara and Rob

Wedding Date: June 16, 2012

Coordinator: Erin and Jim

We really didn’t want to make things confusing with two brides named Kara side by side on our blog’s homepage, but I cannot wait any longer to share these pictures with you.  Plus, I have faith that you readers will keep up.  So here you go: another beautiful bride named Kara marries her handsome groom, Robert…

This couple was amazing to work with.  They were looking for a church that would allow them to marry without attaching a particular denomination to the ceremony.  Kara did a lot of research and we are so happy that she finally found the Ohio Village Church.  Our space here is interpretive and looks exactly like a traditional, formal place of worship, but there are actually no religious symbols in the building.  We welcome any faith and tradition into the church… and you may certainly bring the officiant of your choice!  These things make our church perfect for any couple.

Kara’s words about her wedding are beautiful:  “Our wedding weekend was the most magical of my life, and it would not have been nearly as special without the help of Jim Riley and his team at the Ohio Village  The grounds are beautiful and the church itself is a special place to get married. It is cozy and intimate, and as you can see from the photos, the location is gorgeous! Our photographer was in heaven on the Ohio Village grounds with all of the beautiful colors and settings.”  Stephanie Lehnert from Novia Photography did an amazing job.  It takes a lot of talent to get a “first look” shot as great as this one.   How beautiful is this couple?

When I asked Kara about her favorite part of the day, she answered, “Besides marrying my best friend, I think my favorite part of the day was walking around the village grounds prior to the ceremony and taking photos in front of the gazebo and all of the fun buildings.”

Stephanie also took great shots of Kara dressing in the American House Hotel.  It was actually Rob’s idea for Kara and her bridesmaids to use that space for staging and dressing.  What a great man!  “I would highly recommend this to any bride planning her wedding at the Ohio Village ” Kara said.  “It was so nice to have that extra room to spread out, relax, and stay cool before our June nuptials.”  It’s also great for pictures!

Not only did the bride use this area for getting ready, the couple also rented the hotel for their rehearsal dinner the night before.   Kara explained, “It was so nice to be able to walk from the rehearsal at the church to the dinner steps away. The garden area is a beautiful spot to talk and enjoy a cocktail hour, and the room was intimate and perfect for our 42 guest dinner. Ohio Village handles the alcohol; we worked with one of the Ohio Village preferred caterers and had an amazing meal.”

Their caterer, Kimberly from Made from Scratch, did an amazing job coordinating an appetizer hour followed by a beautiful plated meal.  Rob chose a selection of our Ohio wine and domestic beer for guests to enjoy in the gardens of the Ohio Village with their appetizers and in the Victorian Dining Room with their dinner.  Jim and I are in complete agreement: this is our favorite memory from this wedding.  The family and friends who gathered at this dinner were so energetic and had a great time.  It was wonderful to watch them celebrate through laughter, tell great stories, and exchange heartfelt gifts.

Kara’s advice to couples planning now:

“Take a deep breath and relax and do not sweat the small stuff. Picking great venues, such as Ohio Village  with staff that help out a lot in advance of your event and the weekend of the event also helps tremendously. I did not use a wedding planner and honestly didn’t feel as if I needed one because the staff at Ohio Village had everything under control. There is a lot of work to be done upfront when you first set your date, and about a month or two before the wedding, but spend the time in between enjoying your fiancé and not worrying about every little thing that could go wrong.”

Processional:  Bridal Chorus

Recessional: Wedding March, then “In the Mood” by Glenn Miller

First Dance:  “Never My Love” – Pete Yorn

Cheers Kara and Rob!  Thank you for sharing your special day with us!

Kara and Brad

Wedding Date: September 1, 2012

Coordinator: Erin

Kara and Brad’s wedding was unforgettable for me.  They wanted their day to honor not only their love for each other, but those in their family who loved and supported them along the way.  This was a true celebration for all of their loved ones.  Take a look at how she hung photos of past generations on the end of the pews.  It was such a great touch.  I cannot find a better word for their day other than “poetic.”

Education is very important to the couple, which may be how they came across our venues at the Ohio Historical Society.  She explained that she was looking for something that fit her vision: “Something out of a Jane Austen novel, perhaps?”  Oh, how I love her for this.

Kara says, “The question I got most after our wedding was, ‘How did you find this place?’ Lots of people have heard of OHS, and lots of people have visited, everyone remembers a grade school field trip, but no one I talked with at the time seemed to know that the church was available for rental.  When I found a picture of the church on the OHS website and saw that it was available for weddings, I knew I wanted to check it out. And our first visit couldn’t have been better – Erin was so helpful and accommodating, answering all of our questions – that we left knowing that OHS was the place for our wedding.”

Thankfully for their Labor Day weekend wedding date, this couple has a love of history and all things vintage.  Every year during that weekend, the Ohio Village hosts the Ohio Cup where vintage baseball teams from around the state come together for a big tournament.  When I told Kara that her wedding would take place during this tournament, to my surprise, she was thrilled!  She explains, “My favorite part of my time at the Ohio Village was when we walked outside to drive away and we saw all of the baseball players from the Vintage Baseball Festival playing out on the fields. That’s one of the great things about OHS – there are so many unique aspects to holding an event there. Who else can say they got married during a vintage baseball festival?”

We actually had another wedding that weekend too, so at least one other couple… but we won’t tell Kara.

But honestly, I think the vintage baseball players enjoyed her wedding just as much as she enjoyed them.  They could barely focus on their games as they stared at her brother’s beautiful ’57 Chevy Bel Air that waited outside of the church.  I remember watching the players clap along with the wedding guests as Kara and Brad made their grand exit.

Another of Kara’s favorite moments of the day, she says, was also when she was feeling the biggest butterflies:  “My favorite moment of the day was probably also my most nervous moment: when Erin opened the door to the sanctuary and my dad and I walked in. Just moments before, I had been standing on the stairs waiting to go in to the vestibule to meet my dad, and I had experienced my only moment of mild panic. I thought to myself, ‘I’m getting married. I am really getting married!’ And then I met my dad, and Erin opened the door, and we walked through.  I saw everyone smiling at us, and Brad waiting for me, and I wasn’t nervous anymore.”

After I talked to Kara about her wedding memories, I had to go back into my files and pull out her program.  She and her maid of honor put these together; they are stunning and, quite literally, poetic.  When you open the program, the first thing you read is “Song of the Open Road” by Walt Whitman.  As you read on you find “Either/Or” by Soren Kierkegaard, followed by a beautifully personal “thank you” to her loved ones.

While I remembered the beauty of the program, what I will never forget is the brilliance of the readings:   “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams,  “The Third Body” by Robert Bly, and  “The Confirmation” by Edwin Muir.  (Take a minute to look these up. They are worth the read.)  Each one was lyrical and perfect for the couple.  While Kara talked about the unique venue, I was thinking about how unique her entire day was.  They took every chance they could to make their day personal and special.  Their hard work paid off!

And Jane Austen would be proud!

Kara’s Advice to other couples approaching their wedding:

Absolutely, positively, record as much of the event as you can. You don’t realize this because you’re getting ready/taking care of details, but you don’t get to see your guests arrive. You don’t get to see the reaction to your musical choices or to the entry of your attendants. Even if you just set up a camcorder on a tripod in the corner of the church, record your event! You will be so happy you did.

Families Processional: “Someday Some Morning Sometime,” – Wilco

Attendants Processional: “First Day of My Life” – Bright Eyes

Bride Processional: Pachelbel’s Canon in D

Recessional: “Till Kingdom Come” – Coldplay

Take a look at their pictures and tell us what you think!

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Shana and Steve

Wedding Date: September 22, 2012

Coordinator: Erin

When I met Shana about a year ago to show her the Ohio Village Church for the first time, she seemed to know exactly what she was looking for.  Shana was so relaxed and calm through the whole process, not to mention incredibly organized!  I will never forget the color-coded spreadsheet she sent me about a month before her wedding which included her day-of timeline and a list of her vendors with arrival times and contact information… a girl after my own heart!

A few weeks after her wedding, I contacted her again to see how she was doing.  When we talked she said, “I fell in love with the site the moment I saw it.  It was exactly what I was looking for.  We were in need of a place that was both affordable and would allow us to use our own pastor.  The Village Church was the only thing we fould. ”

When I brought Shana to the church for the first time, she loved it for it’s natural decor.  On her wedding day, she simply hung decore on the pews and placed planted flowers on the altar.  “It saved me a lot of money!” she said.  The stained glass of the church let in beautiful light on her wedding day which looked amazing in her photographs.  She also loved the outdoor vitage motif of the Ohio Village.  It offered a lot of variety for her photos.

Shana explains, “The staff at the Ohio Village Church had a lot of advice on different things that people did for the ceremony, photos and decorations.  Whenever I hit a roadblock, Erin always had a recommendation based off of her experience with other brides.  It was great to use her as a resouce!  Also, on the day of the wedding, and even for the rehearsal, it was great having her there to direct everyone and make sure the day went smoothly and on time… one thing that a bride should not have to worry about!  It was great knowing she was upstairs running the show just the way I had asked her to.”  That’s my Job, Shana!  I am there to handle the logistics and worry about the details for each couple so that they can focus on what is most important.  I always tell my brides: “The vows matter most.”

When I asked Shana to tell me about her favorite part of her wedding day, I just knew it would be about the pictures.  The whole bridal party seemed to have a blast taking these shots.  Jeanne Arkfeld Photography did a great job capturing that enery!  Shana said, “We had so much fun walking around the village and choosing which places we wanted a quick picture.  It was a VERY windy day… so it was great that we found a few nooks in the village to tuck into and take photos without the bridesmaid’s dresses flying up!”

My favorite moment of working with Shana and Steve (besides the color-coded timeline) came right before their ceremony.  Shana came into the church and cracked open the door to the vestibule where Steve was waiting.  They couldn’t see one another, but they held hands around the door and talked for a few beautiful moments.  “I hadn’t talked to him all day and it was so nice to hear his voice,” Shana explained.

Steve and Shana’s advice to couples planning now:

“Take caution when sending save-the-dates.  We sent a save-the-date to everyone on our innitial guest list about 7 months before the wedding.  It was amazing to find how many people we had completely lost touch with and how many new friends we made in those few months before we were mailing actual invitations.  Unfortunately, we had basically locked in our guest list so a lot of our new clost friends weren’t included due to budget restrictions.  Only send save-the-dates to family and VERY close friends!”

Processional Song: The First Day of my Life – Bright Eyes

First Dance: Wrapped in your Arms – Fireflight

Steve and Shana played music by Frank Sinatra in the church as guests arrived and again during their recessional.

Take a look at the full gallery of their wedding pictures below and tell us what you think!

Sarah and Rick

Wedding Date: June 18, 2011

Coordinator: Jim

I have to admit sometimes on the initial meetings with a bridal couple you have a sense this is going to be a fun wedding. This is how I felt when I first met Sarah and Rick.

At first, some couples can become overwhelmed by the planning.  It was so great to have Sarah and Rick with wonderful ideas from the beginning. I usually say that our job is to pull all of those ideas together and then make it work on that special day.  “I didn’t have to worry about anything.” Sarah said.  “The last thing brides should be worried about is all of the details on the day of the wedding; everyone should just relax and have fun! Jim made sure that everything was taken care of and the day could be enjoyed.”

Sarah and Rick were married on June 18, 2011 in the beautiful Ohio Village Church.  They took full advantage of the unique settings within the Village to truly make their wedding celebration their own and create a classic and romantic feel for their whole day.   Take a look at their great shots by Benajamin James Photography.

When their guests arrived they found special signs throughout the village that the couple had placed out to guide them to the Church.  Each arrow was inscribed with a quote from their engagement that was very special to the couple.  As a planner it is always fun to see those special touches appreciated by the guest. I can still remember the reactions as guests read each of the signs and looked forward to the next one they came across.

Sarah even thought about making her experience of getting ready for the ceremony special. When she first saw the Victorian room of the American House hotel she immediately wanted to use this for her changing space.  Less than 100 yards from the Ohio Village Church, this space is decorated beautifully in the Victorian style of the late 1800’s.  It provides additional privacy for the bride as the groom gets ready inside the church.  When we asked Sarah about it she just gushed that “it was so much fun.  We watched as all of the guests arrived.  We got ready together.  It was such a great space so we didn’t feel cramped and the décor made for some great getting-ready pictures!”

    

Sarah said, “My favorite moment of our wedding day was right before I walked down the aisle.  All of the bridesmaids had gone, my flower girls had just left, and the big church doors closed in preparation for my dad and me.  My dad asked if I wanted to hold hands or link arms; I wanted to hold hands.  We stood there for a moment and my dad said, ‘Enjoy this.  It only happens once.’  I closed my eyes, the music changed and the doors opened.  I locked eyes with Rick and I could not look anywhere else.  I remember thinking, ‘Remember this, remember this,’ as my dad slowly walked me down the aisle.”  Sarah explained how surreal that moment was; there were 200 eyes on her, but all she cared about was her groom.

I have to say, one of my favorite moments of the wedding was seeing the faces of the guests while Sarah and Rick walked, with big smiles, out of the church to “Ain’t that a kick in the head”.  As the guests heard Dean Martin sing, you could see the wave of realization hit them as big smiles lit up each face.  They made a traditional recessional into their own unique moment; that is always special for me to witness.

Sarah and Rick’s advice to couples planning now:

“This whole thing, the whole planning process, the whole day, is about you two.  It isn’t about what your mother thinks is best, what tradition says is important or what the etiquette books state. Make your decisions and be done with them.  Enjoy this time with your fiancé, because you are only engaged for a short time.  Then, enjoy the wedding day with your groom.  It goes by so fast that you can’t worry about all of the small things.”

Processional Song: Cider House Rules Main Title (The Notebook’s trailer song)

Recessional Song:  “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” Dean Martin

First Dance:  Sarah and Rick had an eighteen piece swing band play “MoonRiver” by Andy Williams.

Take a look at their pictures and tell us what you think!

What a unique recessional song! So fun, just like the couple.

“Is there anything that could make this more perfect?” – Rick

Sarah gets ready in the Victorian Room in the Ohio Village.

Jennifer and Justin

Wedding Date: August 18, 2012

Coordinator: Erin

I had so much fun working with Jennifer and Justin.  Jennifer was so relaxed and calm: a vision of class on her wedding day and throughout the planning process.  “Our wedding was exactly what we pictured and we enjoyed every moment of the day.  We put a lot of thought into the type of day we wanted and then we did a lot of research to find the right vendors and places that fit.  We wanted our guests to feel relaxed and we hoped they would be able to feel our love and share in our joy throughout the day,” she explained.

When I first gave Jennifer and Justin a tour through the Ohio Village, they knew that it would help them give that love and joy to their guests.  It provided the intimate setting they wanted without the restrictions they found at other churches.  “We loved having our good friend, Thomas, officiate the ceremony for us.  It was very personal.”  The size of the church was perfect for their guests.  It was intimate and comfortable.  Jennifer was also comforted that I would be there during the ceremony do direct the day and make sure everyone involved was doing their job.  “I didn’t have to worry about anything because I knew Erin would ensure people were where they were supposed to be and doing what they were supposed to be doing,” Jennifer said.

I asked Jennifer what her favorite moment of her day was.  “It was the vows,” she said.  “Up until that point, I was nervous.  I was thinking about being in front of everyone.  When Justin said his vows to me, I was completely in that moment and everything else went out of my mind.  It was like I could feel every single word he said.  It was really incredible and emotional.”

I will always remember the music that Jennifer and Justin chose for their ceremony and the way their song choices made the church feel.  That is my favorite memory from their wedding.  Jennifer explained her choices: “Justin and I are a bit non-traditional, and I’m a child of the 80′s.  The first time I heard the Vitamin String Quartet’s version of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mind,’ I knew that was the perfect song for walking down the aisle.”  Fiddles and Faces, an amazing violin duo from Central Ohio, worked with Jennifer and Justin to create the unique and upbeat feel for their ceremony.  After the last bridesmaid began walking down the aisle, I closed the doors to the church and waited with Jennifer, her father and her step father .  Together, we heard the music change to “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and we listened as the introduction passed, the perfect moment of the song came and I opened the doors.  Hearing the church filled with that beautiful song, as everyone turned to watch Jennifer walk down the aisle was a very powerful moment.  I will never forget that.

Jennifer’s Advice to other Brides:

“Erin gave me a great piece of advice that I didn’t take!  Just before I walked down the aisle, she told me to take my time, walk slowly and take it all in.  Well, as soon as those church doors opened I basically sprinted down the aisle.  There aren’t even any good pictures of my walk because my dad and step-dad were behind me, tugging at my arms trying to slow me down.  So, I would tell any bride to really, really try to walk slowly!”

Processional: Sweet Child O’ Mine

Recessional: Just the Way You Are – Bruno Mars

Jennifer and Justin in the Ohio Village Church

The vows!

Jennifer and Justin took unique shots around the Ohio Village after their ceremony.