Becca + Corey’s Smale Riverfront Wedding Celebration

January 27, 2020 Nicolette Meade

How did you and Corey meet? What was your first impression of him? What was his first impression of you?

Corey and I met at an Indiana University basketball game – What’s more iconic than that for two IU students? Fun fact: My parents were in Bloomington that day and actually dropped me off at the game. Little did any of us know, I was about to meet my future husband! I actually did not remember meeting him at this time exactly until he told me later, so I guess I never really had that “first impression.” Though after the game Corey reached out to my friend to get my number and the rest is history.

How did you decide on your venue? Why was it the perfect choice?

Since Corey is originally from New Jersey we knew we were going to have a lot of out of town guests. I wanted to show off the city of Cincinnati and give them the best taste of a place I love so much. Therefore, I limited all my options to a place that had some sort of view. When touring Anderson Pavilion I loved the floor to ceiling windows that look out over the Roebling Bridge and the location in Smale Park which has become one of my favorite areas downtown.

A beautiful, bright, fun wedding that captures so many unique and charming aspects of the Queen City. Becca and Corey's welcome dinner at Via Vite and reception on the banks of the Ohio River at Anderson Pavilion allowed out of town guests to experience Smale Riverfront Park and downtown Cincinnati at its finest. Their wedding invitation and table numbers incorporated the iconic Roebling Bridge motif. 1326 Studios photographed the day.

How was your personal style reflected in your wedding day?

Throughout the planning process I wanted to focus on making the entire day and evening both fun and timeless. I wanted to create an environment where all guests felt relaxed, comfortable and most importantly were enjoying themselves as much as I knew Corey and I would. I believe this perfectly encompasses my personality. I’m typically told I am a pretty loud and outgoing, but I am always worried about making sure everyone around me is happy.

1326 Photography

Tell us about the proposal.

On a Friday evening in May I came home to a note from Corey left in our apartment to meet him on the roof top of our first apartment together in Chicago. The rooftop has an amazing view of both downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan. Corey arranged for the apartment complex to allow us onto the roof prior to it opening to all residents the next day. After the proposal we went to facetime our families and while we were doing so they all walked out on the roof and the celebrations were officially kicked off… but not over yet. The following evening Corey planned a surprise party and had arranged for all of our closest friends to fly/drive into Chicago to join us. After the wedding this was MOST definitely one of the best nights of my life.

What was your favorite detail?

My favorite detail was most definitely the flowers. Janet at Floral Verde is so incredibly talented. She made all my visions and dreams come true. Since I was having an all white wedding I heavily relied on flowers to bring in all color, and that they did. The flower color palette along with the Roebling Bridge became the main theme that we carried throughout all of our stationery for the weekend. Kristen’s incredible eye and talent helped bring this all to life in such a beautiful, classic, and fun way.

1326 Studio Photography

Tell us about finding your dress.

My mom, sister, aunt, and cousin all came up to Chicago for a girl’s weekend. At the third and final appointment I pulled a dress off the rack and said “this is so plain, but it feels so me.” The bridal consultant I was working with immediately added a bolero and different belts to give me a ceremony look and a reception look. I loved this idea. Since our ceremony took place at St. Xavier I felt that the bolero matched the grand elegance of the church, and when removed the dress transformed into a modern classic to match the reception venue. Not being an emotional person I did not expect to have that “moment.” Although, when the bridal consultant asked me if I could imagine walking down the aisle towards Corey in the dress I immediately started crying (along with my mom, sister, aunt and cousin) and I said YES!

Describe your wedding day. Is there a particular moment that remains in your memory most vividly?

As everyone says it goes by so fast. I wish I could have played the whole day in slow motion. But, my favorite moment of the day was when our amazing planner, Laura, from Simply Events brought just Corey and me into the reception venue to see the room for the first time. I was so excited to see all my visions come to life. It was all I imagined and more. To say the least, I was ECSTATIC. Also, at this time it was so nice to have the time with just Corey and I. The cocktail hour music was playing in the room and we just enjoyed our time with one another dancing and celebrating.