Kristin and Tom were married in an intimate fall wedding celebration in late November with a small reception at Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati. Kristin didn’t want to dwell on the covid timing of her wedding so opted to send a “crisis card” up front. The “crisis card”, a term she coined and we love, communicated that a larger celebration would follow in 2021 once groups were once again able to gather. Guests who were not able to attend the ceremony in person were able to attend via livestream.

The main invitation was printed on a two-ply ivory cotton stock with a beautiful charcoal script and accents of champagne foil. Delicate hairline border added a finishing touch of timeless Kristin was envisioning. We had so much fun with the table numbers which featured the engagement photos edited with masks on Kristin and Tom. Kristin and Tom employed a great group of wedding professionals (and Kristin’s parents!) that guided them through what could have been a stressful planning experience. Ben Elsass Photography captured the day. Invitation photos by Poeme.

Tell us a little about you and Tom.

Tom and I both grew up in Cincinnati. We met in 2016 through my sister. Shortly (3 weeks) after meeting I started grad school out of state and we dove right into long distance for 2 years! It was a bit of a tough way to start a relationship but we have so many fun memories of visiting each other and endless phone calls! The day after I finished school and was moving back to Cincinnati we suffered an unexpected family tragedy. Then new jobs, moving into a new house together, and normal life. And then, pandemic!

So I think we had a really unique perspective going into marriage that many couples may not have and it helped us clarify what we were doing and why we were doing it. We’ve had high highs (graduate degrees! Job success! A beautiful home!) and low lows together and what I can say is that Tom is the most wonderful person you could dream up. I think most people would say we have an incredibly supportive and very fun dynamic! We both love our families and friends so much. We also have a sweet dog, Stella!

Describe the overall style of your wedding.

My poor mom and sister almost lost their minds trying to get me to answer this question while planning. When they finally saw everything together they said “oh! I get it!”. So I’m not great at answering this but they would say we landed on classic, elegant, timeless. 

Did you have a strong idea for the design of your wedding stationery prior to your consultation? 

Not at all! This was the area my mom took the most control, so what we ended up with was largely her vision - and I LOVED it! Our stationery was fairly traditional and simple and I think that can sometimes end up bland or overdone; however, working with Poeme we were able to achieve something that still feels so special and beautiful. We received countless comments on how beautiful our invitations and programs were.

How did you envision the stationery, flowers, cake and decor working together to create a cohesive look?

I insisted on a fall wedding - much to my husband’s dismay, who didn’t understand why I wanted to be engaged for a full 17 months! But I insisted on it because I knew the flowers I wanted only worked in fall. A lot of decisions were based off of my floral vision and I think having one aspect guide the others helped with cohesion.

What part of the process did you find most interesting  - the design, the print process, the etiquette and tradition? What part did you find most challenging?

I loved the design and “wordsmith” process the most! We gave Kristen the daunting task of helping us communicate all of our covid changes in an elegant way. I still get chills thinking of how delicate and poised our messaging ended up being in spite of circumstance. Nothing was terribly challenging! You all make it easy :) 

ONE LAST QUESTION….

Favorite wedding movie?

Runaway Bride! 

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

Such a wonderful day!! We loved getting ready with our friends and family, took photos with each other and our wedding parties, had a church ceremony, and ended with a mini-reception with ourselves and a small number of family and friends. We made a lot of changes and downsized our wedding a lot but people close to us also went to painstaking efforts to give us as much normalcy as possible. We were able to safely include many loved ones during our ceremony (and live streamed to the rest) and knowing that despite everything, all those people witnessed Tom and I become a family was an indescribably warm feeling. 

The snapshot moments that always glow in my mind were: hugging my parents and siblings after getting dressed and before seeing Tom; holding hands with Tom as we sat on the altar during the wedding homily; seeing the reception space for the first time with Tom; watching our closest family and friends  enjoying food and wine and music together.  

Advice for couples just starting their planning?

I would recommend investing in what matters to you and work with people you ENJOY. We did not hire one single vendor that I didn’t genuinely enjoy working with and that made the whole process, covid and all, very comfortable and (mostly) fun. Our priorities changed between starting planning and the wedding day because of covid. Initially we had invested in our band and venues, but once we knew what changes would need to be made we decided to invest in the communication side (you all) because it became so important. 

CREATIVE PARTNERS:

Kristin’s Dress: Justin Alexander - Blush Bridal | Flowers: Floral V | Wedding Planner: Elegant Events by Elisa | Cake and other Sweets: Tres Belles | Venues: St. Francis de Sales and Kenwood Country Club | Photography: Ben Elsass | Draping & Rentals: All Occasions | Videographer: Little Brown Dog 

Very Special Thank You to my parents! I could write a novel about how much they have done for Tom and I. I will spare you the narrative but will just say we have endless gratitude for all their help and support.