Madeleine + Jeremy's Colorful Wedding Celebration at The Grand
Amy Peppercorn Photography
Tell us a little about you and Jeremy.
Jeremy, whom my friends have lovingly dubbed JerBear, is so wonderful. He is kind and patient and a really great joke teller. He is quiet at first meeting, but opens up over time. He and I are both engineers, but he is far more analytical than I am. He is the balancing and calming force to my zany personality; the Yin to my Yang!
He loves to travel just like me, which was one of the biggest things we have mutually enjoyed in our courtship and marriage... Often times I turn to him and say "Hey do you want to go to [insert city/country/event here] and his answer is "Yes! when?". We love to try new foods, and as I am a hobbyist chef, he is a wonderful critic to my cooking. Because of this, we often plan trips around 'adventure eating' and finding wonderful wines.
Amy Peppercorn Photography
Amy Peppercorn Photography
How did you and Jeremy meet?
We met at work. I had just graduated from college and moved to Rochester New York, having never been there and not knowing a single person. He was so helpful and friendly. We ended up becoming great friends and he was always interested in going on fun adventures, happy hours, and checking out new restaurants. Little did I know he had a crush on me for months! After months of friendship, we came to the sudden conclusion that both of us felt the same way. The rest is history!
How were your personal styles reflected in your wedding day?
While we both wanted to honor our Catholic faith in a traditional wedding ceremony, we envisioned our reception and overall wedding aesthetic to stray for the norm. I tend to gravitate toward sleek and modern, and took a lot of inspiration from my favorite hot colored florals; birds of paradise, tulips, poppies, blood oranges. So we decided on a modern, hot color wedding.
It was exciting because we knew all our guests would have never seen anything like it! We found ways to include unexpected surprises throughout the day; wreaths on the church doors made of sliced open oranges and citrus, circus performers at our cocktail hour, bridesmaids dressed in all white, gradient florals which included citrus fruits and other tropical elements. We also love to travel and have spent much of out courtship living and traveling abroad, we included photos of us in various places as "table numbers" as opposed to the conventional number assignments.
We also got engaged in Paris, France, and paid homage to this by centering the cocktail hour around a 10 foot gold Eiffel tower structure, which housed table assignments and pictures from our travels.
Amy Peppercorn Photography
Amy Peppercorn Photography
What were your favorite details?
My favorite detail was our florals. We did a lot of interviewing and researching florists and were challenged to find a florist who could encapsulate our vision and deliver a unique "hot color" wedding look. We were searching for a concept that couldn't be further from the popular 'all white', 'lots of green', or 'farmhouse' florals that are popular right now. We were so fortunate to find Steven Cox, located in the Short North in Columbus. He had an eye for modern, interesting, striking floral design that included color and texture both to the bouquets and center pieces. I didn't think flowers were going to be my favorite part!!
We also had an amazing DJ, Mark Dantzer, who listened to our every request in selecting a fun and upbeat playlist. My mom (aka fabulous wedding planner and visionary) surprised Jeremy and I with circus "giants" who danced around our cocktail hour in costumes which matched our wedding colors.
Amy Peppercorn Photography
Amy Peppercorn Photography
Amy Peppercorn Photography
How did you decide on your venue? Why was it the perfect choice?
To fit with our modern vibe, we needed a place that was more sleek and less traditional than what is widely popular today. Most venues and vendors weren't seeing our vision. The Grand was a new, modern space that was located in a fun and young neighborhood. Big windows and modern lines meant it would compliment our unique look. the location in combination with the convenience of including bar, food, and service into a fixed price made it a winner as well. The added benefit of having a day of coordinator as part of their wedding offering made planning through them a breeze.
Amy Peppercorn Photography
Describe your wedding day. Is there a particular moment that remains in your memory most vividly?
Our wedding ceremony was in a wonderful small church in Victorian Village. The way the seating was organized meant our friends and family surrounded the Altar on 3 sides, making it feel so much warmer and collected. The ceremony was wild and upbeat from the moment we entered the cocktail hour to all of our guests. Perhaps my most cherished memories were our wedding party speeches and first dance. Our speeches were by out MOH, BM, my step father, and my brother.
Each one brought tears and laughs to the whole room (my biggest regret was not hiring a videographer to capture these speeches!!). Jeremy and I had our first dance to Neil Diamond "Sweet Caroline", to which my mom changed the lyrics to "Sweet Madeleine" and printed them on the backs of the menus at each place setting. The whole room was up out of their chairs singing the song as we dance, it was wild! Our DJ said it was the first time anyone has ever danced to that song and was wonderfully surprised how great it was!
Amy Peppercorn Photography
Best advice you received on wedding planning?
Pick your 3 "most important things" and prioritize them in the budget. Ours were Food, Bar, and Location. We cut anything we didn't remember vividly from other weddings we had attended, like favors, and reallocated that budget toward our Big 3. We supposed that our guests would prefer a nicer glass of wine than a small parting gift; based on our dance floor,I think we assumed correctly! In terms of ease, I think finding a venue that coordinates bar, catering, and other vendors is key in terms of creating an easy planning process.
Lastly, wedding day-of coordinators are worth every penny! Whether it is an additional hired expense or provided as part of your venue, Caroline (our coordinator from The Grand) was an invaluable resource- she coordinated our vendor comings and goings seamlessly.
Amy Peppercorn Photography
Amy Peppercorn Photography
Best thing about being married?
We have loved how relaxing our first year of marriage has been. Don't get me wrong, the swirl of excitement surrounding our wedding as fun, but exhausting! We have enjoyed the little trips we have taken in our first year; Thailand being our largest as it was our Honeymoon.
Advice to future brides?
Advice to all brides, though you may not think a videographer is a necessity, hire one. That is my biggest regret in planning, that i didn't opt for one. And don't sweat the small stuff, literally no one will remember the little things, but they will remember how much fun they had. focus on that!
Where did you honeymoon?
Thailand! We both love Asia and traveling to Asian countries. We knew we wanted to take a long honeymoon, so Thailand was a great fit. We spent the first week traveling to Bangkok, Chang Mai, and Phuket. Our favorite parts of those cities were the amazing food tours though night markets. The second week we were in PhiPhi Island, enjoying relaxing days on the beach and taking long tail boats to various islands and attractions.
VENDOR PARTNERS:
Madeline’s Gown: Hailey Paige, Hyde Park Bridal | Bridesmaid Dresses: Lela Rose, Bridal and Formal | Attire: Black Tie Optional | Flowers: Steven Cox Flowers, Columbus OH | Day-of-Coordinator: Caroline Cake and other Sweets: The Flour pot Cakes, Hilliard OH | Catering: The Grand Event Center | Music: Mark Dantzer Productions | Venues: The Grand Event Center, the Grandview Yard | Photography: Amy Peppercorn Photography
