Caryn + Kenny’s Summer Wedding at The Renaissance Hotel

What began as a chance meeting in New Jersey led to Caryn + Kenny’s elegant wedding celebration in downtown Cincinnati at The Renaissance Hotel. Caryn's bridesmaids wore cornflower blue dresses and carried classic white and green bouquets. An gorgeous, timeless wedding Photographed by Leppert Photography.

Elegant wedding at The Renaissance Hotel in Cincinnati. Stationery by Poeme

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

We did the impossible and met at a bar in New Jersey, pre-Tinder. I'd never felt so comfortable with a stranger before -- and it didn’t' hurt that he kept me laughing for hours. I'd like to think he felt the same way.

Tell us about finding your dress.

I went to Bridal and Formal in Reading. This was one of the first dresses I tried on and it just felt like me. I knew it was the one when I didn’t want to take it off!

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

The wedding day went by so fast. I've never used false eyelashes before and right after our first look my photographer, Laura Leppert told Kenny to look at me for a romantic photo except he blurted out "your eyelash is coming off". I began to panic since we just started to take pictures. My amazing photographer called her friend Nancy at BRIDEface to see if she could do us a favor. She drove across town to help re apply my eyelash on the street. She was a true life saver!! I will never forget that.

Which best describes you?

Casual or Formal - Casual

Vintage or Modern - Modern

Chocolate or Vanilla - Vanilla

Roses or Peonies (don't make me choose)

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

Kenny is from Philadelphia and the majority of our friends were coming from New York City, so it made sense for us to have our wedding at a hotel to make things easier on our guests. I also loved the ballroom at the Renaissance -- and the food was delicious, too.

How was your personal style reflected in your wedding day?

I would describe my personal style as classic with a twist, and I think our wedding was reflective of that. My dress had a simple, flattering silhouette -- and I punched things up with a fun veil and a sparkly barrette for my hair. Our flowers were simple -- white roses and lots of greenery -- which offset the ballroom where the party took place. And for our first dance, we picked a more traditional song – “Everything” by Michael Buble -- and then surprised our guests by doing a choreographed number to Chris Brown's “Forever”. It was so much fun!

What was your favorite detail?

Everything! It was so fun to see all of the colors, flowers and the room come together and it was everything I could have ever imagined!

Tell us about the proposal.

That weekend, Kenny and I were supposed to drive to Maine for a long weekend, and he suggested we stop in Boston for the night on Thursday. When I got from home from work that day, he'd decorated our apartment with candles and rose petals. We celebrated our engagement with our friends and family at one of our favorite restaurants nearby -- and the next morning, we set off for our trip!

Did you read any wedding blogs before getting engaged or while you were planning? If so which ones and what do you like about them/ find them helpful?

I did a lot of Pinteresting!

I read Carats and Cake, Style Me Pretty and watched a lot of stranger's wedding videos!