21c: Tell us your proposal story.
E&A: Amelia and I always knew we both wanted to propose. We went to our jeweler’s showroom in Chicago and both picked out two rings we liked and the other would make the final decision. I always thought I would propose first but Amelia beat me to it. I had a terrible day at work one Friday, which I had vented to Amelia about most of the day. I came home and found a note on our door to come inside and set my things down. There were candles lining our walkway in and roses on the kitchen island. Our song was playing and there was a note on the counter. I was still mostly convinced these were just nice gestures from my awful day until I read through the letter and Amelia was down on one knee with my ring in hand- of course the one I was really hoping she would pick. A few months later I was able to give Amelia her proposal. It was important to us that we both had our moment. I was able to surprise Amelia at home with a curtain of lights and pictures of our favorite memories throughout our 3 years together strung throughout our apartment.
21c: What were you looking for in a venue? How did you know you found the one?
E&A: For most of our engagement, we thought the setting of our wedding would be the courthouse. We are really simple and were having a hard time justifying the price quotes we received from the couple venues we visited in Columbus. We started planning our courthouse ceremony and realized it wasn’t going to be the special experience we dreamed of. We started looking into elopement options and found our wedding fairy godmother, Deanna. A wedding planner wasn’t something we had considered but the idea of a “micro-wedding” was the answer to all our concerns. We connected with Deanna and had an initial call to get the planning started. One of the most obvious items we needed to tackle was where we would hold our ceremony. We loved Columbus but wanted to get married in Cincinnati. We were fairly open to locations. Deanna suggested 21c and it was coincidentally where we stayed the night of our engagement party. It seemed like the perfect coincidence. We met Deanna at the venue a few weeks later to see the potential ceremony location. The cellarium was so beautiful we could instantly picture our tiny, intimate ceremony playing out perfectly in the space.
21c: If you channel some magic penguin-godmother magic and relive your favorite moment from your wedding day, what would it be?
E&A: We had asked to do our first look up on the rooftop of 21c. We are so appreciative that 21c was able to accommodate. Having those 20 minutes to ourselves before the day truly began was so perfect. The view was also the perfect backdrop to our first look photos.
21c: What are people still talking about from your wedding?
E&A: Everyone is still talking about the intimacy of the space and our ceremony. We opted to only invite 16 of our closest friends and family members. The cellarium had beautiful, natural light, warm subway tile and was decorated with greenery and white candles. Having such a simple space that was naturally beautiful was very “us” and every guest could feel the love in the room. Even Amelia’s 96 year old Grandmother continues to tells us it was one of her favorite days.
21c: Which detail are you most proud of?
E&A: We can’t really think of just a single detail to be most proud of. Deanna and 21c took care of every last detail and it made for the perfect day.
21c: How did your wedding reflect who you are as a couple?
E&A: Every moment of our wedding reflected who we are as a couple. We met and fell in love in Cincinnati, making the view at 21c extra special. Our main goal of the day was to celebrate us, our love and the relationships and people who support us. The small guestlist and intimate ceremony allowed us to be completely ourselves and share these amazing memories with our loved ones. We aren’t a couple who wants a lot of attention or wants to get lost in the details of a party. The simplicity and natural beauty of 21c perfectly reflected that. Brunch is also our favorite meal and how we spent our first date. 21c was able to serve cinnamon rolls instead of cake for our guests and even made our signature drink a coffee shot. The mimosa, bloody mary, and coffee bars kept with our theme and love of brunch. Lastly, we are so thankful that 21c is pet friendly. Having our Nelson there was the best finisher to our day.
21c: Which piece of art got the most Insta love?
E&A: The (BLDG) mural on the rooftop was a huge hit.
21c: Do you have any tips for brides-to-be to make their day as stress-free as possible?
E&A: We would recommend that every bride get a Deanna- or, better yet, The Deanna if you can. She made our day 100% stress-free. If that’s not in the books, we would recommend that every bride listen to herself. There were plenty of people upset with our decision to have a micro-wedding, not have a cake, and to see each other for coffee the morning of the wedding. We stayed true to ourselves and what we wanted. Our day was us and the most perfect day we could have asked for. You have to do what’s best for you.
21c: What did your out-of-town guests love most about Cincinnati?
E&A: 21c being so close to the streetcar made it perfect for getting around the city after our ceremony.
Photos courtesy of the couple and Hunter & Light Photo Co.
Want to learn more about hosting your wedding at 21c? Explore 21c Weddings.
