21c: How did you meet?
CH: Sean and I met at Hugo’s (across the street from 21c). I had been at a wedding and went to Hugo’s afterwards to meet some of my friends. When I arrived at Hugo’s I ‘borrowed’ a large tub of cheese puffs (were talking like Costco size tub) from behind the bar — I am sure they were not meant for me or any other guests for that matter — probably one of the bartender’s snacks for their shift. As I’m shoving my face with them and walking around the bar, I saw this guy sitting at a high top table by himself with two beers so I walked up to him and playfully ‘punched’ him in the arm and asked where his friends were. He replied saying he came with his dad and I laughed in his face. Then he asked who I was there with and I quickly replied, “with my cheese-y friends” (aka the cheese puffs). Long story short, Sean’s dad played wing-man that night and the rest is history!
21c: What were you looking for in a venue? How did you know you found the one?
CH: We were looking for an ‘all-in-one’ place. I wanted a venue where I could stay, get ready, get married and have a reception. I didn’t want to have to worry about transportation on the day-of for getting our bridal party from place to place. I also wanted something unique and easy for our out-of-town guests. Once we saw the venue space and met Kaitlan, we knew instantly that it was the place we needed to get married. It’s also special because we can see where we met from the windows. Fun fact: we actually have the coordinates of the intersection in front of the hotel tattooed on us – we had them done before we were even engaged so it was kind of like our love story was coming full circle.
21c: If you channel some magic penguin-godmother magic and relive your favorite moment from your wedding day, what would it be?
CH: When my dad and I were waiting in the back of the bridal procession we looked out to see Sean, our families and all our friends from near and far gathered to celebrate US! We had a ton of people travel in and put so much work into making our day possible — it really showed.
21c: What are people still talking about from your wedding?
CH: People LOVED the food. They also loved how we did our wedding — no sit down dinner, food stations with a whole lot of partying! We also surprised guests with giant glow sticks and they had a blast with them.
21c: What was the dreamiest dish from your reception?
CH: The chicken and biscuits! I believe Kaitlain said we went through over 70 pounds of chicken. People seriously could not get enough of it. One of our guests said he went up for ‘6ths’
21c: Which detail are you most proud of?
CH: I put a lot of effort into some of personalized touches — I guess you could say I’m type ‘a’ — so these details were really important to me. I had a ‘C&S’ pretty much anywhere you looked. From personalized bathroom baskets, to marquee letters on each bar — I was really proud of that. I was also proud of our guest book.
21c: How did your wedding reflect who you are as a couple?
CH: Sean and I are not a ‘normal’ couple — just look at how we met. We truly felt that our wedding captured our unique and quirky personalities — from the artwork on the walls, to the ‘nontraditional’ way of dinner and the crazy dancing, it really captured who we are. Also, I think the love felt among the whole crowd — I swear everyone was just buzzing with love and support for one another and for our future.
21c: Do you have any tips for brides-to-be to make their day as stress-free as possible?
CH: A) Get married at 21c because they seriously take care of everything!
B) Get married at 21c because they take care of everything!
C) Make sure you are present for the day — I think so many people in day-to-day life miss the opportunity to truly be present and in the moment, and it is so important on your wedding day. I actually didn’t even have my phone on our wedding day and just got to enjoy the time I had with my bridal party, family and Sean. I was completely in the moment and not worried about social media, or wedding details, etc. because I knew it was all handled and/or wasn’t something to be worried about.
21c: What did your out-of-town guests love most about Lexington?
CH: Our guests loved the ‘southern hospitality’ and visiting the distilleries. Since neither Sean or I are from Lexington, a majority of our guests had to travel from out of town. They loved the hotel, being in the center of the city and being able to walk places. It really made a difference in their travel plans that once they arrived to the hotel they really didn’t have to worry about transportation at all.
Photos courtesy of the bride and The Olive Branch Company
Want to learn more about hosting your wedding at 21c? Explore 21c Weddings.
Ready to put a ring on it? Book a rehearsal dinner, farewell brunch or wedding by March 31, 2020 at 21c Lexington and get rewarded. Contact KTerry@21cHotels.com or call 859.899.6812 for more information on current offers.
