Real Weddings | A Light-Filled Day in Downtown Columbus

Strongwater Events in downtown Columbus has long been a favorite venue of mine, but the stunning way it photographed on a sunny August day still took me by surprise. While the space has a very industrial vibe with its exposed brick walls and iron window frames, the skylights in the reception space bathe the room in natural light. The lush grapevine woven through the overhead structure on the outdoor ceremony patio allows a soft glow that casts a dreamy, inviting warmth to filter through the leaves onto the couple and guests below.

From start to finish, the event was infused with personal touches and surprises for guests. Before the ceremony, sweet pup Georgie came onsite for her photo op with her mom and dad, and if her huge, enthusiastic smile is any indication, her humans getting married was the undisputed highlight of her summer. After the ceremony, which was conducted under a chuppah constructed by the bride’s brother and decorated with some beautiful floral pieces designed by The Flowerman, guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks in Strongwater’s central Annex (where Georgie made her second appearance of the day at the bar on adorable custom cocktail napkins). When doors opened to the main reception area, guests were greeted by the soft glow of the late afternoon sunlight coupled with bistro lights strung across the ceiling and candlelight on the tables. Guest tables were set simply and elegantly with white linens, navy napkins, hand-laid eucalyptus and smilax, and floating candles. Grace and Corey entered their reception and then shared their first dance as husband and wife, and the sweet moment was a privilege to witness.

Following the meal and some words of love shared by some of the individuals closest to the couple, the dance floor opened and dessert was available to guests - Grace and Corey opted to forgo traditional tiered cake in favor of Dairy Queen ice cream cupcakes, which were a refreshing and delicious departure from more typical wedding desserts. Arch City Lights was the reception band, and they got the dance floor packed early in the evening and kept it packed throughout the night. ACL is truly a Columbus treasure - they are a group of very skilled musicians with well-honed renditions of popular songs and a talent for keeping the energy of the crowd up.

Grace and Corey’s Hora was a joyful celebration that delighted all in the room - the couple were enthusiastically lifted in the air by their friends and family, and then Corey’s parents and Grace’s mother got their turn to be lifted as well. Arch City Lights played a steadily increasingly peppy interpretation of “Hava Nagila” as guests laughed and cheered and shared in this time-honored tradition with the newlyweds.

The next surprise Grace and Corey had in store for their guests were the custom t-shirts they had made for the wedding as a unique favor. We laid the shirts out on a table near the dance floor, and once a few guests had found them and put them on, the rest of the guests followed and soon the dance floor was full of joyful partiers in Grace and Corey’s custom tees.

Once guests had danced for an hour or so and had the chance to work up an appetite again following dinner and cupcakes, the final and most crowd-pleasing surprise of the night arrived - a massive order of Taco Bell quesadillas complete with sauces galore. Guests enthusiastically descended on the quesadillas and there was not a single one left over by the end of the night!

Once the sun had set and the skylights in the reception space were dark, the bistro lights and candlelight gave the space more of an ethereal, romantic feel that resembled starlight spread around the room. Grace and Corey’s gorgeous summer day drew to a close surrounded by family and friends and joyful love.

Full vendor team:

Coordination: Adoration Weddings & Events

Venue: Strongwater Events

Catering: Milo’s Catering

Photographer: Gibson Photographics

Videographer: Samuel Foell

Florals: The Flowerman

Ceremony musicians: Chamber Music Connection

Reception Band: Arch City Lights

HMUA: Hey Pretty! Beauty