Kathleen and Alex’s wedding was nothing short of extraordinary. With the groom being the son of the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, the couple’s nuptials had an air of prestige and excitement. Guided by their family’s rich history, they chose to exchange vows at the church where the bride’s great-grandparents were married nearly a century earlier. And to add to the magic, their reception took place at the Governor’s Mansion, making it a celebration like no other.
HOW WE MET Alex and I grew up 15 minutes away from each other. I grew up on the East side of
Columbus and went to Catholic school. Alex grew up on the West side of Columbus and went to public school. We had no connections and grew up so close to one another, yet we had no idea one another existed. Fast forward, and we both chose the University of Dayton for college. Dayton is a smaller school of only 8,000 undergrad students, and we still didn’t meet until the end of Sophomore year. I guess you can say it was fate when I ran into Alex on the street of Woodland Ave. and I told him he was cute. We went our separate ways that summer when he interned in Texas and I studied abroad in Spain. Fate again reconnected us when we returned to school Junior year the first weekend, and the rest is history! 
WEDDING DAY RECAP FROM BRIDE Our day was the absolute best day of my life. It is hard to put it into words the
excitement, joy, and gratitude I felt on that day and still do. On July 9, 2022, I woke up in my childhood home and room to my mom saying, “time to get up, it’s your wedding day!” after only a few hours of sleep – it truly felt like I was a little kid, and it was the night before Christmas. All the most important women in my life came to my mom’s house for hair and makeup and to start the day together. We talked, laughed, and drank mimosas the whole morning. I was the last one to get my makeup done, everyone was ready, my hair was done, and it almost go time time. I’ll never forget sitting in the makeup chair with all my girlfriends standing around me asking how I was feeling. I remember feeling nervous but beyond excited to see my groom standing at the end of the aisle. Having my mom help me put on my dress in my childhood room was such a special moment I’ll never forget. Once my dress was on, and we did our bridesmaid reveal, it was show time!
My great-grandma got married in the same church in June of 1922 – almost 100 years
later to the day we got married there. My family has a garden outside of the church in
honor of her, and that is where I did my dad reveal. It is a place that is so special to my
family and seeing my dad in my dress for the first time makes me emotional to this day.
I have never felt like I did the moment I was standing in the church with my dad and one of our planners, waiting for the doors to open, knowing that all of our loved ones were there and that my husband-to-be was waiting at the end of the altar. At that point, the nerves were gone, and I was just excited to see my groom.
When the doors opened, I immediately locked eyes with Alex, and it almost took my breath away. I felt tears coming, which was unexpected! I couldn’t see anyone but Alex from the time the doors opened until I met him at the altar. It was my favorite moment of the entire day. We incorporated Irish music into our traditional Catholic ceremony, stemming from my Irish Catholic heritage. My God-parents and one of our best friends were the readers. Every moment of the mass was intentional. After the Priest announced us “husband and wife” and said “you may kiss your bride” it was time to party! We took family photos in the Church and headed on the bus with our bridal party to the reception at the Governor’s residence.
Our guests entered through the side entrance, where they were greeted by a violin player and a champagne tower. They enjoyed hors d’oeuvre’s, champagne, and cocktails in the back of the home while we took bridal and bride and groom photos. I hadn’t seen the front area yet, where dining and dancing would take place. Someone came up to me and said, “have you seen the front yet, it looks like Charleston!” Our planner, Natasha, led us to the front of the house, and we waited behind closed doors for them to open. When I say that my jaw was on the floor, it was on THE FLOOR! Opening those doors was beyond my wildest dreams – our planner truly knocked every detail out of the park. Not to mention, she and her team did a 360 and planned the entire reception in basically four days after rain changed our original plans. From the checkered black and white dance floor, the front door arch with luscious, beautiful blush flowers, the seating chart, the string lights among the greenery of the trees, to the tall blooms placed throughout and our special “Ohio” plates with personalized notes for each guest – it was PERFECT. I still feel like I lived a true dream.
We spent the rest of the night listening to each of our parents give heartfelt speeches,
saying hi to family and friends that traveled near and far to be there with us, eating the
most delicious almond and cinnamon cake, drinking champagne, and dancing the night
away with 200 of our favorite people. I would live the day over and over and over if I
could. So many people came up to us and told us that one of their favorite things was the heartfelt notes that we left on each person’s plate – a small token of appreciation for the love they have contributed to our lives and for being there on our most special day.
We almost didn’t do this amidst all the wedding planning, but I am so glad we did!
Every part of the day was so smooth, thanks to the Aisle and Co. team. It truly would
not have been possible without them. We planned and got to know each other for
almost two years, and they truly became like family to me throughout the process. I am
forever grateful to everyone who helped make our day so special.
GROOM’S OVERVIEW It felt like Christmas as an eight-year-old child. I could hardly sleep, yet the day started
bright and early at 630am with a 5k run with my best man. We knew this would be a
great way to breathe the air and get the blood flowing for the incredible day ahead. It
was a gorgeous morning. Shortly after our return to the hotel, I wrangled the five
groomsmen together for our scheduled haircuts and straight razor shaves at my favorite fancy barbershop in German Village. As we walked in, all six chairs awaited us with a cold brew coffee and our respective barbers were ready to shape us up for the big day.
The guys loved it, and I’ll have to say they looked sharp. Some guys had their beards
trimmed and cleaned and others, like myself, decided on a clean shave. Then the party headed directly next door to Emmett’s café, a staple breakfast and coffee shop owned and operated by the bride’s cousin. We sat outside on the patio, munched on our fuel for the day, and continued to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather. It was then time to head back to the hotel and begin putting on our matching black, fresh-pressed tuxedos, each accented with a satin shawl lapel. We gently passed around a bottle of Kentucky whiskey while the photographer captured a few candid photos of us confusingly attempting to manually tie our black bowtie. It was around 1230pm when the wedding planner decisively indicated it was time for the groomsman to pile into the shuttle to head to the church. When we arrived, we were quickly shuffled into the back of the parish into a room where the priest typically resides before mass each Sunday. That wait felt like forever. My Dad joined us in that room. That was a cool moment one that I will never forget. When the priest waved me over to the entrance of Church, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and was ready to stand on the aisle.
As the bridesmaids entered along with their accompanied music to take respective
places at the front, my eyes were fixed on the door in which my bride was standing
behind. Suddenly the organist appropriately slammed his hands on the keys and there
she was. A flood of emotions overtook me. Tears, smiles, laughs, pride, joy. A full day of
emotions in an instant. I shook hands with her father and told him she was perfect. Then I grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. We couldn’t say anything to each other, but our eyes spoke a thousand words. We were having a full conversation just with our eyes. It was magical.
As the ceremony continued, Kathleen and I watched as the most special people in our
lives were all gathered in one place. In a matter of moments, we kissed and were
married. It already felt like our relationship together had ascended into the stratosphere. The entire ceremony lasted an hour. It was a full mass highlighted by our priest, Father Vince, who delivered a light-hearted ceremony for all. We took standard-wedding pictures with each side of our families immediately proceeding the nuptials. My cheeks were already starting to hurt from smiling so much and it was only mid-day. We piled back into the shuttle and specifically noticed that the ice box was filled with drinks. It was time to party.
Stepping out of the bus my first impression of the venue was ‘wow.’ From aesthetic
features to special activations for the guests, the entire detail was immaculate. I was
happy to hear a saxophone greeted the group as we walked into the cocktail hour. The
entire reception was planned for outside and I was also pleased that the beautiful
weather in the morning had continued throughout the day. My attention was pulled in a
million directions as guests started arriving and I was content with it. I still couldn’t stop
smiling.
Our wedding planner quickly grabbed Kathleen and I to reveal the dining space in the
front yard of the venue as cocktail hour was finishing up. The reveal was jaw-dropping.
They had nailed it. It was a work of art what they pulled off. I was so glad we could
experience the night in such a beautiful space with two hundred people we hold so
dear.
Kathleen and I were then ushered back into the venue in a holding room as the guests
filled the front yard. That was the first time we could sit down with only the two of us. So
much had happened since the last time we were in a quiet room together. We
decompressed for a moment. It was a quick turnaround because it was time to make
our grand entrance presented as Mr. and Mrs. Husted. We walked out to the crowd dancing to the song I had heard a hundred times leading up to our wedding day, ‘Let’s Get Married’ by Jagged Edge. That was a Kathleen choice. Our parents gave heartwarming speeches filled with love and reflection. Kathleen’s Mom wrote a special poem for us and was courageous enough to read it in front of the guests. That was a special touch. All throughout the evening, we incorporated so many little moments that made it our night. My favorite filet of fish was served for dinner, my favorite drink was served at the bar, Kathleen’s family restaurant brought late-night pizza, her favorite champagne was brought to our table, and a lot more like that. Dancing, laughing, and love filled the air that evening. It was a truly special evening for us and everyone there. The day’s weight started to feel quite heavy as we approached midnight. Together we made a directive to end the night and head to our hotel. But we knew our marriage was just starting.
Planner: Aisle & Co.
Photographer: Kismet Visuals & Co.
Videography: Kodjoarts Videography
Florals: Prema Designs
Rentals: Aiden and Grace
Rentals: Borrow Curated
Catering: Together and Co.
Stationary and Signage: Lumaca Paper
Makeup: Eigensee Artistry
Hair: Beyoutiful Creations Bridal
Gown: White Bridal Boutiques
Gown Design: Pronovias
Reception Dress: Alexandra Grecco
Cake: The Suisse Shop
Church: St. Mary’s Church German Village
Band: The Conspiracy Band
Tan: Nali Spray Tan
Bride Ring, Bands, Earrings, Necklace: Consider the Wldflwrs
Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN
Wedding Submission Services: Published + Pretty
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