Romantic Blush Wedding at Historic Bank

Emily and Ryan first met when Emily threw a birthday party for her best friend while in college at Miami University, with Ryan attending the party with a mutual friend. The pair ended up talking most of the night and continued to run into each other a few more times before Ryan asked Emily out on their first official date. The couple have been inseparable ever since, with Ryan popping the question a few years later in a magical candlelit Christmas time proposal.

For their wedding day, the plan was to keep things timeless and classic, while having a modern twist. With their venue a converted Art Deco bank, the couple chose to keep things romantic with soft florals and plenty of candles. Stationery was important to Emily, so they had a custom 3-letter monogram designed that was incorporated in details throughout the wedding day, down to the ring bearer pillow to the custom lighting. The evening ended with guests loving the couple’s choreographed first dance and late-night pretzel treats. Scroll to see all the beautiful details captured by Brittany Bays Photography!

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In their own words

How did you meet?

I (Emily) threw a birthday party for her best friend (& future maid of honor!) while in college at Miami University. Ryan attended the party with a mutual friend. We ended up talking most of the night. After that first night we met, we serendipitously ran into each other a few more times. Soon after, Ryan asked Emily out on their first official date and have been inseparable ever since.

What is your proposal story?

Prior to getting engaged, I always imagined it would be just the two of us followed by a celebration after with close family. Ryan absolutely nailed it! On Christmas Day of 2019, Ryan propped the question after church surrounded by countless candles. I was so surprised! Ryan got down on one knee and said the sweetest speech before asking me to marry him. It was truly magical. He had put so much thought into popping the question. Little did I know, my parents were hiding out of view and snapping pictures. Since it was Christmas, we had a family luncheon immediately after, making it double the celebration!   Additionally, he popped the question with a pear shaped diamond ring, just like my mother has. I always loved the unique shape of her ring, making it extra special!

Tell us a little a bit about your wedding (your vision, color, style, and location choices).

I wanted our wedding to be special, romantic, and fun. I also knew I wanted something that was timeless and classic while having a modern twist. Our venue was a bank originally built in the 1920s in Art Deco style. The space naturally had that very classic, historic feel. We chose to pair that with soft florals, plenty of candles, and personalized elements.

Tell us about your attire choices.

Since our wedding was in May of 2021, I needed to go dress shopping in basically the height of the pandemic. During the summer of 2020, Ryan and I left the city (D.C.) and went and stayed with my parents in Ohio. The local bridal store reopened with additional safety measures and I jumped at the chance to go try on dresses. I never imagined that I’d end up finding my dress that day but when I tried on the Stella York gown, it was everything that I had been describing I wanted. Simple, classic, yet modern with a v-neck style and well positioned seaming. For the ceremony, I wore a cathedral length pearl embellished veil. I paired my dress with a classic pearl bracelet and earrings from Tiffany & Co. For shoes, I chose Belle Bella flats that I could dance the night away in!

What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?

Stationery design was very important to me. I knew I wanted something timeless and elegant while again also being new and fresh. Cari at Interprintations captured our vision perfectly. Our day of stationary incorporated a custom 3-letter monogram from Shuler Studio that we will cherish forever.   The flowers were simply so magical. We were able to utilize my favorite flower, peonies, since they were in season at the time. I truly wish I could have taken all of them home with me. It really made the venue feel special. Further, the head table had a soft pink table overlay with floral details. That’s really where I saw our vision truly come to life.

What were your favorite parts of the day? (memories and stories)

Since the wedding, we have consistently talked about how much fun we had during our first dance. We had spent months learning a choreographed dance to ‘I Prayed for You’ by Matt Stell and were so nervous beforehand to show our guests. It ended up going perfect and we enjoyed every second.   For Ryan, seeing Emily at the end of the aisle was a life changing experience. She was so beautiful and the way the light was shining on her through the church stain glass windows was magical. For Emily, she could not stop smiling and was so overjoyed to see Ryan at the other end of the aisle.   We finished up after ceremony pictures a little early and were able to join the tail end of cocktail hour. When we walked into the Grande Hall, it truly took our breath away. All of the guests were upstairs in the cocktail hour space so we could really take in all of the decor. That moment made the months and months of planning truly worth it because it looked exactly as I had prayed and imagined it would!