When most of your family lives in a different location than you, it is extra convenient to have your wedding reception in a hotel space.
“I took a very long time investigating reception spaces,” says Katie Arnold. “I probably looked at 100 places online and then contacted 20 different spaces to visit. Once we had decided on a hotel, I went to visit the Blackwell. I had been to a wedding at the Blackwell before and knew it was a beautiful space, and once I met with the wedding coordinator I knew this was the right location.”
The Blackwell accommodated everything the couple wanted and is such a beautiful space that they did not need to have more decorations other than flowers and framed photos.
For food, the couple had carving stations of turkey and ham, a potato station – baked and mashed potatoes with tons of toppings, a pasta station, and a salad.
“The chef at The Blackwell even made one of my family’s classic salad dressings -Mayfair dressing,” says Arnold. “We provided the recipe and they were more than happy to make it. The food was amazing! I still get compliments four years later about how good the food was at our wedding.”
Joe Arnold took a trip to Charleston, SC to visit his bride’s parents and ask for her hand in marriage.
“My mom gave him her engagement ring to use for my ring,” says Arnold. “Joe took it to the jewelers at J.B. Robinson to get it re-set into a more current setting. It’s the best of both worlds because I have the stone from my mother’s ring, but it is in a beautiful new setting.”
He proposed to her on a snowy evening in German Village.
“It was around Christmas time and Joe had planned an incredible surprise date for me which started out with me and one of my girlfriends getting massages at Kenneth’s (even though at the time i didn’t realize the massage was a part of the evening),” says Arnold. “After the massages, I got ready for what I thought was dinner with Joe’s parents, instead we went down to Schiller park in German Village and walked around to look at Christmas lights and enjoy the snow that was falling. He proposed on the bridge over the pond at the park. After the proposal we walked over to have dinner at Barcelona where there was champagne and flowers waiting for us at the table. What a night!”
The couple married in Hillcrest Baptist Church, by their friend Justin Robillard. They all are involved with YoungLife, a high school outreach ministry group, which is how Katie and Joe met, while attending Ohio State.
“The Hillcrest Baptist Church was absolutely beautiful,” says Arnole. “It was an old theater that had been converted into a church with great theater seating and wonderful stained-glass windows. It was perfect.”
The bride wore a dress she found at Brides by Jodi, while dress shopping with her mother in Charleston.
“We spent a whirlwind weekend going to every bridal store in Charleston,” says Arnold. “The dress was actually pretty amazing, a customer had purchased it and fully customized it, but then returned it. So I got to buy my perfect dress off the rack at a pretty deep discount. Thank you to whoever returned that dress!”
For their wedding cake, the couple chose Mozart’s Bakery. Three tiers built the square shaped cake -vanilla cake & vanilla buttercream, vanilla cake & strawberry filling, and a chocolate cake & chocolate buttercream.
“The cake was truly amazing,” says Arnold. “And it was very good. I’ve recommended Mozart’s to all of my friends who are getting married.”
For favors, the couple gave their guests chocolate covered strawberries made in-house at The Blackwell.
“The strawberries are decorated with a tuxedo or a wedding dress. They were adorable and made the perfect favors.”
“Joe and I wanted our wedding to be a total celebration,” says Arnold. “We both have a very strong faith in God and we wanted that to be reflected in everything we did as we shared the day with our friends and family. Our families, as well as many of our friends, live out of town and it was so much fun to have everyone I love all in the same place.
The couple honeymooned at Sandal’s Jamaica.
Wedding Details
Ceremony Venue: Hillcrest Baptist Church
Reception Venue: The Blackwell
Bride’s dress: Bought from Bridals by Jodi
Bride’s hair, makeup, nails, and Bridal party hair: Nutur Salon
Bridal party dresses: David’s Bridal
Groom and Groomsmen apparel: Men’s Warehouse
Bride’s Rings: Vintage engagement ring, reset by J.B. Robinson Jewelers
Officiant: Justin Robillard
Invitations: Designed by the bride’s brother
Food: Provided by The Blackwell
Flowers at the church: White and Blue Hydrangeas and Blue Delphinium by Villager Flowers
Cake: Mozart’s Bakery and Piano Café
Photography: Alex Turvy
All photos provided by Alex Turvy.
Would you like your wedding featured on Wedding Style? Send me an email at [email protected].