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Writer's pictureErin Hackett
Nov 9, 20217 min read

My Neutral, Elegant Wedding in Columbus, OH


I'm sharing all of the details on how I designed my neutral, elegant wedding in Columbus, Ohio (including product links)!


Hi friends! I'm back today after a little hiatus away from blogging. In truth, the topic of today's blog post is a large part of the reason I took a break. It sounds cliche, but planning a wedding is truly a massive amount of work. It's one of those things that you will always underestimate until you've done it. I now look at every bride with a lot more empathy and understanding! To be blessed enough to have a wedding is truly something to be incredibly grateful for, but that doesn't mean it's all fun and games. There is so much that is going on behind the scenes, and today I'm going to share with you all of the details, products and processes I used to pull my wedding together. This post will mostly be dedicated to the aesthetic design-related aspects, but I'll try to throw in some personal details too.


The Concept


The most surprising thing you might come to learn about me during this post is that I actually did NOT want a large wedding! Being an introvert, I had always just assumed that I would have teeny, tiny destination wedding with close friends and family. I quickly realized, however, how silly it was to think that way given that I was marrying the world's biggest extrovert. I guess it's true what they say, opposites do attract! After some initial back and forth, I gave way to Tom's wishes to have a large wedding. It might not sound like much, but we compromised on limiting the guest list to about 120 people (if I would've let him have his way, it would have been more like 400 people).


In order to quell my anxiety about going so far out of my comfort zone with a large wedding, I decided to do what I do best and focus on the visual details. Similar to when I work with clients, I started with a Pinterest board to gain inspiration. Once I had an idea of color and concept, I put together vision boards. I started with the tablescapes since I knew this important detail would likely inform the overall design scheme.


With the table designs nailed down, I got to work ideating the rest of the details and sourcing vendors. About a month into wedding planning, I put together a PDF that I could share with my vendors. It included everything from floral inspiration to scaled floor plans and more.


Wedding Design Concepts by Hackett House Studio

It was an incredibly helpful document to have as it made it incredibly easy to communicate my vision with my vendors. Now, let's get into the details!


The Execution


Venue


We chose Brick & Mortar for our venue, which is a part of the North 4th Corridor Event Space. The exposed brick detail provided the perfect compliment of texture and interest to the neutral and minimal design scheme.





Staging


One of my absolute favorite parts of my wedding was the lounge seating we had brought in from C&B Staging. C&B is one of the most prominent staging companies in Columbus and I was so thrilled when Lindsey, the owner, agree to work with me. Lindsey and I actually "met" on Instagram shortly after I launched Hackett House Studio but, even though she was the first person I thought of for the job, I was still SO nervous to ask her! Weddings aren't exactly a staging company's target market, if you know what I mean. Lindsey, being the bold and instinctive person that she is, didn't even hesitate -- she said yes right away! I can't tell you how happy it made to me to know I was going to work with someone who had great taste and could bring in pieces that reflected Hackett House Studio's style. The two seating arrangements she brought in served as VIP seating for our parents and lectors during the ceremony, and then were repositioned for lounging during the reception. Lindsey even brought blankets and pillows, and we had custom made puzzles on the coffee tables to keep guests entertained. The vintage area rugs and aisle runner were sourced by me and will are available for resale. If you're interested, shoot me an email!











Tablescape and Florals


One of the most fun exercises for me during the wedding planning process was designing the tables. I knew exactly what I wanted but, as usual, my eyes were bigger than my budget. I had to get really crafty and splurge on super impactful items while saving on everything that I could. Instead of putting a flower arrangement on each table, we shaved a little off the budget by alternating the arrangements with a set of three brass candlesticks (which were also provided by my amazing florist, Jewelweed). I ordered this set of 144 votives from Michaels for only $83.99 and since we only had 15 tables (grouped into aisles of three long tables), we were able to put around 7-8 candles on each table for a super illuminated look. It looked positively dreamy after the sun went down!


Although my original plan was to have plate chargers, they ended up being cost prohibitive. Instead, I asked the venue to set our place settings with simple white plates and put out as much glassware as possible to visually fill the space. Beige linen napkins were tied in a knot and placed on top of the plates. The gold flatware was easily my biggest splurge, but I decided to go for it since they were a detail that packed the most punch.


The last detail was adding gauzy table runners which provided a bit of undone texture and elegance. I ordered them from Etsy (color is Sand Beige) , and visually I loved how they turned out. I would be remiss if I didn't add a word of caution, though. At some point through the night, the venue realized that the table runners were incredibly flammable. Although we still don't know exactly how, we had at least 2 table runners that caught fire shortly after dinner! It's funny to laugh about it now, but I'm sure it gave the event coordinators quite the scare as it was happening. So please keep that in mind if you choose to use this kind of runner on a table where there will be an open flame.


Linens, flatware, and dinnerware all rented via Milo's Catering | For similar, click here




The area where I relinquished the most control was easily florals. I have been buying arrangements from Jewelweed for my holiday tables for years, so there was no question in my mind that I wanted to include Sarah's work in my wedding. Although she indulged me with a set of floral design meetings, I knew from the outset that I would love her work no matter what. Much like the interior design industry, the floral supply chain has been disrupted in recent months. I know that this has put extra strain on creators like Sarah and has made their jobs ten times harder to do. Sarah's attention to detail really came through in her beautiful arrangements, and I'm so grateful for her dedication toward craftsmanship.










Floral Design: Jewelweed | Sources: Low bowl vase | brass pedestal






Everything Else


I feel like I could easily go on for days with all of the details that go into a wedding, but I'll end this already-very-long post with just a few final details and acknowledgements.

Wedding invitations via The Knot (style is called Rustic Minimal) | Engagement ring via Kasia Jewelry | Earrings custom designed by Cori Lynn Co.
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Earrings: Cori Lynn Co.
Dress: Amsale via Gilded Social Shoes: Jimmy Choo


Dress: Amsale via Gilded Social| Earrings: Cori Lynn | Hair: Ross Schultz at Co.Lab Hair Studio| Makeup: LaReve

Photography


I would be remiss if I did not give a special shout to my photographer, Sara Marsh. She captured the day perfectly and, more importantly, made the whole photo shoot portion of the day an absolute breeze. It truly makes such a difference when you work with a photographer who knows how to direct you and knows how have fun and laugh. Sara kept everything so lighthearted for us and captured the most amazing shots. I found her on on instagram and loved her aesthetic, and I'm so grateful that the pictures turned out better than I could have ever imaged.


Sources: Brass Pedestals









Wedding Coordination


And last but certainly not least, my wedding coordinator, Emily Messinger of Exhale Events, was largely the only reason I remained sane on the day of my wedding AND in the months leading up to it. She was an incredibly influential voice of reason for many of the design decisions I made, as well as all of the logistics and other other nuances. I utilized Emily's "month-of" wedding management service, and it is easily my biggest regret that I did not work with her for full-service wedding planning. The value she added was immense, and I can't recommend her services enough. I love her so much, I'm even going to risk posting the dorkiest photo ever of when she showed me the reception space before the wedding!


I truly could not have made this vision come to life without her help. Thank you so much, Emily!



For links to everything we used in our wedding, keep scrolling. Thanks for reading, and leave any questions you have in the comments!



Vendors

Thank you to all of our wonderful vendors!


Catering: Milo's Catering

Event Coordinator: Exhale Events

Floral Design: Jewelweed

Bridal Gown: Amsale via Gilded Social

Groom's and Groomsmen's Suits: Jos A. Bank

Bridal Party Hair: Co.Lab Hair Studio

Bridal Party Makeup: LaReve

Custom Bridal Jewelry: Cori Lynn Co.






Hackett House Studio is a boutique interior design firm located in Columbus, Ohio offering full-service and virtual interior design services, as well as concierge styling and interior photography. Please visit the services page of our website to learn more about us, and to inquire about working with us.


*Affiliate Link Disclaimer* Hey friend! Here's the skinny: when I post links to products, they are usually affiliate links. This means I get a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you purchase something through one of my links. Every product I share is something I love and, in many cases, is something I've bought for either myself or for clients. It's one the ways we keep HHS running, and why I'm so grateful you choose to read my blog! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for shopping with me and leave me a comment below to let me know if you're enjoying your purchases!








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