1. Real Weddings

A Chic Blush Wedding at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, Ohio

Adding their own twist to tradition, Carly Cerepak (28 and a compliance specialist) and Patrick Graves (28 and a compliance officer) weren’t afraid to

Adding their own twist to tradition, Carly Cerepak (28 and a compliance specialist) and Patrick Graves (28 and a compliance officer) weren’t afraid to make their wedding their own. Instead of wearing a traditional white or ivory wedding dress, Carly donned a stunning blush Vera Wang ball gown. The dress not only set the tone (and color palette) for the rest of the wedding, it also added a vintage flair to the garden wedding. Not stopping there, she completed her look with a birdcage veil and a victory-rolled updo. (Yes, we're obsessed too.) As if that weren't enough, Flowers On High created a gorgeous purple and red bouquet to perfectly complement her look. Carly and Patrick chose The Palm House at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, Ohio, for their venue for its exotic tropical plants, which brought the ethereal garden feel to life. “The Palm House is insanely gorgeous,” Carly says. “There are palm trees everywhere along with all sorts of tropical plants. You don't feel like you're in Columbus, Ohio.” They used blush as their main color and accented with shades of gray, purple and red for a romantic color palette. Not wanting to compete with their lush greenhouse venue, the couple kept decor to a minimum. But they did hang white paper lanterns throughout the reception for a little added whimsy. Their grand entrance down the curved staircase is detail we love too. Nathan Migal from Imagen Photos gorgeously captured all the details of the day.

“The one thing I knew was I wanted a blush wedding dress,” Carly says. “I wanted the perfect shade of pale pink. The dress I fell in love with was a blush dress from the White by Vera Wang line at David's Bridal. I also knew I wanted to wear a birdcage veil and have my hair in victory rolls.”
Carly carried purple dahlias and carnations along with red roses in her lush bouquet. She loved how the red and purple perfectly complemented the otherwise blush color palette and added a romantic feel to the garden wedding. The hand-tied bouquet from Flowers On High was completed with a white ribbon around the stems.
The bridesmaids wore charcoal dresses that were purchased on Etsy. Everyone got to choose their own style of the dress for a chic, personalized look. Carly loved the ruching on the top of each dress despite the style. Plus, the dresses were reasonably priced.
Patrick and all the groomsmen rented tuxedos from The Black Tux. Carly and Patrick loved the classic look of the tuxedos with black suspenders and black bow ties. The men completed their look with Red Hot Chili Pepper Socks in honor of Patrick’s favorite band.
The Palm House Greenhouse Ballroom
In honor of their Ohio wedding, the couple had guests sign a metal sign in the shape of the state. They decorated the sign with a pink heart with their initials and the wedding date over where Columbus would be on a map in honor of their venue's location.
Carly and Patrick’s dog, Keidis (named after the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Patrick’s favorite band), wore a custom tuxedo that the couple ordered on Etsy. One of the groomsmen walked the dog down the aisle for the ceremony.
Victory Roll Bridal Updo
Vera Wang Strapless Blush Wedding Dress
Instead of individual escort cards for each guest, the couple created a chalkboard seating chart. It was decorated with elegant calligraphy and blush, yellow and ivory to match the simple color palette. The chalkboard sign added a little rustic flair to the otherwise classic wedding.
Carly and Patrick chose The Palm House at Franklin Park Conservatory for their wedding. They loved being able to have the ceremony and reception in the same location. In addition, the venue was gorgeous with exotic palm trees and tropical plants everywhere. The couple hung some white paper lanterns for a whimsical feel, but otherwise kept decor to a minimum.
Elegant Stair Reception Entrance
Carly and Patrick enjoyed a small, one-tier chocolate wedding cake with chocolate frosting for themselves. For guests, Carrie's Sugar Buzz made chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting presented in ornate blush cupcake cups to match the color palette. They also served mini pumpkin and apple pies.
A Classic Greenhouse Venue in Ohio