1. Real Weddings

A Classic Backyard Wedding at a Private Lake House in Sandusky, Ohio

Kelly Hennessy (26, a consultant at Ernst & Young) and Tim Borchers (28, a consultant at Tom Zosel & Associates) met in college and dated for

Kelly Hennessy (26, a consultant at Ernst & Young) and Tim Borchers (28, a consultant at Tom Zosel & Associates) met in college and dated for five years before getting engaged. The couple were visiting Kelly’s parents at their lake house when Tim asked (according to Kelly, practically begged) Kelly to go on the boat, where he hid the engagement ring he proposed to her with. The ceremony was held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sandusky, Ohio and the reception in the backyard of Kelly’s family lake house with a waterfront view. Cardstock invitations with gold foil script and translucent floral paper by Rose Gold Studio were sent out for the classic backyard wedding. Kelly, her mom and sister took a trip to New York City one weekend to find the perfect wedding dress, and she fell in love with an ivory dress designed by Ines di Santo at a Bridal Reflections trunk show. At the backyard reception, tables with champagne linens and lace overlay were decorated with simple white and pink flower arrangements of garden roses, dahlias and hydrangeas in mercury glass vases. Instead of traditional wedding favors, the couple decided to donate money to The Miracle Fund, which raises money for breast cancer research. However, the party wasn’t short of chocolate covered Oreos with pink ribbons to for a sweet treat while supporting to the cause.

Blush Open-Toed Bridal Shoes
“I wanted something different yet classic, so we did cardstock with gold foil script,” says Kelly. “ Instead of using the traditional tissue paper, we decided to go with a translucent floral paper insert which Deanna painted herself and made copies of.”
Pink and Ivory Rose Bouquet
A chandelier arrangement of pink roses mixed in with ivory hydrangeas hung from the tented reception.
Elegant Floral Paper Table Numbers
Kelly wore an ivory strapless wedding dress accented with lace and designed by Ines di Santo. She wore a traditional veil and Oscar de la Renta shoes.
“On the tables we did a few different styles,” says Kelly. “The flowers were garden roses, dahlias and hydrangeas on the tables with champagne table cloths with a lacey overlay.”
Instead of a traditional guest book, the couple set up a table with wishing stones that guests wrote messages on.
An assortment of meats and cheeses was arranged on a table, surrounded by rustic slabs of wood and lanterns.
Rustic Wood Card Holder with Lanterns
The four-tiered ivory wedding cake was placed on top a gold metal cake stand and was decorated with gold accents. On the top of the cake was a small arrangement of pink roses.
High Ceiling Catholic Church Ceremony
Tall gold candelabras were filled with a lush assortment of ivory hydrangeas and pink roses accented with greens.
“I wanted a very full bouquet that had the look of grabbing a bunch of flowers right out of the garden and tying them together,” says Kelly. “We used garden roses, dahlias, and hydrangeas in blush pinks and cream colors.”
“Being from Cleveland, I love the waterfront and the lake,” says Kelly. “I looked at one other option and then finally convinced my parents that their huge back yard in Sandusky on the lake was the best option.”
Framed Chalkboard Assigned Seating Board