An Eclectic, Small-Town Wedding at Sparta Restaurant & Coffee Shop in Newark, Ohio
Jane Marczewski (24 and a singer-songwriter) and Jeremy Claudio (25 and a musician) fell in love with the small-town charm of Sparta Restaurant & Coffee Shop in downtown Newark, Ohio, on their first visit. After convincing the owner to let them explore the rest of the building—which functioned as a candy factory and a speakeasy in the 1920s—they knew the quaint, retro diner would be perfect for their eclectic, laid-back nuptials. Vows were exchanged at the Newark Arcade, an indoor mall that features a vaulted, skylighted ceiling and white-brick walls in the passageway between the shops. Since the space resembled a greenhouse, Jane and Jeremy infused it with potted plants, garden seating and a wood-pallet backdrop covered in lush greenery and wildflowers. "We had a vision for it, and when it was full of chairs and green plants and flowers, it was gorgeous," Jane says. Guests then walked next door to Sparta, where they enjoyed a dinner of chicken and waffles with homemade hot-pepper jelly and home fries—the meal Jane and Jeremy ate on their first visit. The couple incorporated a navy and mustard palette with red accents, and single hydrangeas placed in painted milk bottles graced the diner tabletops. Overall, the offbeat decor—including chalk-art signs, string lights, banners and vintage glassware from the building's basement—was kept to a minimum, letting the building's natural character shine through. —Samantha Meux