Leslie graduated from high school with me, and Matt is a good friend of mine’s brother. I knew of them separately from being a couple – as many of their friends do, as they met as being part of the same circle of friends. And so knowing each of them from different parts of my life, working with them was like hanging out with old friends. But every step of the way, they were so kind and accommodating to me, making sure I knew I was appreciated as both a friend and a wedding professional. Plus, their wedding was at the Columbus Zoo’s Heart of Africa exhibit – one of my very favorite venues in Columbus! Needless to say, I was looking forward to their wedding for a long time.
We started our day at the Hilton at Polaris. As each side got ready, Leslie surprised Matt with a special touch on his boutonniere – a buckeye! I staged their first look on the back patio of the hotel, just the two of them. I think it’s so important to carve out as much alone time on the wedding day as possible! From there, we hopped in a limo with their wedding party and headed to nearby High Banks Metro Park for portraits. It was the middle of the day, sunny and beautiful – not ideal time of day for lighting, but we made it work! We returned to the hotel for family portraits, and a tisch with just the guys. It was so nice to see so many familiar faces!
From there, we headed to the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium for the rest of the day’s festivities. A small group of close friends and immediately family gathered for the ketubah signing, followed by their ceremony on the back deck overlooking the Heart of Africa exhibit. As Leslie and Matt stood under the chuppah, and broke the glass, a pair of giraffes wondered back and forth with curiousity, overlooking the crowd. It was hard to contain the cuteness of it all!
At their cocktail hour, more animals joined the fun, including a baby kangaroo that was as chill as can be, a baby leopard that tried to play with Leslie’s dress, and their favorite – a penguin!
The celebration continued at the reception – their first dance was to “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” from the Lion King – totes appropriate! And more fun followed with the hora, sunset shots, a surprise Ohio State jersey unveiling, and a late night smores snack. Mazel Tov to my friends Leslie and Matt!
