How to Plan a Luxe Ohio Church Wedding

So you’re planning a Luxe Ohio Church Wedding, and you’re looking for ways to bring your vision come to life. Look no further– here are some juicy tips to get you started!

Hire a planner to make your life easier 

Would you like to know my number one piece of advice I give to couples? I always (like literally, always) advise them to hire an Ohio wedding planner. There are countless reasons why you should hire a planner for your Ohio church wedding. In fact– I have an ENTIRE blog post written just for you on the top reasons you should, and I even included some recommendations to make your life even easier. 

In short– a planner will help you stick to your budget, communicate with your vendors, and they take an incredible amount of stress off your shoulders before your wedding (& most importantly) on the day of your wedding. 

Start creating your vision

Okay, let’s be real. I know you have a Pinterest board full of wedding ideas that you’re finally ready to bring to life! That’s a PERFECT start, but now is the time to really start narrowing things down!

You already know you want a church wedding, but what about color schemes? Florals? Where do you want your reception to be held? How many guests do you want in attendance? These are all questions that your planner will help you answer, but now’s a good time to really start diving into the logistics.

Get your wedding parties in order

If you choose to have wedding parties, you’ll need to choose who you want included! This can be tough, but it’s an important decision that you shouldn’t take lightly. These are the people who will be standing next to you and your babe on one of the most important days of your lives!

Also keep in mind that you don’t have to have a wedding party if you don’t want to. I highly encourage you to do the damn thing the way YOU want it, regardless of what everyone else thinks. Don’t partake in traditions or ideas that you don’t feel personally aligned with. You’ll be so much happier this way! After all, this day is about you two (not everyone else who feels they need to share their opinion with you). 

Think about how you want to ask your besties and loved ones to be included in your wedding party! If you want to give them a gift, Etsy has tons of options for popping the question to them!

Set your budget

If you don’t set a budget, you’re going to end up paying a million dollars for your wedding (not actually, but wedding costs pile up reeaal quick!)

It’s also a really good idea to scout out vendors and send a couple inquiries before sitting down to talk numbers, so are better educated on the realistic costs of different vendors.

When setting your budget, make sure you have a very open and candid discussion with your partner about how much you realistically want to spend. One thing you should be very intentional about bringing up is whether you two are going to cover the cost of the wedding, or if friends and/or family are helping out with wedding costs 

If friends and/or family are contributing, talk about how you’re going to effectively communicate that. Anddd for the love of everything that’s good in the world, please remember– just because they’re helping financially doesn’t mean you’re obligated to implement their opinions and ideas

Your planner can also help you set a realistic budget based on current vendor rates!

Decide on a date

Now that you have a budget set, it’s time to decide on a date so you can book your venue and dream vendors. 

Think about how you envision your wedding day, do you see yourself getting married outdoors during golden hour, or inside on a cold, winter day? 

The best way to do this is start by deciding on a season, and then from there choose a date!

If you want to wait to decide on a set date until you start shopping for vendors, you can totally do that. Although you’ll want to be 100% sure before you sign any contracts, don’t wait too long on this… as vendors book quickly & you don’t want to miss out on your number one photographer choice because another couple moved with more intention.

Most couples prioritize booking a photographer that they really love and connect with and set their date based on the photographer’s availability

Search for a luxe Ohio church wedding venue 

Nazareth Hall

Located in Toledo, Ohio, Nazareth Hall has stunning, historic architecture that your guests (and your photographer) will love.

They have indoor and outdoor spaces that can accommodate anywhere from 50-300 guests, and their non- denominational chapel can hold up to 200 guests. There are three different ballrooms where you can hold your reception after your chapel ceremony. They do book quickly– so be sure to reach out sooner rather than later to schedule a tour!

They also offer full-service catering (one less vendor you have to worry about!), setup & tear down of the ballrooms, and onsite overnight accommodations (no worrying about having to travel elsewhere after your wedding!) Their team of vendors are absolutely phenomenal and will take good care of you on your wedding day!

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church

Located in Circleville, Ohio, St. Joseph’s Catholic church is a beautiful, historic church that would perfectly fit the “luxe Ohio church wedding” vibe.

This is a church (obviously), so you’ll have to have your reception somewhere nearby!

Old St. Mary’s Church

Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Old St. Mary’s Church is gorgeously laid out with decorative arches, and golden finishes/ accents that you’ll fall in love with.

It’s located in the downtown areas, so there are plenty of amazing reception venues nearby!

It is only available on Saturdays, and rehearsals must be held on Fridays.The rental fee is $1500 for 3 hours, and the venue must approve all decorations if you choose to have any 

Start looking for vendors for your luxe Ohio church wedding

Once your venue is locked in, it’s time to start booking your other vendors!

In general, you’ll most likely need: a photographer, videographer, florist, hair & makeup artist, caterer, baker, DJ, and officiant if your venue doesn’t provide one.

Consult your planner for wedding vendors that they have worked with in the past and have had positive experiences with.

And REMEMBER: good vendors cost good money.

Don’t forget about your engagement session!

If you haven’t already, be sure to book your engagement session with your wedding photographer! Some photographers include this in their wedding package, while others do not to give you that option. So you’ll either want to add it on to your package, or reach out to schedule a date for your session if it’s included!

Engagement photos are a great way to celebrate this special time in your life - you’re only a fiancé once!

It can also be the perfect opportunity to get comfortable in front of the camera, and to get to know your photographer in person 

My Ohio wedding vendor recommendations 

Florist Recommendation: Gardenview Flowers, Merkels Floral Studio, Stem Floral Studios

Videographer Recommendation: Elle DiSorbo

Makeup Artists: Beauty by Billie Jo, Lulu Amour,Julia Marie Makeup Artistry

Hair Stylists: Bridalinthe419

DJ: Touch the Sky DJs, DJ T.O

Coordinator: Check out this full my blog post on why you should hire a coordinator, followed by a list of my top recommendations!

Have check-ins with your planner

Of course your planner will be the one to facilitate these check-ins, but once you have your venue & vendors booked, your planner will take care of the rest!

You’ll have to decide on little things here and there, but your planner will make this process so much easier and stress-free

Enjoy your luxe Ohio church wedding!

It’s totally normal to get nervous leading up to your wedding, but take this opportunity to destress with your partner. Get yourselves a glass of wine (or something stronger), and relax because no matter what… your wedding day is going to be absolutely fabulous.