While at a bar in Cincinnati, Jessica Stanley couldn’t take her eyes off of Michael Noell. Once they were introduced, the rest was history. “Michael and I talked the rest of the night, and we've seen each other every day since. We consider 16 our lucky number – the day we met,” she smiles, also sharing they chose to say “I do” on the 16 th of September. The following year, Michael proposed during Jessica’s birthday weekend. “It was right in front of the front door and my dog witnessed the whole thing,” she remembers.

As Cincinnati natives, the duo knew it was only right to tie the knot in their hometown. Out of all the venues they considered, the pair elected a famous art museum for their nuptials. “[The museum] is also an important piece of Cincinnati history, and we love our city. We also felt like it would be an experience for our guests to navigate to the ceremony and then to the reception through art galleries,” the bride explains. The groom’s father officiated the alfresco ceremony in the courtyard of the museum, where Jessica proceeded down the aisle in her customized gown. “I went with a Monique Lhuillier Chantilly-lace gown with a custom neckline, eyelash trim, button details, a cathedral-length veil,” she reveals of her elegant ensemble.

Although she pictured a timeless, classic ambience for her special day, the bride decided to incorporate colorful blooms in the décor for a modern twist. “To me, black and white is as classic as you can get in terms of color scheme, so that’s what we went with. All aspects of our wedding were black and white, with the only pop of color throughout being our florals,” she explains. Another modern element of the soirée was the photo booth that produced fun video clips for guests to enjoy and share online. “We hired [a vendor] in Cincinnati that was basically a Boomerang photo stand where groups could take [videos] of themselves, send them to their phones, and post them on social media,” Jessica explains. Along with the wedding confection, guests indulged in delicious donuts towards the end of the evening. “Our neighbor’s family owns a popular donut shop in Cincinnati, [so] we ordered donuts for our guests for a late-night snack,” the bride tells.

Jessica treasured each second of her special day and hopes that all couples will too. “Be as present as possible the day of,” she encourages. “I felt present and feel like because of that, I soaked everything in as it was happening and enjoyed every moment.”