A Cincinnati bar crawl in December of 2013 produced more than just jovial patrons celebrating the holiday season – it also created a relationship. Upon meeting on that fateful night, Mike Hines drummed up the courage to text Logan Schmidt right after the two parted ways. “He called me the next day, Sunday, and our first date was that Tuesday,” Logan recalls. Soon, the pair would become inseparable. Just over a year later, while on a trip with both of their families in Florence, Italy, “Mike hopped me on his back to walk around our courtyard pool to ‘check the weather’ after breakfast. Before I knew it, he was on one knee asking if I would be his wife!” Logan muses.

The bride-to-be took the reins during the 14-month engagement, having coordinated several events through her profession in marketing. “I would say my wedding planners at Viva Bella Events were my best resource with their knowledge and creativity, knowing how to make my vision a reality. No matter what, they were always calm and had an answer,” she says, noting that staying organized and keeping a “wedding binder” were essential for the process. One of the most important decisions was selecting the overall motif for the day. “'Elegant neutrals' was pretty much our theme,” the bride explains. “We had a little sparkle and lots of green mixed in with the white flowers of different shapes and textures.”

“'Elegant neutrals' was pretty much our theme. We had a little sparkle and lots of green mixed in with the white flowers of different shapes and textures.”

The morning of the special day, bridesmaids in long, black dresses with sophisticated sweetheart necklines helped Logan into an ivory gown with ornate detailing and an added ball gown overskirt, which she later removed for the reception. Escorted by her mother, she carried a cascading cluster of white blossoms adorned with greenery down her alfresco, custom aisle by The Original Runner Company. “We didn’t do a ‘first look’ and having my mom on my arm as Mike smiled his loving smile with his eyes telling me in one look how deeply he loves me [was incredible]. It’s a face I will never forget,” smiles Logan. After their “I dos” underneath a rustic wood-and-verdure arch, guests adjourned into the reception tent for the lively celebration.

Inside, friends and family found their seats at tables featuring either a striped linen or a mirrored top, all sporting loose and relaxed arrangements of snowy blossoms bedecked with wild greenery. From the ceiling, crystal chandeliers were mixed with suspended floral fixtures that hung over the longer head table near the couple’s circle bar. “We definitely loved having a circle bar! It was amazing and the social hangout of the wedding,” tells Logan. After enjoying slices of a five-tier, white-and-silver wedding cake filled with cream cheese, chocolate, and buttercream, revelers danced the night away to kick off the new life of the newlyweds in style. “I trusted my unbelievable team and I knew that at the end of the day, I’m Mrs. Logan Hines and that’s more than perfection in my book,” gushes the bride.