Casual and Customized Downtown Columbus Winter Wedding

Dec. 18, 2021 | Sydney (Poehler) and Tim Deems really, really like winter—especially the month of December. It’s when they first met while waiting tables at a restaurant. “After a year, I confessed my feelings for Tim before he was about to move across the country,” Sydney says. “He stayed, and we knew that was it for us!” They were so sure, in fact, that they chose their first dance song—John Mayer’s “Heart of Life”—that very month.
That fateful confession happened on Dec. 18, 2017, she says; three years and one day later, Tim proposed while enjoying the holiday lights at the Columbus Commons. After, “we went back to our apartment, where he had planned a surprise engagement party with my friends and family,” Sydney says. “It was absolutely perfect.”
Three hundred and sixty-four days later, they were married. They had recently said goodbye to their beloved cat, so they honored him with a mention in their “fun facts” personalized cocktail napkins and by choosing the main color for their event—emerald—based on his birthstone.
The day was filled with other personal touches: Sydney arranged her own flowers and enlisted her brother to serve as DJ. Her mother was her maid of honor, and she and Tim were married by Sydney’s father, “who we are both very close with,” she says.
“Saying our vows to each other was my favorite part,” of the day, she adds. “It was the part I was most nervous about, but being completely present up there with my husband gave me so much peace. Everyone told us the room just felt so filled with love during the ceremony.”
The party itself had one focus: having a good time.
“We wanted our wedding to be super-fun and laid-back, so we decided on a cocktail-style reception, complete with pizza, doughnuts and lots of drinks,” Sydney notes. “It was just a big party with all of our favorite people.”
Editor’s note: In the fall/winter 2022 issue, we mis-stated Sydney and Tim’s last name as Poehler. Poehler is Sydne’s maiden name; the couple’s married last name is Deems.
Vendors
Photographer: Captured Photography
Planner: One Weddings (closed)
Ceremony and reception: North Bank Park Pavilion
Caterer: Mikey’s Late Night Slice
Dessert:Krispy Kreme
Flowers and music: DIY
Rentals: Aiden & Grace
Stationery: Georgia Blue Design Co. on Etsy
Accommodations: Hotel LeVeque
Rehearsal dinner: Hadley’s Bar + Kitchen
Bride’s attire: Milla Nova gown from The Wedding Club (London, UK), veil from Stacy’s Bridal on Etsy, shoes from Lulus
Bride’s hair and makeup: Hair by Épanoui, makeup by 614 Beauty
Groom’s attire: Tuxedo from Men’s Wearhouse, accessories from The Tie Bar
Rings: Sydney’s engagement ring from Heidi Gibson, wedding bands from Lazuli NY
Bridesmaids’ attire: Gowns from Lulus and BHLDN
Groomsmen’s attire: Tuxedos from Men’s Wearhouse
Read More: Casual and Customized Downtown Columbus Winter Wedding