For most people, the day they get married is one of the most significant days of their entire lives, save perhaps for the day they become parents. The practice of matrimony pre-dates historical record, and traditions have been introduced and laid to rest for thousands of years, but recently, the reinvention of the traditional wedding ceremony has exponentially increased.

No longer will you get chased out of town if your dress doesn’t have a huge train, or because you refuse to wheel out a five-tiered cake. Instead, modern couples often wear something a little more casual and serve fresh fruit for dessert.

Especially in the creative haven that is Columbus, the Big Day focuses more on the couple than the traditions of yesteryear. Classic looks are still incorporated, but the florist, the tailor or the caterer won’t show you the door if your concept isn’t by the book. After all, it’s your day.

Columbus has never been a color-by-numbers city, so it only makes sense that our weddings wouldn’t be either. (614) explores some of the more inventive ways for couples to tie the knot. Discover splashes of color where there would otherwise be white, local landmarks where there would otherwise be churches and reception halls, and friends and family pitching in hand-made touches from centerpieces to musical acts.

The following pages illustrate how the bonds of love have been expressed in a city that wears its creativity on its sleeve. The result is not only a unique concept for the Big Day, but a fresh approach to what a wedding is all about at its core; the day two people gather with friends and family to express their desire to face the world together, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, as long as they both shall live.