1. Real Weddings

An Elegant, Garden Wedding at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio

Rebecca Fineran (37, in merchandising) and Derik Burkholder (33, an engineer) got to know each other through living in the same neighborhood. Over the

Rebecca Fineran (37, in merchandising) and Derik Burkholder (33, an engineer) got to know each other through living in the same neighborhood. Over the summer, Rebecca used a lawn mower that had a noisy engine every time it turned on. After a season of frustration, Derik from down the street came over and insisted on cleaning it up for her. In exchange for fixing her lawn mower, Rebecca bought Derik a drink on their first date. Derik always insisted that Rebecca be the one to propose, so she created a special ring that incorporated the spark plug he bought to fix her lawn mower. The ring took about eight months to make, and once it was ready, Rebecca was more than ready to propose. They went for a walk in the park when after the first snowfall of the season where Rebecca proposed. Derik returned the favor a month later at the top of a mountain in Aspen, Colorado, where he proposed to Rebecca with a vintage engagement ring from the 1920s. Derik was being deployed with the Air National Guard, so the couple only had three months to plan the wedding! They got married in the Palm House at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio because of the indoor space that was still surrounded by nature. Rebecca’s ring was the inspiration behind the vintage themed wedding, with a soft color palette of muted blush tones to let the surrounding foliage naturally decorate the space. “We ensured the day reflected us as a couple by keeping it simple, less formal and by ensuring the reception didn't overwhelm the importance of the ceremony,” says Rebecca.

Rebecca wore blue open-toed shoes and a crystal accented belt by BHLDN, along with silver jewelry pieces and a hair pin.
“We had our wedding at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio,” says Rebecca. “We chose the location because it was a March wedding and we loved that it was a gorgeous indoor venue yet still grounded in nature.”
Rebecca wore an ivory wedding dress that was accented with lace on the sleeves and on the entire back. The dress elegantly was tied with ribbon on the back.
“I was a BHLDN bride from head to toe,” says Rebecca. “My ring is a vintage ring from the 1920s and it inspired the aesthetic of the whole day. I loved the feminine, vintage inspired and less formal look that BHLDN offered.”
Rebecca and Derik embrace each other passionately after they get a first look of each other before the wedding ceremony.
“Throughout the wedding and brunch, a cello and violin duet played," says Rebecca. "I played the violin growing up and asked that they play several pieces that were my mother's favorites."
“Our ceremony and reception was in the Palm House of the Conservatory, and the foliage there is intense,” says Rebecca. “So the color palette was kept to muted blush tones to ensure it really stood out from the background.”
Guests at Wedding Ceremony in Greenhouse
Rebecca and Derik held hands at the front of the ceremonial altar as guests watched their marriage take place in the Palm House at Franklin Park Conservatory.
"To thank our guests for joining us on such a special day, Derik and I continued the nature inspired theme and made succulent terrariums to take home as a reminder of our wedding at the Conservatory," says Rebecca.
The couple stood behind their two-tiered ivory wedding cake, decorated with a topper of the couple's initials.
Couple Shot with Colorful Background