An Elegant Wedding at Anderson Pavilion

The Proposal of Megan & Michael

Michael and I met in 2016 when I moved into the apartment across the hall. We had similar schedules for when we would leave and come home from work, so we would casually make small talk, but that was it. I moved out in 2018 and left a note on his door before leaving the apartment for the last time, asking if he wanted to get drinks, and gave him my number. He texted me that night, and we went on our first date a few days later. Our first date lasted 8 hours of non-stop talking and asked to leave the restaurant so they could close. It was an instant connection from there.
Michael proposed to me in 2019 at the same place we had our ceremony (Gardner Family Grove & Rose Garden at Smale Riverfront Park). We went on a double date with our best friends and took a walk to the park at sunset. They told us they would get a picture of us in front of the river and bridge since the sun was setting, and Michael proposed then. Afterward, we went to Yard House at The Banks to celebrate, and both our immediate families and closest friends were there to celebrate with us as a surprise. It was a great evening, and I was shocked. So surprised it took me several minutes to realize everyone at Yard House was there to celebrate with us instead of all randomly being there, as I innocently thought at first.

The Wedding of Megan & Michael

The wedding day was more than I ever could’ve hoped for! It went by so fast, but we had a great time. I had a sleepover with my sisters the night before the wedding, and the rest of the bridal party joined us at the hotel to get ready around 8am the day of the wedding. We had a blast with mimosas, take-out, music, and laughs with the photographer’s team and stylists. Once we made it to the venue and finished bridal party photos, we hung out in a very comfortable bridal suite at Anderson Pavilion while the guys took the groom’s party photos.
After the pictures were finished, we walked across the street to line up for the ceremony. My brother played the guitar while my dad walked me down the aisle, and Lauren got a GREAT photo of Michael’s face when he first saw me (we didn’t do a first look before the ceremony). The ceremony location was surrounded by flowers and greenery and overlooking the Ohio River and Roebling Bridge. It was a beautiful day with incredible weather. After the ceremony, we took some more pictures of the full wedding party and family members. At the same time, the other guests walked to Anderson Pavilion across the street for cocktail hour and to sign our guest “book,” which was actually a circular wooden sign that said “The Bencsiks 09.26.2020.” This ended up being hung in our living room after the wedding to see our loved one’s messages every day.
Michael and I took about 15 minutes between pictures wrapping up and meeting up with the rest of the wedding party to just be by ourselves and share in our excitement for the day. The staff at Anderson Pavilion even set aside some appetizers and drinks for us in the bridal suite to relax and eat for a few minutes. Then we did a fun intro with the wedding party into the ballroom at Anderson Pavilion, finishing our entrance by cheers-ing our guests and expressing our gratitude for their attendance before we sat for dinner to be served.
We tried our best to make it to every table but didn’t get the chance to. It was lovely catching up with people at each table since we hadn’t seen many of them for a long time, thanks to COVID-19. We made a point to talk to our guests at the tables we missed once the dancing got started, though! Corey killed it as a DJ. There was a mix-up with the music, and Party Pleasers didn’t receive our playlist, but Corey kept the music right to our pre-wedding meeting and threw some fun songs in the mix for all ages. I was on the dance floor most of the night!
At the end of the ceremony, the guests were excited to set up a sparkler send-off while Michael and I shared one last dance by ourselves on the dance floor. It was a fun way to take a few minutes to take a breath, reconnect, and close out the evening. Once the song was over, we walked down our “Sparkler Aisle” and left with the guests in a bus to take us back to the hotel.

Megan’s Bridal & Formal Experience

Bridal and Formal was the place I was excited to go to the most. I remember purchasing my dress for senior prom there over 10 years ago and loved all their options. I had an idea of what I wanted but didn’t have a full picture, and the team was able to find me 2 dresses that matched my ideal vision. Both of them were beautiful, but I ultimately picked one based on my family’s reaction when I tried it on. It took 2 trips to the store before I finally decided. I hadn’t had such good luck at any other bridal store I visited (and I had visited several).
My sales consultant, Sandra, was excellent! She had been in the business for a long time and really took time to consider what I wanted, my body shape, and the areas I wasn’t sure about. Sandra provided several different dress types that fit into what I was looking for and my body type. It was really helpful in helping me narrow down precisely what silhouette and textures I wanted.