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PrintScott Heimlich and Scott Brown
Klatte Photography LLC
Scott Heimlich and Scott Brown made a lifetime commitment on May 23 at Schiller Park in German Village. And the couple, who have been together for six years, had quite the surprise planned for their 250 guests. Unknown to family and friends, the week before the ceremony, they snuck away to Vermont, where they were legally married. They made the announcement at Barcelona—Heimlich’s restaurant and the location of the reception.
Heimlich says he and Brown met when a mutual friend set up a blind date at Barcelona on the same night as an event Heimlich helped orchestrate. There was a tiny glitch, though. “Our friend forgot to tell us we were actually on a date, and he didn’t tell us names, either. We didn’t know it was going to be Scott and Scott,” Heimlich says with a laugh. Brown, a ballet instructor at Otterbein College, says one of the reasons his relationship with Heimlich works well is because they understand their careers are so time-consuming. “We weren’t coming into the relationship as kids. We knew what it took to make careers happen,” he says.
Brown decided to propose on Christmas in 2008. Heimlich says Brown gave him nine individual cards and wrapped gifts. “Each card said something about our life,” Heimlich says, adding that the final card said, “Be mine for the next 30 or 40 years,” and it was presented to him with a small box that contained a ring. “I knew exactly what it was. It was a wonderful surprise.”
The Vermont wedding was Heimlich’s idea. “We drove all night and had two hours of sleep. We got up, went to the courthouse and got married. We had to get back to Ohio before anyone found out we were gone,” says Brown. “The ceremony [in Columbus] means a lot, but we did want it legally recognized,” explains Heimlich.
For the Schiller Park event, the couple chose “best gals” and their niece and nephew served as the flower girl and ring bearer. Their parents walked them down the aisle, and Heimlich’s family constructed a wooden trellis, which the couple will use in their home garden. The flowers were by Blooms Direct. Barcelona executive chef Paul Yow prepared a cold tapas bar with cheese, fruit, calamari and portobello mushrooms. Entrees included vegetable lasagna, prime rib, meatballs and chicken. There also were cupcakes from Bakery Gingham. “It was a good time for relaxing, and there was a crazy amount of food and a lot of wine,” says Heimlich.
When the couple announced their wedding surprise, Heimlich says there were a lot of cheers, and “of course, my mother started to cry right away.” His favorite moment was before the ceremony when he and Brown had a moment to take a stroll. “It was sunny and beautiful and as we walked into the park, there were 250 people there for us,” Heimlich says. “It really was the perfect day. We couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
