Real Wedding Wednesdays: Sheela Yomekpe and Ryan Jorgenson

Houstonites Sheela and Ryan Jorgenson decided on a Columbus destination wedding; it just made sense to them. Their mutual friends and most of Sheela’s family lives here, and Columbus is where they met while working at NetJets in 2011. The two quickly bonded over their shared love of flying—Ryan was a pilot, and Sheela had learned to fly during her undergrad—and Dave Matthews Band. They began dating the following summer, and a few months later, Sheela landed her dream job as a biomedical flight controller at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Mission Control in Houston.

“Faced with making a decision on the future of our relationship, I just knew that Ryan and I had something special, so I asked him to consider moving to Houston,” Sheela recalls. “A few months later, he took a job in Houston.”

Four years later, Ryan popped the question while the pair were viewing the Columbus Commons’ holiday light display.

“It was so thoughtful, sweet and romantic. So Ryan, and so perfect,” Sheela says. “We celebrated our engagement at Little Palace, toasting with their sparkling white wine that comes in a can.” The pair returned to Little Palace for their wedding-day photos 18 months later, recreating that moment with fresh cans of wine, which the couple credits as one of the most memorable moments of the day.

The Details

Wedding date: June 2, 2018

Wedding colors: Navy, dusty rose, champagne

Attendants: Three bridesmaids and three groomsmen

Bride wore: An Allure gown from Weddings by Debbie (Katy, Texas), a veil from Beautiful U Bridal Veil & Accessories (Houston), shoes customized with traditional kente fabric in Ghana, personal jewelry and a “something borrowed” sapphire and diamond ring that belongs to her mother

Hair and makeup: Makeup by MM Creative Studios; hair by Valerie Koch at Salon Lofts

Groom wore: Tuxedo rented from Jos. A. Bank

Rings: Bailey Banks & Biddle (Houston)

Bridesmaids wore: An Adrianna Papell gown from Macy’s, a Bardot gown from Nordstrom and a gown from a local shop in Louisville, Kentucky

Groomsmen wore: Tuxedos rented from Jos. A. Bank

Rehearsal dinner: Café Istanbul

Ceremony: St. Catharine Church

Reception: Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph

Caterer: In-house

Cake: Alice’s Piece of Cake

Florist: Botanica 215

Photographer: Christopher Keels Photographer

Invitations: Paper Source

Reception tunes: D & M DJ Entertainment

First dance: “Lover Lay Down,” by Dave Matthews Band

Guest favors: Buckeye candies provided by The Joseph

Registries: Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma

Transportation: Cardinal Transportation

Guests stayed at: The Joseph and Hilton Columbus Downtown

Sunday brunch: The Guild House

Honeymoon: Lisbon and Albufeira, Portugal