Real Columbus Wedding: Hannah Schumick and Eric Young

This story first appeared in the spring/summer 2021 issue of Columbus Weddings, which was published in December 2020. 

July 25, 2020 | After a two-year engagement and endless preparation, the time had come for Hannah and Eric Young’s wedding. Then, as was the case for so many weddings in 2020, COVID-19 threw a wrench into all their plans. 

“It was one of the most difficult times for both of us,” Eric says. “It was really challenging for us to go through as a couple, but I would always remind Hannah that if we can get through this, we can get through anything.” 

This wasn’t the newlyweds’ first time changing plans on the fly. 

The pair met in 2015 at Union Café through mutual friends. Three weeks later, Hannah messaged Eric asking if he wanted to see her again that night. Despite being in Cincinnati, moments away from watching The Black Keys headline Bunbury Music Festival, he agreed and made a beeline back to Columbus. During a third anniversary trip to Washington, D.C., he similarly winged his proposal at the Lincoln Memorial, enlisting a fellow tourist to snap a photo while he got down on one knee, and it couldn’t have worked out more perfectly. 

Still, the couple had never faced anything quite like a pandemic. As the wedding date approached, sacrifices had to be made. The already-small guest list dwindled from 80 down to 40, Eric canceled his bachelor party, and contact-intensive traditions like the bouquet toss seemed impossible. 

But as Eric said in his vows on the big day, “Love isn’t canceled.” Hannah and Eric came up with creative workarounds that kept the spirit alive. “Everybody still had a really good time,” Hannah says. “The changes weren’t so drastic that it made the day any less special.” 

The couple insisted on masks for all their guests and carefully arranged seating to keep social distance. They let guests choose a color-coded wristband that indicated their comfort with personal contact and handed out individualized desserts in lieu of a single cake. 

Their most creative solution allowed them to save the bouquet toss. Instead of throwing the flowers into a tightly packed group, Hannah assigned single guests a number and rolled a giant 20-sided die—a nod to the couple’s love for Dungeons & Dragons—to determine the winner. 

Ultimately, Hannah and Eric say working as a team made the whole event possible, even in a pandemic. “As long as [she] and I are on the same page—regardless of the chatter outside—it doesn’t matter,” Eric says. “It’s our day.”  

Vendors

Ceremony and reception: Vue Columbus 

Caterer: Metro Cuisine 

Cake: Chocolate Café 

Florist: Hilliard Floral Design 

Photographer: Ashley Wallace Photography 

Music: Friend of bride 

Bride’s attire: Enzoani gown from Bridal & Formal (Cincinnati), shoes from DSW and accessories from Etsy 

Hair: Rendezvous Hair Salon 

Makeup: Lauren Lunder 

Groom’s attire: Pursuit and The Tie Bar 

Rings: Catbird (New York City) and Worthington Jewelers 

Bridesmaids’ attire: David’s Bridal gowns 

Groomsmen’s attire: Pursuit 

Stationery: DIY 

Hotel: Hotel LeVeque