REAL-WEDDINGS

Real Columbus Wedding: Erica and Blake Carpenter

A little glimpse into one couple’s big day

Columbus Monthly

Erica and Blake Carpenter married on May 15, 2021, at Swan Lake Event Center.

Who: Erica (Roggenkamp) and Blake Carpenter

When: May 15, 2021

The story: “We actually went to middle school and high school together,” Erica says, noting that they didn’t become a couple until their sophomore year in college. Blake proposed in March 2020 during a family vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, which got cut short due to the pandemic. “Blake had an elaborate proposal planned for later in the week with photographers on a catamaran in front of the Cabo arch [rock formation],” Erica says. “But that never happened, since the trip was being cut short! We ended up just us two, under a palm tree strung with lights, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

The details: " I believe our wedding was so true to our personalities,” Erica says. “We had signature margaritas and Mexican food because they’re our favorites—and also as a nod to our Cabo proposal story. We wanted it to be one huge celebration of love with our friends and family, and it truly was.”

Of note: The most memorable moments of the day for Erica were walking down the aisle—“I bawled the entire time,” she notes—and the first dance to James Arthur’s “Falling Like the Stars,” which was accented by indoor fireworks.