Welcome to Columbus Weddings Spring/Summer 2023

This fall, I did something I hadn’t done in more than three years: I attended two weddings in the same month. I can count on one hand the number of weddings I’ve been to since the start of the pandemic; it’s a stark difference from the Before Times, when I often attended that many or more in a single season. (My husband and I come from large, tightknit families, and we saw much of our friend group get married between 2012 and 2019.)

But at our two weddings this October, I began to get a sense of normalcy for the first time since everything fell apart in early 2020. The guest lists weren’t slashed to ensure social distancing; masks were optional and relatively scarce. I ate, drank, danced, socialized and celebrated in much the same way I had pre-pandemic, but with a newfound appreciation for all that I’d missed in that time.

It’s not surprising that our social calendar included back-to-back nuptials: For more than a year, industry experts predicted that 2022 would have the most weddings in nearly 30 years, thanks to pandemic-era postponements and new proposals. If the record-setting number of submissions we received for this issue—more than 80!—is any indication, that prediction certainly came true.

While things may be slowing down for 2023, we’re sure the year will see no shortage of Central Ohio weddings taking place. That’s why we’re here: to give you all the tools, tips and tricks to plan your perfect day. In these pages, you’ll find everything from inspiration for alternatives to guest books to practical advice on how to change your name after the wedding (especially if both partners are making a change), to the latest trend in displaying that newly shared last name.

There’s also a styled photo shoot featuring one of the region’s newest venues and of course our Real Weddings section, with in-depth looks at seven local weddings. And, as always, our listings of venues and other vendors after the Real Weddings section offer plenty of resources to get that planning to-do list done.

Another Columbus Weddings mainstay, Best of Columbus Weddings, returns for a fourth year. Our annual reader poll is open now through Feb. 3, 2023, so head to cbuswedmag.com/vote to recognize the vendors you appreciate most. The winners will be announced in our fall/winter 2023 issue, available in June.

Thanks for reading, and as always, happy planning.

To find a list of retailers in your area who carry Columbus Weddings magazine, search your ZIP code here. Or sign up for the Countdown Club, our free membership program that includes a subscription to the magazine. Find more information about the Countdown Club here.

A version of this story first appeared in the spring/summer 2023 issue of Columbus Weddings, published in January 2023.