Our beautiful #ljmrealbride Kumbi, an Auditor at Schneider Downs, describes the start of her relationship with her now-husband Howard, a Mechanical Engineer, as “love in the time of Covid”. The two met on Hinge, where they matched but didn’t yet strike up a conversation. Our bride shares that following their match, he followed her on Instagram. It wasn’t until a few months later that the two began chatting virtually, and finally met for dinner!
Two years later, when Kumbi and Howard’s parents were set to meet in-person for the first time, he popped the question. Kumbi shares she had no idea the proposal was about to happen! Her soon-to-be fiancé’s parents had just returned from a trip to Paris, and had gathered everyone around to exchange gifts from their travels. Kumbi shares that while this was happening, everyone kept shuffling her to the center of the room, and she kept wondering why, unaware that a certain question was right around the corner!
” I thought, ‘Must we really stay standing here, and why is everyone smiling so much?’ I reached for my gift, unwrapped it, smiled, and turned to place it on the fireplace behind me. When I turned around, there he was, smiling and shaking, with one hand on his knee and the other holding up a diamond that shut my mind up for the first time. The answer was easy: yes to forever.”
After the proposal and saying YES, it was time to start planning a wedding! Kumbi shares that when it came time to select a bridal boutique to find the dress of her dreams, the choice to go with La Jeune Mariee was an easy one. After a quick search of Columbus bridal shops, our bride shares that LJM stood out immediately, giving off a sense of elegance and class. She also shares that our list of world-renowned designers and brides’ positive reviews were what stood out to her the most!
Once she arrived for her bridal appointment with our team of expert stylists, Kumbi shares that she quickly realized the original vision for her wedding dress wasn’t what she ended up loving. “I was very much into the figure-hugging style that flares towards the bottom. The more I tried on, the more I realized it was not for me. I didn’t feel anything when I wore those gowns—no glow, no nothing. I was back to square one: Pinterest, which for some reason kept pushing ball gowns. It was then that I came across Jasmine Tookes—a ball gown that would make any princess jealous. I fell in love with the weight of it, the space she took up, the attention she stole. I wanted that ball gown on me.”
Kumbi ended up saying YES to Wtoo by Watters Nella, a timeless yet modern ball gown featuring a strapless neckline, full skirt and bow detail. When Kumbi returned for her Meet the Gown appointment to select accessories, she chose an elegant veil from Toni Federici. Kumbi also attended one of our Little White Dress Events and chose the perfect second look to show off at her reception!
Now that she had her full wedding wardrobe, it was time to embark on other parts of wedding planning! When we asked which part of planning the big day was her favorite, Kumbi shares that it was the search for her photographer. The hunt brought her down a rabbit hole of inspiration, which ultimately helped her bring the entire day to life! Our bride shares that in addition to the inspiration she fell in love with on Pinterest, she was also inspired by the weddings of Sofia Richie and Jasmine Tookes, loving their timeless, old money vibe. Kumbi ended up selecting Stevie J Davis for her wedding day photogaphy – “words cannot express how much I value her. I am so grateful for how she captured one of the most important days of my life. She is one of a kind!”
On the other hand, Kumbi shared that her least favorite part of wedding planning was the constant follow-ups. “It felt like homework—a big group project with several pieces that needed attention. Oh, and the lists! You start a new list every week without even trying because you remember one thing after another.”
After months of hard work and planning, their Jorgensen Farms wedding day had finally arrived! Our bride shares that among the many details she selected for her wedding day, her favorite was the vintage telephone that served as the audio guest book. Following their special day, they have over an hour of messages from their friends and family, sharing advice, fond memories and stories of the couple’s love story.
“My favorite wedding memory is walking down the aisle. When everyone is looking at you and you’re looking at your everything, there’s a short moment where you have to remind yourself to breathe and smile, breathe and smile. I could feel my heart beating—feeling excited, feeling nervous—but more so feeling the weight of stress melt as I noticed how perfect everything was, just as people had once said: everything will be perfect.”
Kumbi credits her amazing wedding day to her group of incredible vendors, sharing that she was extremely meticulous in choosing them. From websites to wedding magazine to photo galleries and reviews, our bride narrowed her top choices down with the help of her bridesmaids and ultimately found the perfect group for her!
As Kumbi reflects on her wedding day, she shared advice to future brides, recommending that when selecting bridesmaids, think about the people who will be by your side to truly help you through this exciting yet busy time. The people who will be up with you the night before finishing last details? Those will be your bridesmaids!
“To all the gorgeous brides out there, I know there are days when you feel like this is all on you—it is. This is your day, and what you say goes, so make a plan and work the plan because all of this is going to pay off. My goodness, it’s going to look amazing, and you will know that it was all worth it”
We’re so honored to have been a part of Kumbi and Howard’s gorgeous Jorgensen Farms wedding day! Keep scrolling for more photos from their day and to view their full list of vendors.
