Romance is brewing
The Athens Messenger
July 4, 2010
By SARA BRUMFIELD
Messenger staff writer
Ohio Brew Week is for lovers? Well, for one couple it is.
Brooke Sheppard and Jesse Megenhardt, who reside in northern Kentucky, will be tying the knot on July 17 in Athens and treating their guests to the festivities of Ohio Brew Week.
The couple has been together since 2002, but said they really fell in love while attending Ohio University together. They both graduated as Bobcats in 2007. Sheppard works as a national sales recruiter for Total Quality Logistics and Megenhardt is a manufacturing engineering manager at Itron North America.
“We always tell people that we are college sweethearts just because that’s where we fell in love and really grew up,” Sheppard said.
Sheppard said that having their wedding in Athens was an easy choice. She is a graduate of Belpre High School and Megenhardt a graduate of Federal Hocking High School.
“Athens was a common choice,” said Megenhardt. He said Athens’ culture, atmosphere and environment made it a perfect place to attend college — and to get married.
The two will be married at Richland United Methodist Church with a reception following at Ohio University’s Baker Center.
“We wanted all of our friends from OU to be able to come and kind of have a reunion back in Athens since it’s been three years,” Sheppard said.
Sheppard said they were excited to find out that Ohio Brew Week coincided with their chosen wedding date.
“We knew that Brew Week would be close to our (wedding) date so we were really excited to hear that Brew Week was during the same time when the date came out,” Sheppard said. “We have a lot of out-of-town guests, including Ohio University alumni, so we opted for an early afternoon wedding and reception to cater to our guests. Our guests will have the opportunity to enjoy the Brew Week festivities and all that the city of Athens can offer afterwards.”
“I love beer,” Megenhardt laughed. “I love to taste and sample unique beers.”
Megenhardt said he was excited to offer his wedding guests the opportunity to try some of Ohio’s best craft beers.
“I can’t tell you how excited our guests are about our decision to have our wedding during Brew Week,” Sheppard said. “Not only do our guests get an opportunity to come back to campus and visit Athens, but they get to drink their favorite microbrew or craft beer while they’re at it.”
Megenhardt said this will be his second Brew Week and said he really enjoyed his first experience. His soon-to-be wife agreed.
“I have attended Brew Week in the past and it’s a really fun event,” Sheppard said. “I especially like Boogie on the Bricks that wraps up the week-long event. It’s a very upbeat, but casual event and I like how the community comes together to put such a great event on. I like trying craft beers, and having an opportunity to try ones from breweries across Ohio in one location makes it that much more convenient and fun.”
Ohio Brew Week kicks off next Sunday and wraps up with the Boogie on the Bricks celebration on Court Street on July 17. Craft beers from 26 Ohio breweries will be featured at 35 venues around town, and several thousand people are anticipated to visit Athens for the event.