At the beginning of June I met up with Sara and James on a Friday for their wedding in Cleveland. They planned out their wedding SO smartly! They got ready at their reception location, which was just a few blocks from their ceremony and opted to walk back and forth. It was a lovely day so it was well planned and was a nice way for people to also see the beauty that is Cleveland.
The only downside to their wedding was that the midges/muffleheads hatched the day before/morning of their wedding. While these bugs don’t bite and aren’t as big as the mayflies it still was a bit tricky to fish them out from the layers of Sara’s dress and keep them out of photos! Luckily Sara and James just laughed it off and it didn’t bother them at all.
The whole day can be described in one word: easy. These two were cool cats and if you didn’t see their fancy dress you’d never know they were getting married. That’s what happens when you’re marrying “The One” – at least in my experience. Nothing fazed them, there were no butterflies. Just easy smiles, easy laughs and an easy going approach to the entire day. Their ease made my job even easier so it was a win-win all around.
Thank you both so much for trusting me with capturing your wedding day!
Ceremony: Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist / Reception: Hyatt Regency Cleveland at The Arcade / Bridal Gown: Bridal Boutique of Naperville / Bridesmaids Gowns: House of Brides / Cake: Wild Flour Bakery / DJ: A Bride’s DJ / Florist: Blush Custom Weddings / Hair & Makeup: Marengo Luxury Spa / Menswear: Men’s Warehouse /
When I arrived the girls were still finishing up downstairs so I took photos of Sara’s details while waiting.
After I got photos of the details I popped over with the guys for a few before they had to leave to go to St. John the Evangelist.
Once the girls all returned from the Marengo Spa we got a photo of everyone in their robes before getting dressed.
Sara and James exchanged gifts and he have her a beautiful bracelet which she needed a bit of help putting on.
St. John the Evangelist is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Cleveland!
The wedding ceremony was perfection.
Instead of rushing through photos at the altar they opted to do the photos outside on the stairs after the ceremony. It was SO perfect! The light was ideal and it was the perfect temperature outside.
Silly bridal photos are always fun!
These guys looked quite dapper in their Mens Warehouse suits. Very classy!
I loved the classic black gowns on the girls!
There was a shaded little nook on the side of the church that I really loved for some photos with a bit of green in them (which is not easy to find in Cleveland!).
The giggles are always my favorite!
I love this photo of Sara and her girls!
It was so nice to be able to walk around Cleveland for photos and not have to worry about busses and parking!
LOVE this photo so so so much!
We got back at the Hyatt in time for cocktail hour, which is one of the prettiest spots for a cocktail hour in Cleveland.
While everything was finishing up I popped downstairs to get photos of the setup for the reception.
I love when things are changed up a bit and Sara opted to have the cake downstairs instead of upstairs so it was fun to get a different view of the cake!
Such a GRAND grand entrance, right?
They started the toasts off before dinner and they were perfection.
The bonus to having the cake downstairs was that they got to cut it later in the evening than at the beginning.
I know, I know. I rave about the Hyatt in Cleveland more than I should but come on, isn’t this a beautiful spot for a first dance?
The parent dances followed the first dance and they were lovely.
The dance floor opened up and A Bride’s DJ got the party going and the dance floor was packed all night long.
Finally, their rings on Sara’s beautiful bouquet from Blush Custom Weddings.
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