On New Years Eve I met back up with Toni and Frank in Conneaut and we ended up the evening for their wedding reception on the shores of Lake Erie at Bayfront Convention Center. As with the day before it was a chilly day and the breezes off of Lake Erie made it even cooler. This group braved the freezing temps for photos though!
Toni and Frank were so much fun to work with. I found out quickly during their engagement they had an easy love and just fell in naturally with one another. They are so sweet together and Tony was more than happy to wrap his arms around Toni to keep her warm from the chilly breeze. I’m still impressed with how long they toughed it out in the chilly Lake Erie breeze!
New Years Eve weddings are so much fun. Take a wedding and amp up the sillies and the love and that’s what a NYE wedding is like. It was SO much fun and there was something going on at every corner of the ballroom all night. I have to give a special shout out to the ladies I was seated with. They were an older group of ladies and they were an absolute hoot to sit with.
Thank you both so much for having me along for your day and sharing your holiday with me!
Ceremony: Corpus Christi in Conneaut / Reception: Bayfront Convention Center / Cupckaes: Icing on the Lake / DJ: Selective Sound
I started out with Frank and his guys at his parents house. They were all pretty chill and relaxed and it was a perfect way to start the day.
I then headed over to meet up with Toni and her ladies. While they were finishing up getting the final touches done, I documented some of the lovely details including these gorgeous bouquets that were made for the wedding! How amazing are they?
I really loved the festive colors they chose for their wedding. The red and gold brightened up the dreary day and I especially loved the invitations in red and gold!
Finally it was time to get Toni into her FANTASTIC gown. How gorgeous is this?
There were quite a few layers to her gown to straighten out but her ladies did an amazing job.
The final touches before heading to the ceremony! These earrings were beautiful.
Frank waiting patiently for Toni to make her way down the aisle with her parents at Corpus Christi in Conneaut.
Everyone was barely holding in the tears as they made their way to Frank.
Holiday ceremonies are always so much more festive! I loved the wreaths on the doors to the sanctuary at the church.
The whole ceremony was beautiful and perfect.
The kiss!
Those smiles say it all, don’t they?
I adored these beautiful red gowns on Toni’s bridesmaids, especially with the beautiful white fur wraps. These ladies braved the cold with nary a complaint.
The breeze off Lake Erie was bitterly cold but they managed to sneak out a few giggles!
The guys had a bit more to keep the cold at bay but as you can see, they didn’t hide their chill quite as well.
It was still a good time and they were great sports about everything!
I let the bridal party head back to the bus to warm up and Toni and Frank braved a few more minutes outside by Lake Erie for photos.
How cute are these two?!
I am still in love with the gown Toni wore. The lace was so divine! I’m glad we kept her train out for the photos outside!
Frank was more than willing to keep Toni warm!
We headed down to the shores of Lake Erie where they had some lights in the trees and took a few more photos.
Toni’s veil was so pretty to play with… and they were such great sports about the cold!
Originally we were going to take more photos once we arrived in Erie from Conneaut but due to the early setting sun and the cold temperatures everyone opted to hang out at a nearby bar for a while instead and take some more casual photos. It worked out perfectly as it the winds picked up a lot during our drive and the bar was nice and toasty!
It doesn’t always work out during a wedding day but I always love when my couples are able to get a bit of a breather in between the ceremony and reception – especially when their reception is going to go late like theirs. After the bar they were able to have a couple hours of downtime to relax before heading to the reception. Every time my couples are able to do this everyone has smiles on so much longer and they are SO much more relaxed.
While they were taking some downtime I was able to get checked into my hotel for the night (the adjoining Courtyard by Marriott) where they gave me the most ridiculous suite for one person. I had a couple hours to kill and found myself curled up in my living room watching the Harry Potter marathon and this may have made their wedding one of my favorite weddings of the year.
Yes, I am a nerd. LOL
I headed down to the reception early so that I had a chance to document the details before everyone arrived. There were so many festive touches for New Years Eve! I loved the bell place card holders to “ring” in the new year.
Another perfect touch for the New Year – Hershey Kisses for favors.
The whole ballroom for the wedding reception at the Bayfront Convention Center was sparkling and festive with their red and gold details.
Finally it was time for the reception to start and Toni and Frank entered the ballroom in style!
They went into their first dance immediately which was perfect.
While they had cupcakes for their guests (in champagne glasses!) they cut a small cake for themselves and it went perfectly.
After a delicious meal the dance floor opened and people kicked up their heels. Thanks to the ever-amazing Selective Sound, the dance floor was packed all night long.
You may recognize these dancers – the bridesmaid is Jenna’s sister! I got lucky enough to have her in TWO weddings last year! And man, can her and her hubby dance!
This is one of the ladies that I was seated with and she was SO much fun!
The evening was full of full on dance parties and sweet slow songs – perfect for the bride’s parents to take a moment to themselves!
So, this awesome lady is known for her rocking out at every family member’s wedding and it.was.amazing!
Soon enough it was time for the BLUE champagne to be poured and the countdown to 2017 to begin!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Not long after everyone made their way back to their rooms for the night with huge grins on their faces from a fun holiday celebration spent with friends and family!
Can you tell I LOVE NYE weddings?
Of course I had to play with their beads for their ring pictures!
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