What an amazing opportunity for me to capture this special day for Grace and Bryan! Their fall wedding at The Arcade in Cleveland, Ohio was beautiful and such a unique place to say “I do!” From getting ready to the first look and reception, this wedding was full of rich colors, laughter, and love. 🧡

Bryan and Grace’s wedding was LITERALLY PERFECT and EVERYTHING was stunning! I was speechless about shooting such a sweet couple in this amazing venue. The Arcade in Cleveland has an interesting history and is very popular with tourists and locals. This location boasts many shops and restaurants where you can roam on the weekends and enjoy what the city has to offer, including hosting events. Opening in the spring of 1890, it was documented as the country’s first indoor shopping center. Soon after, it was nicknamed “Cleveland’s Crystal Palace.” Designers Eisenmann and Smith modeled it after the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, Italy. One of the financial backers of this project was John D. Rockefeller. A $60 million renovation was completed in 2001 and the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Sweetest Bride and Groom

I have known Grace for a long time and was honored when she asked me to be their photographer. She was a fellow cheerleader with me at Champion All-Stars and was a few years younger. Since we also cheered at our local high schools, we always enjoyed seeing each other at sporting events. Grace and Bryan were phenomenal to work with! They are such kind and lovely people and trusted me through the entire wedding portrait process. Bryan did great throughout the entire wedding day. I may have said multiple times “One more photo!”, which we all knew was a lie LOL. 😂 However, he was a champ and never complained.

Grace and Bryan opted for a first look, which I loved! 👏🏼 It allowed the emotions to come out and let them enter cocktail hour after the ceremony. Another added benefit of a first look is that as soon as that is done, we go right into bride and groom portraits. Since the excitement of seeing your significant other is already there, WHY NOT spend MORE one-on-one time, just the two of you? The bride’s hair and makeup are fresh and you get to spend romantic time with each other before the rush of the wedding day.

A Beautiful Venue with Natural Light

This wedding venue in Cleveland provided various areas for taking pictures. I could’ve spent hours there! Since the hall right outside of the bride’s suite had great lighting, we did the first look right there. The ceiling in this place was all windows, so I worked with all-natural light until the reception. 👌🏼 After the first look, we went right into bride and groom portraits. We then proceeded with the wedding party and some more of Grace and Bryan. We had some extra time in the schedule, so I asked them if we could go outside for some portraits in downtown Cleveland. They were absolutely down for it! 

After shooting outdoors, we were back inside before the ceremony. The ceremony was held on the steps on the north end of the venue – the perfect spot for a wedding ceremony. We had family portraits on the steps following the ceremony, while the guests enjoyed cocktail hour one level up. The lower level area was flipped for the reception. The wedding planners, Justin and Deborah, and Sarah, the event coordinator, did a great job! For the reception, the tables were decorated with tall candles in glass cylinders along with vases of flowers and pictures of Grace and Bryan during their relationship. 📸

For favors, they gave out specially made M&M’s with their initials and wedding date. Each guest also received a personalized key chain with their table number. How adorable! After speeches and cutting the cake, the real party started! Everyone got on the dance floor, even the bride’s grandmother. 💃🏻

Thank you Grace and Bryan for trusting me with your special day! 🧡 I can’t wait to come back for another fall wedding at The Arcade in Cleveland, Ohio! If you’re planning a wedding in Cleveland, fill out my contact form so we can talk about details.😉

Wedding Vendors

Wedding Dress: Designer, Maison Signore; Purchased at Kleinfeld Bridal

Florist: Bailey with Molly Taylor & Co

Venue: The Arcade / Hyatt Regency Cleveland

Event Sales Manager – Hyatt Regency: Sarah Mgebroff

Wedding Planners: Deborah & Justin with Planned Elegance

DJ: Ultimate Sound Productions

Cake: Wild Flour Bakery

Bridesmaids Dresses: Hello Molly and Petal and Pup

Groomsmen Attire: Suit Shop

Hair and Makeup: Mane Chic

Officiant: Tim Greathouse