Cleveland Metropark Zoo Wedding, Chinese Lantern Festival: Cleveland Ohio Photography

We could not have had a more beautiful day for Jenna and Ben’s Cleveland Metropark Zoo wedding!

When Jenna originally contacted me about their day, I was so excited. I told her a zoo wedding was on my bucket list to photograph! As long as I’ve been doing this, I’ve NEVER had a wedding there before. But on top of that, they are just a really awesome couple and I knew it would be a fun day all around. P.S. I get to shoot at my other bucket list location next summer, Barn Wedding Venue, Receptions, Parties | Irongate Equestrian Center).

Do you know what the best part about a zoo wedding is? Besides the obvious (zoo animals), the bride and groom also have the opportunity to do some pretty memorable things - like feed the giraffes and go ziplining across the lake. If you want more than just your average wedding day, the zoo is a great place to have your wedding. Plus, your guests are free to go explore as well.

And Jenna and Ben also scheduled their wedding during the Chinese Lantern Festival, which I had never seen, is quite the spectacle. Let me tell you, it is 100% worth getting tickets to go and see the displays sometime. I was overly impressed! On this particular day, the event was sold out - there was certainly a sea of people to get through for photo ops, but it was certainly worth it. Plus, we had a really nice golf cart driver that helped us navigate a little bit more efficiently through the people, too. We got to see most of the lanterns via our cart tour in and out of the zoo!

This is certainly going to be a memorable wedding for guests for years to come. I think the unique location was a hit with everyone (plenty took advantage of riding the carousel, too). I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Jenna and Ben’s day and wish them nothing but the best in the future! Enjoy this peek into their day.

And thanks to the Vendors who made this possible:

Venue: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Stillwater Place

Floral: The Flower Petal , Cleveland

Caterer: Aramark, Cleveland

Baker: Faithful Little Cupcake, Wooster

DJ: Bret at One T Entertainment, Cuyahoga Falls

Officiant: Thomas Abbott

Bridal Shop: La Blance Bridal Boutique, Olmstead Falls Designed by Mori Lee

Women’s Formalwear: David’s Bridal

Hair: Aliza at Studio 83

Makeup: J.C.’s Hair Design

Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Rings: Peter & Co. Jewelers, Avon Lake

Another Windy Wedding: Honorée and Carlos' Wedding in Orrville, Ohio

Back to back weddings with 50+ mph winds and rain….that is the stuff nightmares are made of, but exactly what this year has handed me so far!!!! Admittedly, indoor formal portrait shooting isn’t my favorite, but I might like it a little bit more after the past couple of weekends! I had some beautiful spaces to work with, and that certainly helps.

I met Honorée at her friend’s wedding I photographed last year (you can view her wedding HERE). I was super excited when she contacted me and let me know her and Carlos were now engaged! Can you believe how GORGEOUS all of the bouquets and reception arrangements are?!?! They were stunning! I had no idea what a talented florist Honorée is! She also did her own hair and makeup and sang a special song to Carlos (in Spanish might I add) - she is one talented (and beautiful) lady!

This day was just overflowing with love. I don’t even have to tell you that. I know you’ll be able to see it from the photos. This is another special wedding that I am so blessed and thankful to be able to be a part of!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
,

Hannah and Mark's Windy Spring Wedding at Nickajack Farms: North Lawrence, Ohio

,

Hannah and Mark were married this past Saturday at Nickajack Farms in North Lawrence, Ohio. I don’t think any of us were expecting the winds we had, even though the forecast was predicting a breezy day. One word summed them up: excessive! The lights flickered multiple times, debris kept flying past the windows, and the barn doors were slamming with each gust. Not going to lie - I was a little disappointed we couldn’t shoot outside since this is such a fun venue, but also glad we still had a beautiful indoor space to shoot in, and that it was warm and cozy without gail force winds and rain. While I would brave those if a couple wanted to, it made my day easier not to figure out how to! We were just fortunate to keep power…just one road over, the electric poles were completely sheared down, and trees uprooted from the ground. We were lucky.

Not a secret - I have been looking forward to this wedding this whole past year! Hannah is an animal loving introvert like myself, while Mark is an outgoing guy who I can tell likes to make everyone laugh and doesn’t take life too seriously (a good quality to have). If I were to guess, Hannah keeps him a bit more grounded, and he brings Hannah out of her shell, which balances their relationship out perfectly. Plus, they both have fantastic families that I enjoyed spending time with! I am so happy for the two of them to have found each other.

This wedding had a great team of vendors I would love to give a shout to! The beautiful floral was provided by Nikki’s Perfect Petal Designs.

Her gorgeous gown is a Lazaro design, purchased from Matina’s Bridal and the groom’s attire is Men’s Wearhouse. The bridesmaid’s dresses are from David’s Bridal. Hannah’s (and the bridesmaids) hair and makeup was provided by Beauty MARK by Jaclynn Bower.

Tim Greathouse is a great officiant! He does an excellent job making ceremonies more personal, and not just your dry, traditional ceremony. He doesn’t stumble on words and has a great speaking voice…..which let me tell you, not all officiants can boast about. He’s one of the best and someone I would recommend if you’re in the market for an officiant.

And, the person who brought this whole party together and kept people dancing the night away, Kevin with Midnight Music DJ Service! Not only does he have good taste in music, you can tell he loves his job, which is a huge part of being successful in this industry. Not all djs are created equally, but I wholeheartedly would recommend Kevin for your big day. And lastly, the cake! Oh my goodness, I could stand by the cake table all day and just take in some big whiffs! It smelled divine, but this Type One diabetic wasn’t in a place to sample it this day….though I’m sure it was fantastic…I’ve had Nothing Bundt Cakes before, and they are so moist and tasty!

 
 
 
 
 
 
,

Sneak Peek: Country Chic Black & White Fall Wedding at Willow Haven Event Center, Wooster Ohio

,

Brigitt & Tom were married this past Saturday at Willow Haven Event Center in Wooster, Ohio. This venue was the perfect place for them to host their country chic wedding, with touches of old and new mixed throughout the property. It was a breathtakingly beautiful day, and I can’t wait to share more from their day a little further down the road once I get to dig into editing!