If I could describe my impressions of Kelley when we first spoke, I think I would say “This girl is a Kelley’s Island kind of girl”. She spent a lot of time there as a kid, and she even works at Papa T’s Deckside every summer. I mean, she has a tattoo of Kelley’s Island on her shoulder! So, when Kelley and Christian met while on Kelley’s Island, it only seemed fitting that they had their wedding there too!
Their ceremony took place at Rocky Beach Seaway Marina, which is just a short walk from the ferry dock. The location overlooks the lake and was the perfect backdrop for an incredible wedding. Kelley wanted to emphasize a simple fall theme, so she added an archway with turning leaves and pumpkins as her primary decoration at the altar.
After the reception, we headed across the island to Kelley’s Island State Park, where we took photos before heading to the reception.
Their reception was at West Bay Inn, which is a short drive across Kelley’s Island. This bar provides a really unique location for a reception due to its proximity to the water and it’s very unique amenities. What do we mean? Well, aside from the volleyball net on the premises (that’s right, imagine people in their Sunday best playing volleyball!), they also are a full bar. So, instead of serving drinks behind a bar within the venue itself, as most venues have their own version of a bar, the way that West Bay does drinks is by handing wristbands to guests that allows them to order any drink available at their bar. The best part is that they let their couples fire the cannon over the water as the sun sets, which makes for an awesome photo opportunity.
Kelley said she wanted her wedding to be cute and unique. And on those two fronts, and many more, it definitely delivered.
Of course, it takes a team to deliver a wedding like that! Here’s some of the people that made her day possible:
When asked to describe their wedding, Chelsea told me “Simple. Like Us.” David is a farmer who lives in a simple farmhouse buried deep in the fields of Mercer, PA, and Chelsea is a professional Dog Groomer. Instead of investing money into a venue for their wedding, they decided instead to have the wedding in the barn they were building on the farm! Indeed, sometimes the best wedding venue is the one that is your own. They finished building the barn just days before the wedding, and it was perfect for their special day.
Of course, even with your own venue, it still takes an army to put on a wedding. Here’s some of the team that made it happen:
When we say that Rachel’s wedding was incredible, that isn’t any kind of exaggeration on our part. It was incredible.
Rachel & Jake had their wedding ceremony at The Chapel in Sandusky, Ohio, which is the church that Rachel and her family grew up in, and her cousin & wedding officiant, Eric, is a pastor at. They wanted to have their wedding reception at the Sandusky Yacht Club, because it’s a spot that means a lot to her family. That’s where they would go for all of the major holidays, as her parents are members there and both of her sisters also had their wedding receptions there. It’s right on the Sandusky bay, so the views are gorgeous and you can sit out on the water in the evening.
Rachel wanted to go with a classic theme for her wedding, with Burgundy, Rose, and Rose Gold accents. This fit in perfectly with the vibe of the Sandusky Yacht Club, as it has a very classic feel and they were able to fit everything in perfectly. The Sandusky Yacht Club also can do plated serving options for dinner, of which Rachel & Jake had three: New York Strip Steak, Bourbon Glazed Salmon, or a Vegetarian Friendly Pesto Pasta.
The part that Rachel was the most excited about was the band – foregoing the DJ, they decided to have The Cleveland Keys entertain during their reception, and they did not disappoint. The dance floor was packed the entire night with guests.
What more could you ask for? It’s a picture perfect wedding and we’re so glad we were there to capture it.
And it couldn’t happen without a Rockstar team. Here’s just some of the people that made it happen.
We're so glad that Alysha & Joe asked us to join them on their wedding day to help capture some precious memories. Thank you so much!
Alysha & Joe had a gorgeous wedding in their home of Monroeville, Ohio. They were so excited to have their wedding at their home church, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, which Alysha has dreamed of since she was a child. They also had their reception at Ten Fifty Eight Event Center.
Alysha & Joe chose Ten Fifty Eight because they both come from large families, meaning that they knew their guest list would be on the longer side. Ten Fifty Eight had plenty of room to be home to all of their guests, plus Alysha likes the clean lines and crisp feel that Ten Fifty Eight had. In addition, they liked that the DJ, linens, and other things were included without having to go elsewhere to buy or rent them. And they loved the event-coordinators that Ten Fifty Eight provided.
The thing that Alysha & Joe were most excited for about their wedding day was the food. Sure, the Pork, Sirloin, and Alfredo, but specifically they were so excited for the dessert, which is pies from Der Dutchman! Talk about the perfect finish to your meal! And then late at night, they brought in pretzels with beer cheese and an ice cream bar, which is perfect for after the guests have had a few drinks and are feeling the munchies coming on. They each had signature drinks, Vodka Lemonade for Alysha and Kentucky Mule for Joe.
Of course, it always takes a team to make a wedding happen. Their team was epic!
Maddie & Kyle are two extremely adventurous people. In the past year that I've known them, they've moved cities more times than many people do their entire lives! But they had their summertime wedding back in Maddie's stomping ground at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
I first met Maddie when doing her best friend Amanda's wedding. Maddie told me that after seeing how excited I got about my work while we were shooting, she knew that she had to have us capture her day as well. I'm so happy to have had that opportunity!
Because of their love for adventure, the entire inspiration for their wedding was nature. Their favorite activities involve hiking, backpacking, scuba diving (Maddie is a diving instructor!) and camping. Nature, being such a massive part of their lives, made it an easy choice for the central theme of their wedding.
Of course, the best place to plan a nature-inspired wedding is at a Nation Park! They chose Cuyahoga Valley National Park because it is the park that Maddie grew up visiting, and she just knew that she wanted to get married in her home park! She told us that she's "obsessed" with the park and was so happy to have her wedding there.
We're glad their wedding was there, too! It turned out absolutely gorgeous. Maddie & Kyle, it was an honor to be able to capture such a beautiful day. We hope that our work lives on in your family's memories for many years to come.
Sarah met Ralph during her time at school in New York City at a bar, just days after arriving. She was the only person in the bar that wasn't rooting for New York, and so she stuck out like a sore thumb when she collided with Ralph. Years later, she returned home to Milan, Ohio to marry the love of her life. This incredible couple had an insanely gorgeous wedding at the Milan Township Hall, an old building that they decorated to look absolutely gorgeous.
The Sandusky Yacht Club is a beautiful venue no matter what time of year. That's extremely evident based off of how awesome Cody & Laura's wedding turned out! They set their wedding date in early January for a knockout wedding day all centered around the Sandusky Yacht Club! They took photos at Patina Creek, which is only a few miles away, and then returned to the Yacht Club shortly after for their indoor ceremony. After the ceremony, they rearranged the seating for their big party!
One thing I loved about this wedding was the subtle theming of star wars. Cody absolutely loves Star Wars, and so Laura thought it would be really fun to get some little Star Wars touches for her husband, such as adding Lego figures to the boutonnieres, or an additional R2-D2 side-cake. At the end of the night, we had to step outside for a KILLER shot using lightsabers overlooking the Sandusky Bay. Talk about a great way to end the night!
This wedding was actually one of the most difficult weddings for me to get to! We were in Cincinnati the night before and had to drive to Sandusky in a snow storm. What is normally a 3.5 hour drive took us over 7 hours to complete due to the intense snow and total lack of visibility. But, we didn't let it stop us! We wanted to make sure we were there for our couples, and I'm so glad we didn't miss this one.
The Yacht club is one of our all time favorite venues! It can easily accommodate up to 300 guests along its window-covered walls overlooking the Sandusky Bay, making it one of the most gorgeous venues in the area. We even wrote about it in our Ultimate Guide for having a wedding in the Sandusky Area. Interested in having your wedding there? Click here.
We had the absolute joy of being able to both photograph and film Samantha & Jon's incredible wedding day at Landoll's Mohican Castle in central Ohio. And talk about breathtaking! This castle has every bit of the charm and character that you could imagine in your fairytale wedding day. Pair that with live music and a cute outdoor ceremony, and you couldn't ask for more!
The weather couldn't stop this couple! Originally, they planned to have their ceremony outdoors at the archway near the waterfall at Landoll's Castle, but due to impending rain, had to move it at just the last second to be underneath the a roofed deck nearby. Regardless, the wedding day couldn't have been better!
Lauren and Jon grew up in Vermilion as natives to Ohio and transplants to Florida. When they asked me to do their Vermilion wedding, I was immediately down. Why? Because these two are awesome!
They wanted to hit up some of their favorite spots in Vermilion, including their highschool football field so they could pull out their instruments once again for some hilarious photos. They also wanted to hit up the Vermilion lighthouse to snag a couple of cuddly photos and the nearby rocks on the beach to snag some shots overlooking the water. One of the best parts about Vermilion is the people. When we were snapping photos, a family who was out on their boat made sure to give Lauren & Jon a healthy cheer of congratulations to the new couple. How cool is that?!
Lauren & Jon are big fans of Disney (remember the move to Florida I mentioned earlier?) And so Disney carried a strong theme throughout their wedding. From the Star Wars themed cake to the lightsaber entrance, and even smaller details, such as the figurines on their wine glasses. One particular detail is a small bottlecap that was on both Jon’s boutonniere and Lauren’s bouquet. Recognize it? When Jon went on his first date with Lauren, he gave her this grape soda bottlecap that matched the one that Ellie gave Carl in the movie Up. Later, when they got engaged, Lauren gave a matching one back to Jon. These bottlecaps became a huge part of their wedding day accessories as it represents such an important symbol of love to them, and I just love it!
Lauren & Jon got married at their church in Vermilion and had their reception at German’s Villa. German’s Villa is an awesome little building to have a wedding. They have some really good food, a great sized dance floor and enough space to host plenty of guests. It ended up being such a gorgeous day and I’m so glad they asked us to be a part of it.
When Alex & Andrew asked us to help them capture their day, we were elated. Despite COVID having massive implications on the size and complexity of their wedding day, they decided that they would get married no matter what. For them, this was so much more about sharing in the love of each other than it was about having a big wedding. So, they narrowed down the guest list to about 16 of their closest friends and family and moved their venue from their church building to the office of the church in Downtown Cleveland. And in order to make sure the rest of their loved ones could still enjoy their wedding day, they asked us to live-stream the wedding to a Youtube video for them. That way, their entire group of loved ones could still attend, even if not in person.
This venue was gorgeous! Located in downtown Cleveland, right on Superior Ave., the leaders of the church cleared off their office floor to open up the entire room of this rustic, industrial era building to the couple. With tall windows giving incredible natural light and beautiful hardwood, it was the perfect backdrop for a personal, intimate wedding.
They specifically had one goal in mind with their ceremony – to make the love of God know and exalted through their love. They wanted their guests to know who they are centering their relationship on, and how He has so radically affected their lives.
In addition to the live stream, they also had a drive-by meet and greet, where guests were able to drop by their venue to congratulate them on the big achievement. It was incredible to see the amount of people that rallied to support this young couple.
We’re so lucky to have had the opportunity to spend our day with this lovely couple. They were two of the kindest, most loving people I’ve ever met. Their Cleveland Wedding was fantastic. And it was evident that their families were all equally as kind and incredible. Alex & Andrew, thanks for choosing us!