Cleveland Wedding in September | Bryan + Diana

Weddings

February 21, 2023

Diana and Bryan’s lowkey Cleveland wedding in nearby Willoughby Hills was on a hot, sunny September day. They met in high school, and have been inseparable ever since! I met this incredible couple through their close friends, whose wedding I photographed a few years ago!

Initially booking a ballroom to have their wedding, they changed their mind and decided to have a much smaller wedding at the Chestnut Shelter at Cleveland Metroparks. Knowing Diana and Bryan, this intimate day was on a more true-to-them scale. My joy as a Cleveland wedding photographer is when couples embrace their authentic vibe and let that be their wedding style.

Diana and Bryan rented an Airbnb for the getting-ready portion of their day. I pass along this excellent suggestion to couples whose wedding day location could be more accommodating for getting-ready photos. Diana could be upstairs with her family, and Bryan was tucked away downstairs. I advise getting an Airbnb for several reasons, but most importantly, these photos will capture the true feelings that both of you anticipate before the ceremony. Therefore, you want to ensure the area is spacious, pretty, and has plenty of natural light. You’ll need plenty of room if you have others with you while getting ready. The space must also be appealing since it will be the backdrop for your getting-ready pictures. Getting ready in an Airbnb also gives you plenty of choices for natural lighting, which can be difficult if preparing in a hotel or venue.

This sweet couple met up before their ceremony and shared a lovely first look. Right after, they had a quick portrait session with their dog. It was precious how their eyes lit up getting to share this bit of time with their favorite four-legged friend.

Amazingly, Diana’s florals were purchased from Trader Joe’s the morning of the wedding. The flowers were gorgeous, and one would never know she’d gotten from there as they certainly don’t look like the typical grocery store flowers!

One of my favorite parts of this Cleveland wedding was that the most important thing to the couple was having fun with their guests. They were carefree and didn’t stress over every detail, and their day was still enchanting!

As a Cleveland wedding photographer, part of my duty is to ensure there are places to capture all the images to best represent their beautiful day. This location had many options for making photo magic, and there was no need to drive around to find other options. They had a gorgeous day on the whole, but the sunset photos reflect their beauty as well as the beauty of their natural surroundings.

It was a pleasure to be a part of Diana and Bryan’s Cleveland wedding!

Kind words from the couple:

“Book your whole wedding around working with Amanda. If she is booked on your day–reschedule. She is worth every dollar. I am not photogenic, but she can work some magic! Personable and had us laughing, making our photos with genuine happiness.”