(Jenna & Craig's New Year's Eve wedding, photo by Jaclyn Simpson Photography)
Happy New Year, everyone! Before we officially ring in the new year, let's take a look back at some of the real weddings we shared in 2017 with our inaugural "Best of Cleveland Weddings" awards! Ok, so technically these aren't real awards and there is no trophy, but this is a fun way to revisit all the AMAZING weddings we posted throughout the past year. Be sure to click through the links to visit the full wedding features.
Best First Look
Virginia & Tony shared an emotional first look in the most picturesque location, photo by Kayla Coleman.
Best Bouquets
Ooh it's so hard to choose! There's so, so, so many beautiful flowers.
Clockwise from top left:
Erin & Alejandro, flowers by Fair Rarity Flowers, photo by Suzuran
Rebecca & Ron, flowers by Paulette Bais, photo by One Red Door Photography
Heather & Jake, flowers by Nikki's Perfect Petals, photo by Renee Lemaire Photography
Danielle & Justin, flowers by a family friend, photo by One Red Door Photography
Laura & Paul, flowers by Windy Lane Florals, photo by Frank Graziano Photography
Jenna & Craig, flowers by Flower Solutions, photo by Jaclyn Simpson Photography
Best Bouquet Toss
Making the Moment caught the most epic bouquet toss at Nicole & Nick's wedding! Those girls can jump!
Best Bridal Party Portraits
There are some tried-and-true classic bridal party poses, but it's also fun when bridal parties do something a little different.
Clockwise from top left:
Olivia & TJ's bridal party in Cleveland's Little Italy, photo by The Carrs Photography
Shauna & Travis's bridal party at the Cleveland sign, photo by Erin Renee Photography
Nicole and her bridesmaids weren't afraid to get a little silly, photo by Making the Moment
Allison & Jose's bridal party in a high school classroom, photo by Renee Lemaire Photography
Best Flower Girls
The absolute sweetest shot of the flower girls at Sarah & Jonathan's wedding, photo by Making the Moment.
Best Dogs
Their signs say it all! Jillian & Jason's wedding, photos by Lavryk Photography
Best Shoes
We may be in the business of wedding gowns, but we also love shoes! Meghan's bright green heels were such a fun choice, photo by I Heart Life Photography.
Best Ceremony Decor
Every ceremony is beautiful, so we wanted to showcase some of the weddings with unique ceremony backdrops, alters and locations.
Clockwise from top left:
Danielle & Gordon's rustic, nautical wedding, event planning & design by Elegantz Eventz, photo by Mann & Wife: Visual Storytellers
Meghan & Sam's vintage-inspired wedding, photo by I Heart Life Photography
Alexandra & Michael's Nashville Zoo wedding, photo by Paul Rowland Photography
Beth & Mike's wedding at the Lake Erie Building in Lakewood, Ohio, photo by Left of Center Photography
Best Reception Decor
Once again, it's impossible to narrow this down because every wedding is gorgeous in its own way. These are just a few of the most inspiring.
Clockwise from top left:
Leanna & Gordon's modern reception at the Cleveland Museum of Art, florals by Sue Bernhard, event planning by A Charming Fete, photo by Jenny Haas Photography
Nicole & Derek's Alice in Wonderland-inspired reception, florals by Baumann's Florist & Greenhouse, photo by Lauren Gabrielle Photography
Sarah & Jonathan's dramatic autumn reception at the Cleveland Museum of Art, photo by Making the Moment
Chelsea & Eddie's reception at the Lake Club of Ohio was an amazing floral explosion in the best possible way, florals & event planning by Joe Mineo Creative, photo by Michael Will Photographers
Best Destination Wedding
From the tropical foliage to the white-sand beach, Jillian & Jason's wedding in Key West, Florida, will make you want to book a flight immediately, photo by Lavryk Photography.
Best of Cleveland
Destination weddings are fun, but our hearts are in Cleveland. We love when couples choose to celebrate with our favorite city on their wedding day.
Left to right:
Shauna & Travis, photo by Erin Renee
Heather & Jake, photo by Renee Lemaire Photography
Danielle & Gordon, photo by Mann & Wife: Visual Storytellers
Best First Dance
Allison & Jose choreographed their first dance to "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (Nat King Cole) and "Vivir Mi Vida" (Marc Anthony), and we love the twirl in Allison's Legends Romona Keveza gown from Something White, A Bridal Boutique! Photo by Renee Lemaire Photography.
Best Twirl
While we're talking about twirls... Leanna went for a spin in Legends Romona Keveza from Something White, A Bridal Boutique! Photo by Jenny Haas.
Best Cakes
They're almost too pretty to eat!
Clockwise from top left:
Sarah & John, cake by A Cookie and A Cupcake, photo by Imagen Photography
Angelica & Christopher, cake by Wild Flour Bakery, photo by Renee Lemaire Photography
Dale & TJ, cake by Top Tier Cakes, photo by Allen&Karen Photography
Nicole & Derek, cake by Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes, photo by Lauren Gabrielle
Chelsea & Eddie, photo by Michael Will Photographers
Virginia & Tony, cake by All Occasions Bakery, photo by Kayla Coleman
Best Cake Toppers
Erin & Alejandro, photo by Suzuran
Danielle & Justin, photo by One Red Door Photography
Best Costume Change
Everyone loves a good costume change, right? Chelsea & David changed into Tribe-gear for their introductions, photo by One Red Door Photography.
Best Costume Party
Caitlin and Franklin took the costume change a step further and surprised their guests with masquerade masks at their Halloween-weekend, black-tie wedding, photo by Leppert Photography.
Best Send-Offs
Whether it's streamers, sparklers or confetti, there's nothing more fun than sending the newly married couple off in style.
Left to right:
Gabrielle & Josh, photo by The Cannons
Erin & Alejandro, photo by Suzuran
Allison & Jose, photo by Renee Lemaire Photography
So as you can see, 2017 was a BEAUTIFUL year for weddings, and 2018 is looking even better! We already have lots of gorgeous and inspiring real weddings lined up to share, so stay tuned for more ... and find your own favorites!
