Surrounded by incredible wedding flowers, Kayla & Kelly brought to life their modern Cleveland wedding that had plenty of funky personalization.
Tell us about the proposal.
Our friends Emily and Sean were due to get married in Los Angeles, where Emily is from, in March of 2020. Kayla and I planned to take a short trip up the coast of California, where she was planning to propose. However – COVID hit, and unfortunately, our friend’s wedding was canceled.
As Kayla had the ring and was super eager to pop the question, she rearranged her plans and surprised me at a local vineyard called Gervasi with our closest friends and family. We had planned to go there with two of our friends, Allison and Scott, but when we arrived I saw my two sisters, then my parents, then our friends, until I turned around and saw Kayla on one knee. I was completely shocked – the whole evening still feels like a dream! My mom works for a family-owned jeweler and helped her design the most stunning ring I’ve ever seen.
What was the inspiration behind the vibe of your wedding?
We wanted a modern vibe with lots of white, black, green, and pops of color. My veil had a brightly colored border of hand-sewn flowers, so we wanted to pull some of those colors in as well.
We wanted it to feel funky, modern, and truly us.
One of the sofas we rented, which was used for our photobooth, was actually sat on by Paul McCartney for hours at the Rock Hall Induction a few months later. That’s the closest to Paul McCartney we will ever get!
Talk to us about your experience finding the perfect outfits.
We searched on Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration for Kayla’s suit. A local custom shop makes suits for men, but we called to see if they were willing to work on a suit for Kayla. They were so excited and thrilled to help us make the suit of her dreams! They worked with her on the perfect fit, materials, and extra details, making it incredibly special. She felt absolutely perfect on the day of, and four of her lesbian friends have since gone to the same shop to purchase custom suits.
I knew I would wear a dress, so I went to all the local Cleveland bridal shops with my mom and sisters. Unfortunately, I did not find anything I loved, so we went to NYC for a weekend to try for something different. A designer I love, Sarah Seven, is based in Manhattan, so that was the first place I made an appointment. As soon as I put on “the one,” I just knew. I ended up going to my remaining appointments, but it was never REALLY a question. I felt beautiful, modern, fashion-forward, and sophisticated. My only regret is that I did not get to wear it longer.
Talk to us about the wedding day!
The day of was a total whirlwind. We stayed at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, which was stunning. Kelly and her bridal party got ready in our honeymoon suite, which had gorgeous sprawling views of downtown Cleveland and Lake Erie. Kayla and her bridal party got ready at the venue, downstairs in their beautiful suite. We both had relaxing mornings, spending time with our best friends and family, preparing for the biggest day of our lives. Exchanging special gifts and letters before we saw each other, Kayla’s, of course being written on a Goonies card.
We did our first look at the venue, which was a crazy experience as I was seeing the venue put together AND Kayla for the first time. It still feels like a blur! From there, we went to a few spots around Cleveland for bridal party photos.
Once back at the venue, we went into the ceremony, which went off without a hitch. Our officiant, Brandon, is a longtime friend of Kayla and, now, myself. Also, as a member of the LGBTQIA+ family, we knew he understood what this occasion meant to us and all in attendance. He surprised us at the end by pulling out a pride flag from inside his jacket, which led to eruptious cheer!
During the cocktail hour, we hired a sax player named SaxyRob (the best name we know), who was absolutely incredible. We can’t imagine not having him there! He was amazing, and our guests could not stop talking about him.
That lead into dinner, which lead into drinks and speeches and dancing and the most fun we’ve ever had.
We ended with late-night food from a local hot spot called Swenson’s.
Photography by Drzazga Photo
Cake Plates by Post
Catering Spice Catering
Decorative Elements Borrow Curated
Dress Boutique Sarah Seven
Earrings Cult Gaia
Engagement & Wedding Rings Shulan’s Fairlawn Jewelers, Cartier
Florist Leaf Home & Blooms
Flower Girl Outfits Only Little Once
Hair Sarah Delaine Brides, House of Beauty
Lighting | Sound Hire Premium Entertainment Ohio
Officiant Brandon Vacha
Planner Saluti Events
Robes BHLDN
Shoes Jimmy Choo, Taft
Signage Minted
Suit Designer Savile Lane
Veil Toni Federici
Venue Gordon Green
Wedding Party Outfits Bella Bridesmaids
