Blog | Columbus Wedding Photographer

Renee & Cheney – A Tudor Arms Wedding in Cleveland’s University Circle

Some things are simply meant to be. Flowers are meant to smell nice. The sun is meant to be warm. Renee & Cheney were meant to be together.

Renee & Cheney met in college through mutual friends, and it didn’t take long for them to start dating and fall in love. As I am told, things progressed quite quickly. Before long, the idea of marriage was being tossed around. I believe with concern for them both, Cheney’s parents asked him to first read a book with Renee before moving forward. The subject of the book was essentially “101 questions to know you’re meant for each other.” We wouldn’t be here today had Renee & Cheney not passed the test. Following a romantic proposal over candles and flowers, the wedding planning began. Clearly, Renee & Cheney were meant to be together.

And the above brings us to now. Renee & Cheney’s wedding at the Tudor Arms Hotel was simply gorgeous. I do mean that literally – it was simple and gorgeous. Simple in the sense that the plan was kept easy and the details were not over-done. Their wedding was gorgeous in the sense that the day was beautiful, Renee was stunning, Cheney handsome, and the little details really shown through. One of my favorite moments was a small detail executed perfectly. The wedding ceremony was held at University Circle United Methodist Church. The church arranged a special treat just for Renee and Cheney. During the recessional, rose petals were slowly dropped from high in the church’s dome, showering over Renee and Cheney as they left the ceremony.

And there are more little details to love. Renee’s dress was amazing. A “first tease” in the morning between Renee & Cheney was happy and heartfelt. Her father’s pride really shown through during his dance with his daughter. Cheney’s brother gave a really thoughtful toast, while Renee’s sister made us all laugh out loud. Renee’s mom was the cheerleader from start to finish – encouraging everyone to have fun. Last but not least, the wedding reception at the Tudor Arms was beautiful, colorful and classic.

I’m really looking forward to sharing all the moments captured with Renee and Cheney. For now though, please enjoy just a few highlights below. And in case you missed it, Renee & Cheney’s engagement session at Lakeside, Ohio can be found here.

A Cleveland wedidng at the Tudor Arms Hotel with Renee and Cheney A Cleveland wedidng at the Tudor Arms Hotel with Renee and Cheney A Cleveland wedidng at the Tudor Arms Hotel with Renee and Cheney A Cleveland wedidng at the Tudor Arms Hotel with Renee and Cheney

Wedding ceremony – University Circle United Methodist Church
Wedding reception – The Tudor Arms Hotel
Wedding dress – Brides by Demetrios
Bridesmaids dresses – Brides by Demetrios
Floral design – Countryside Florist
Cake artist – West Side Bakery
Cinematography – Candy Apple Films
Entertainment & lighting design – Rock the House

Madeline & Scott – A Cleveland Museum of Art Engagement Session on Film

Our dog is so incredibly important to Brooke and I. He’s like a rather large, four-legged child. For Madeline and Scott, the story is much the same. They have two, awesome dogs. So it was natural to have their dogs join in for an engagement session at Cleveland Museum of Art.

To give you and idea of how important the dogs are to Madeline and Scott, let’s go back a little. Madeline had planned a trip to the Hocking Hills for her and Scott. Scott, having already purchased the engagement ring, decided the trip would be the perfect opportunity to propose. While walking the dogs in the woods, Scott stopped, knelt down and proposed to Madeline – and her dog! Clearly the answer was “yes” from both, else we wouldn’t be here today. I just love that dogs can be that important.

And what an amazing session it was. Madeline has such an incredible sense of style. Her blush-colored skirt really pops on film. Both her and Scott were awesome together during the whole session. It was really nice getting to know them better as we walked around Wade Oval and chatted about their lives together, their careers, and wedding planning. Speaking of wedding planning, they have a stunning wedding planned for the Cleveland Courthouse in November. It should be a blast and I’m very much anticipating the big day. For now though, below are just a few highlights to enjoy!

Cleveland Museum of Art engagement session with Madeline and Scott Cleveland Museum of Art engagement session with Madeline and Scott

Alyson & Kevin – A Chagrin Falls Engagement Session at Sunset

While waiting for Alyson & Kevin, I stood outside Jeni’s Ice Cream in Chagrin Falls, mindlessly rolling some film into my camera. I don’t know why I suggest Jeni’s Ice Cream as a meeting point for engagement sessions in Chagrin Falls. It’s near impossible to resist their delectable treats, but Jeni’s store front is always convenient and easy to find. Before long, Alyson and Kevin came strolling down the sidewalk with their lovely dog. Alyson looked awesome in her lacy top and I secretly wanted to steal Kevin’s seersucker pastel shirt. Of course Lucy, their dog, was all pink tongue and wagging tail.

We headed into the Chagrin river valley to start with a few photos of the new family together, including their favorite furry friend. Lucy was very skeptical of me the entire time, but eventually she gave up and relaxed a bit. I love having dogs along on engagement sessions. They always put everyone at ease. Having a furry friend present at the start can serve as we welcome distraction. One of my favorites below is Kevin holding his old friend. With Lucy’s role complete, she jumped into the car and headed off with Kevin’s parents.

We spent the rest of the sunset session strolling around the park and downtown Chagrin Falls. The light near sunset was gorgeous, casting an even peach glow over the town. Some of my favorite photos were with the historical Chagrin Falls police car. The black and white Chevy captured on film really adds a timeless quality to the photos. I also love the impromptu dance shared between Alyson and Kevin.

Their wedding isn’t far away, and it’s even scheduled for my birthday. I’m sure their wedding will be a gorgeous treat, but for now, enjoy a few highlights below.

A Chagrin Falls engagement session with Alyson and Kevin A Chagrin Falls engagement session with Alyson and Kevin

For photo-minded readers, all of the above was captured on my Contax 645 with Kodak Portra 400, with developing and scanning by Richard Photo Lab. Film always rocks it!