Windows On the River

Amanda and Dan’s winter wedding was packed with interesting locations.

Please enjoy, Scott Shaw Photo | Cleveland Wedding Photographer

Amanda and Dan chose a Harry Potter theme for their reception and we visited several places
after the ceremony in an attempt to stay warm.

The new Cleveland Hilton Downtown was the base for getting ready. I love the decor in the hotel
and the rooms were a nice size for everyone.

After this we were off to Our Lady of Peace in Cleveland for the ceremony. The priest was Father
Gary Chmura and the deacon was Dan’s uncle, Ed Laubacher.

The first stop after the ceremony was some quick lunch at Chipotle. Amanda said, “Chipotle is a
staple for us. It’s right around the corner from us and you can probably
find us there at least once a week! I actually hated it the first time
Dan took me there, but I’m addicted now!”

Then we went to the Western Reserve Historical Society. Amanda’s mom loved the carousel when it was
at Euclid Beach, so they had checked it out as a venue originally. Dan had
gone there a lot as a kid and really liked it. They needed a good indoor
option, so they chose that one because we thought the carousel, Chief Wahoo,
and cars presented a lot of options. Note: whenever you have a cold weather
wedding always make sure you have some good indoor options!

Next was the Cleveland Public Library in downtown Cleveland. This location is a staple for many Cleveland
wedding photographers, especially in rainy weather. I’ve heard of a large
number of wedding parties going there then so I’ve always found other spots
away from the crowd. Since it was the winter it seemed there would be no crowds
and it wasn’t too bad. I counted five wedding parties on this day.

Finally we went to the reception at Windows on the River in Cleveland. Harry Potter fun!

Amanda: “I am a huge Harry Potter fan! I grew up reading the books. My dad would bring them home the day
each one came out and I’d stay up all night reading until I finished
them. So, I read each one in a day 🙂 Now, as an English teacher, I
reread them every summer! They are by far my favorite books and JK Rowling
is my favorite author. Her words ring true to our own world today, too.
The books remind me why I fell in love with reading! They truly are magical!”

“The centerpieces were all made by us Amanda and her mother, Sandy. Each table was an author instead
of a number. So, instead of sitting at table 1, you might be sitting at
Jane Austen. It was another touch to our love of reading and Amanda’s job.”

All the bouquets and boutonnieres were made from Harry Potter pages. The centerpiece flowers matched the
author representing the table-so Jane Austen’s flowers were made from a
Jane Austen book, etc. Amanda wanted something she could keep and wouldn’t
just get thrown out. She plans to decorate her classroom and the house with them now.

They held the cocktail hour in the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. “The aquarium was a big hit! Our one groomsman,
Eddie, walked into the stingray encounter area and immediately got splashed by
one! We all found that to be pretty funny! They liked splashing the guests. We
haven’t seen our families have that much fun together in a long time! Amanda’s
extended family especially usually only sees each other at weddings and funerals,
so it was a great weekend to catch up and have fun!”

Vendors:

dress: Alfred Angelo
suit: Ticknors
flowers: Anthology on Main
shoes: Ashcrafts Custom Art
cake: Wild Flour Bakery
band: Rick and the Cutting Edge
limo: Northern Lights Limousine
wedding coordinator: Heather Strawn
makeup: Alex and Taylor

To see their engagement photos in the metroparks, please click here:

http://www.scottshawphoto.com/downtown-cleveland-engagement-amanda-dan/

Thank you for viewing this wedding,

– Scott Shaw Photo | Cleveland Wedding Photographer