St. John the Evangelist Wedding

Daniela and Fady’s St. John the Evangelist Wedding ceremony was a wonderful time.

Please enjoy, Scott Shaw Photo | Cleveland Wedding Photographer

A St. John the Evangelist Wedding Ceremony

in Cleveland

I’ve photographed many St. John the Evangelist weddings over the years and the cathedral’s size is always impressive when you walk inside. It can be a bit dark inside so I always hope for a sunny day. The sunlight penetrating the colorful stained glass windows always adds some extra sparkle and depth to dark wood pews.

When the bride enters from the bright lobby the glow of the three windows above is ethereal.

Alright, I’ve gotten a bit ahead of myself so let me backtrack.

I started with Fady and the guys in the Rock and Roll suite at the downtown Cleveland Hilton while my assistant
Amy photographed Daniela and the ladies at her mother’s house in Akron. Usually the ladies get priority for me but the
bride insisted I get lots of fun photos with the guys in the cool suite. And lots of fun photos are what we got!

Then we were off to their St. John the Evangelist wedding. I met the ladies in the bridal room at the front of
the church where I saw the matron of honor and sister Alexandria and mother Regina helping with the veil. Then father Fadi came in to see his
beautiful daughter in her wedding dress for the first time.
Ring bearer Adam delighted everyone as he walked down the aisle. When he reached Fady he tossed the pillow which was a surprise.

I love using wide-angle lenses to capture all the angles of a St. John the Evangelist wedding and the beautifully
painted ceiling is a must on my list. My assistant always captures it from the high vantage of the choir loft.

Everyone lined up outside for the couple’s St. John the Evangelist wedding bubble exit and it went perfectly. The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
– yes that is the official name – underwent an extensive exterior refresh and is back for dramatic exits this year. 

After that it was portrait time at the Cleveland Museum of Art and then the Old Courthouse with the reception there.

Let’s hear from the bride: “Fady and I had our first date in Cleveland – it was a Cleveland Cavaliers game six years ago
on a beautiful fall day. We fell in love in this city and knew for a long time that we would say “I do” back where
it all began. Our love story involved a lot of Cleveland sporting events and enjoying the best restaurants around
the city. We got engaged in Jamaica about four years after we met. When we got home, the first call I made Monday
morning was to the Old Courthouse. It was and always will be our dream venue. 

“Our wedding day was everything we dreamed it would be. I was able to get ready back home at my parent’s house, surrounded
by my family and two close friends. One of my favorite memories is standing in the back room of the Cathedral waiting
to walk down the aisle. I will never forget how perfectly calm everything felt in that moment and how grateful I was
to be there, with everyone we love, marrying the love of my life. 

“Walking into the reception and hearing the string quartet upstairs playing “Yellow” by Coldplay and seeing everything
come to life was a surreal moment. Another favorite memory is my bouquet – I spent so much of the day in awe of those
florals! My mom outdid herself and I can’t wait to frame a picture of the bouquet. 

“For Fady the best part of the night was the music and I have to agree!! Our DJ was absolutely iconic – he effortlessly
went from Arabic to American music the whole evening, never letting the dance floor go empty. We have had so many friends
since that night tell us how amazing he was! 

“Lastly, of course we have to shout out the gelato cart, which was the sweetest ending to our happily ever after. We
have looked back on the night through photos and videos, and all the stories our friends have shared, and are truly so grateful
to the vendors that made it happen and to our loved ones who showered us with love and partied all night!”

St. John the Evangelist Wedding

Fady got some tie help from Austin, Chris and his father Sherif.

Daniela with her cat Vincenzo.

Mother Regina helped with the shoes.

Fady with a high five for ring bearer Adam.

First look with father Fadi.

Officiant: Father Jacques Kik
Ceremony: The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist wedding
Reception: The Old Courthouse
Catering: Taste of Excellence
DJ: DJ Nibal Haddad
Quartet: OPUS216
Cake: Michaelangelo’s
Gelato Cart: Sal’s Gelato
Florist: Pink Petals Florist (bride’s mom!)
Dress: KR Bridal
Suit: Hugo Boss Tux
Bride’s shoes: Louboutin
Groom’s shoes: Louboutin
Wedding bands and engagement ring: CS John’s Jewelry in Berea, OH (bride’s brother in law’s dad!)
Hair: ManeChic
Makeup: ManeChic
Wedding coordinator: Amy Hissa, At Last Event Planning
Bus: A1 Mr. Limo
Signage-invites and seating: Plume and Paper
Assistant: Amy Kuntz

St. John the Evangelist Wedding

Info about a St. John the Evangelist Wedding ceremony: https://saintjohncathedral.com/matrimony

Info about an Old Courthouse wedding: https://cuyahogacounty.gov/publicworks/services/rentals

Thank you for viewing this St. John the Evangelist Wedding ceremony,

– Scott Shaw Photo | Cleveland Wedding Photographer