Upscale Westin Hotel In Cleveland Is Gorgeous
Gina and Albert are one of the sweetest couples I’ve been lucky enough to photograph on their wedding day. Their engagement session in Chicago
was full of great images so I was excited for their wedding at the new Westin Hotel in Cleveland.
This Ohio and Michigan couple met in Chicago but didn’t start
dating right away.
Gina tells it best: “It was a cold night in February of 2012
when a few teachers and I made the fateful decision to visit
Rivers Casino for a little cover band fix. A Facebook message
was sent inquiring whether Albert would be working late that
evening. Indeed he was…. apparently he was impressed by the
amount of singing, dancing, and drinking a group of teachers was
capable of on a school night. A conversation ensued which revealed
that Albert had just adopted a puppy. WELL, how convenient….
I LOVE DOGS! I kindly offered my services as a dog walker, keys
were exchanged, and the rest is history!”
The decor in the rooms at the Westin Hotel is very cool.
The metal print of a paper airplane called out as a wedding dress sidekick.
Gina’s proud parents, Annemarie and John, looked on as she was dressed.
They raised a very sweet and thoughtful daughter and should be proud!
Meanwhile Albert and the guys were hanging out watching some sports.
Albert went to school at the University of Michigan and is still a big fan of the school.
Gina gave Albert a book “Reasons I Want To Marry You” and he looked
through it before heading out to meet her for their First Look.
I love it when the groom gets a custom suit.
The fit and look is always impressive and the wedding date was a nice touch!
I knew that the First Look just had to be on the
staircase at the Westin Hotel. It was a “no brainer” as the pro athletes often say.
Aren’t they the ones that say that? Well this wedding photographer has now
said it at least once.
I always like to say that the First Look is another chapter
in the day and a way for the couple to have some quality time on
their busy day. When the groom sees his bride coming down the aisle
it’s a totally different feeling than when it’s only the two of them.
Isn’t that staircase great? And those mirrors?
At the end you’ll see a fun shot of the outside of the Westin Hotel
with a glimpse of the stairs. Just wait. It looks so impressive at
night. A great addition to the downtown Cleveland scene.
After Gina and Albert exchanged gifts and kisses they
went down to the lobby for some champagne with the bridal party.
Then we were off to the Eastman Reading Garden at the
Cleveland Public Library for some portraits before the ceremony.
Their art installation this year is artist Ivan Juarez’s
“Drawing Lines” and is very interesting.
If you look at Emily and Jeremy’s wedding from last year you’ll
see the cool “Reading Nest” installation designed by Mark Reigelman.
Please check it out AFTER viewing this wedding AND
Gina and Albert’s Chicago engagement photos. There are so many
good photos I just have to share them!
More champagne was flowing on the ride to St. Mark
Catholic Church on the west side of Cleveland.
Gina’s father John brought her to Albert and Father John
as his parents Doris and Juan looked on. They were in from Peru for the wedding.
The sun streaming through the stained glass had the
sanctuary bathed in beautiful colored light.
We went back inside to take advantage of the colors.
Aren’t they a gorgeous couple?
During the family portraits I stepped back and almost
crushed a foot. Look at all of those iPhone paparazzi.
Back in downtown Cleveland’s Westin Hotel it was time
for the cocktail hour and reception.
The appetizers looked healthy AND delicious.
The ballroom has very cool lights that are reminiscent
of wedding rings. I’m thinking that was not an accident.
Speech time and they were not boring!
As a wedding photographer I love the challenge of finding
atypical photos. When I looked up on the ceiling the mirror
gave me a birds eye view of the couple.
Lindsay was Maid of Honor.
Joe was the Best Man and his toast was full of heart.
These letters on the window were a cute touch. Wedding planner
Eileen Benson of Bridal Planning by Eileen was a huge help
with the smooth flow of the day. Her more than 20 years of
experience showed in many ways from helping the bride with
her dress to the reception’s many details.
The Westin Hotel’s Elissa Burnett was also instrumental
in making sure everything was flawless for the wedding.
The TCB band aka The Tony Camerato Band with Jerry Bruno Productions kept the dance floor rocking all night.
I was lucky enough to have them at a wedding a few weeks earlier too.
Doesn’t the outside look cool at night? If you look
closely you can see the LOVE G&A letters in the window of the
sixth and seventh floors.
What a wedding! So glad to spend be with Gina and Albert and their friends and families.
If you’d like to find out more about weddings at
the Westin Hotel in Cleveland here’s a link:
www.westincleveland.com/cleveland-wedding-venues
Here’s the Chicago engagement session:
https://scottshawphoto.com/chicago-engagement-session-with-gina-and-albert/
and after that please check out Cleveland Public Library photos
I was talking about from Emily and Jeremy:
