Wedding Day - Kaelyn & Ryan

 

Bride (Kaelyn) Groom (Ryan) Dance

So, how does one write about a wedding in "COVID" times...is 'this' part of the new normal? (A term I have come to HATE about the second time I heard it!)  You get married, just the two of you and a person authorized to marry you, and a year later, on the same day, you have a wedding to celebrate your one-year anniversary.  As I mentioned the reason for us being in Cleveland to people, they all said, "Yep, I went to one of those." -or- "We are going to one of those too..." 

Now, when you are Irish, the one-year anniversary wedding is really a THREE DAY event.  Kinda puts into perspective the term, "Party, Party, Party".  So above, as the Groom (my son Ryan) and his bride (my daughter-in-law Kaelyn) share their first dance together as husband and wife with everyone just before the dinner, after pictures (taken before the wedding), the wedding (about 25 minutes long, no cameras allowed during service except by hired photographer) followed by the reception hors d'oeuvres hour, and after the above dance it was toasting time, dinner time, and then dance time for all (which is when we cut out and called it a day).  At 11:00, those who were still hanging in there, were invited to the bar at the wedding hotel across the street for more party time.  On Friday we were all invited over to Kaelyn's parents house for a pre-wedding dinner followed by a pre-wedding party.  Today it continues with a after wedding pool party BBQ (skipping that, we have a long drive facing us starting tomorrow!)  Yep, it is the wedding of a lifetime...so happy they were finally able to get it done.  Enough said, on to the pictures...

My kids with spouses and their mother and her husband.

Kaelyn (bride) arrives for pictures

Kaelyn with her mother Julie

Kaelyn and Ryan with his mother Shelley and Bryan

We arrived at 2:45 for pictures which started promptly by 3, and were finished by 3:45.  Kaelyn is a meticulous planner, and this part of it worried her the most since the ceremony was at 4:30, and she wanted to 'hide' after the pictures so that guest did not see her until she came down the isle.

The event was held at the Union Club in downtown Cleveland Ohio.  This building was built in the first fives years of the 1900's, dedicated in December 1905.  It is absolutely beautiful inside, which I hope you can see through some of my pictures.  I can't wait to see the professional pictures once they are released.  Kaelyn made it clear that she did not want any pictures of her walking down the isle, or of the ceremony itself, except those by their photographer.  Very understandable...after all, who wants professional pictures of the bride walking down the isle and all the guest have their cell phones out taking pictures ruining the shot?  

Hors d'oeuvres hour held in 3 connected rooms

So many people, don't know any of them...

At the far table is Michael, Anna, Stephanie, Shelley and Brian

Stephanie, Shelley and Michael (sorry Anna, only got your hair)

The hors d'oeuvres hour included open bar, with servers passing through the crowds with coconut chicken, crab cakes, lobster cheese toast bites, and who knows what else.  The servers working the crowd were wonderful...friendly and attentive.

20 round tables and one long bride/groom/family table

That is Marcia at the far left.

20 tables, 8 settings per table plus bridal table

One of 'our' concerns was the ability for Marcia to move around without much interference with what was going on around us.  We had her mobility GoGo and her trusty cane.  I made sure that we were ahead of the crowd for each event, got her seated, and hid her GoGo nearby.  During the hors d'oeuvres hour she remained in the GoGo, and it was the only time we had to transverse through crowds.  All worked out well.  Arriving 10 minutes before the dinner bell had sounded, I got the above pictures which included the band warming up.  What a nice, warm banquet hall this was.

Another shot of Bride-Groom dance

Kaelyn's Parents, Julie and Chris

Kaelyn and Ryan enjoying their Toasting

Before dinner they had a quick dance, and toast-greeting from the bride's parents, followed by a toast by the Maid of Honor and the Best Man.  Getting shots with those windows and not wanting to use a flash which could interrupt the professional photographers (man and woman team) was difficult.

Dinner at the head table

Shot of Michael and Anna with Stephanie and Bride/Groom in background.

Our heart-filled thanks go out to Kaelyn's parents, Julie and Chris, for throwing such a wonderful wedding for Ryan and Kaelyn.  All went off without a hitch, everyone was warm and gracious, and we had a wonderful time.  It was filled with wonderful tears (Kaelyn is a very emotional woman...and her warm tears caused the Pastor, the Maid of Honor, the Best Man, her Husband Ryan, and many in attendance to cry tears of joy with her.)  Love abound, and it was an occasion to be remembered.