Wedding Story
Photographer’s Comments: “Alexandra and James wedding date was every girls fairy tale with a touch of southern charm in a small northeast Ohio city. Every detail was carefully planned to have a romantic intimate feel. Guests were greeting to a rose petal bar before the ceremony to shower the new Mr & Mrs as the became husband and wife. The reception was decorated with bright flowers and lanterns which matched the Bridal Party bouquets perfectly. “
Bridal Q & A
Q: Tell us about your wedding!
“The moment we pulled up the Manakiki Country Club we knew it was our must have venue! The tree lined entrance was the perfect first impressions we wanted to place on the guests, the cozy lobby and bright, vaulted ceilings, and spacious ballroom were all the romance we could have i magazines.
Manakiki also had a beautiful grove, we wanted to get married outside but knew the “backup plan” of the ballroom would be just as appealing (good things since it ended up sprinkling that day of)! The basement of Manakiki was a perfect little cellar for the groomsman to get settled in before the ceremony and the guests to enjoy cocktail hour. The covered patio a were perfect conversation areas for our guests to take a break from a night of dancing.
The next most important part of our venue was their catering, James has a large Italian family so having a pasta course was a necessity. From their antipasto appetizers, to their filling family style dinner, incomparable dessert buffet, and spud bar the food was delicious! Last but certainly not least our wedding coordinator was an absolute pleasure to work wit and we felt extremely comfortable placing our trust in her to have a magically day that way we could focus on what mattered!
James and I knew we didn’t want to spend money on a wedding planner so we did the next best trying; we chose the absolute best vendors in their respective field. After hearing our band for the first time we became a bit of groupies and continues attending their shows up until the wedding, Bluewater Kings Band kept guests of all ages on the dance floor all night long!
Our florist was a family friend who was able to procure the most beautiful peonies and Davis Austin roses, she and her team transferred our ceremony decor for an outside venue to a ballroom fit for a royal wedding in such a short time I swear the have superpowers.
Our bakery, Baby Cakes, makes some of the most delicious cake ever and was so passionate about making my “naked cake” vision a reality I just knew she was the best choice. And finally out photographers; James absolutely hates having his photo taken but after meeting Kristin and Viktor he was so comfortable with them and loved their down to earth nature that he was actually excited for the engagement shoot.
Q: Let’s talk wedding decor
“I always knew I wanted a bright, airy, simple and romantic wedding ceremony that was intimate and only included those close to us. Lanterns and peonies were the only decoration we chose to use, that way we could focus on doing those things perfectly! James biggest request was to keep our wedding simple and not get too stressed, he reminded me every step of the way that at the end no matter how the day went we would be married and that was our dream – having him by my side kept me extremely grounded and helped me to focus on what the day was truly about our love, our family and our friends.”
Q3: How did you meet?
“James and I first met in seventh grade when he moved to the same middle school I had already attended. I knew at first I had an instant crush on him, but it wasn’t until a few years later when we danced at freshman homecoming (we were both there with other dates) when I knew one day we were going to fall in love. One day during the summer while I was babysitting my nephews at the school playground James met us there and helped lift the boys onto the monkey bars and that’s when I knew I would marry him someday.
“Over the next few years we were inseparable and when it came to attending college we decided to take a break and go to different schools. Somehow we were not able to keep our distance and always came back to one another, a few years later and after I graduated college James and I bought our first house, swiftly following was bringing home our puppy Molly.
“In 2017 I woke up to a full blown scavenger hunt with stops at special places in our relationship, our home, our favorite local ice cream shop, the beach we spend our summers, finally when I was lead to the playground where we first fell in love I found James on one knee, not only did he plan an adorable scavenger hunt but he hired someone to document the entire thing and even had my mom and sister waiting in the background with champagne to celebrate! It was the perfect way to decide on forever!”
Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
“Our favorite part of our wedding was during the ceremony we were surrounded by our closest family and friends and it was the first time we realized how absolutely perfect our day was. Each and every vendor did their job impeccably; as I walked down the aisle to a thousand years played the bluewater kings, holding an Alexander’s floral design bouquet, in the beautiful ballroom at Manakiki with multiple chandeliers and our invisible photographers capturing every moment we knew all the hard work was worth it. By the time I made my way to James I was able to completely relax and be in the moment. In those next few moments when we said I do all of our dreams since we were 16 came true!”
Vendors in this Wedding
Hair Stylist: Ladies & Gentlemen Salon and Spa
Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Mens Warehouse
Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo
Dress Designer: Casablanca Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: Galleria Gowns
Caterer: Dino’s Catering
Cake Designer: Baby Cakes Specialty Cupcakes
Floral Designer: Alexander’s Floral Designs
Reception Venue: Manakiki Golf Course
Band: Bluewater Kings Band
Photographer: Kristin Leanne Photography
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