Sometimes it’s necessary to plan weddings long distance. With phone meetings, facetime and email, the world is a lot smaller place. I met Eric over the phone when he was researching wedding vendors from Ohio. They seemed like such a great couple over the phone, and the way he talked about his fiance Rachel was simply heart-warming. I was so excited when he asked if I would be the photographer for their wedding. I was even more excited when we decided that my husband, Scott (aka my partner in crime), would be coming with me to Cleveland for this event. When I arrived at their wedding, I hadn’t actually met either of them yet. In a way, I found this extremely exciting and fun.
Boy were we in for a treat. This wedding was a fusion wedding of Indian and Chinese cultures combined in a Christian faith. Each of the bridesmaids wore vibrant blue saris. At first look, I thought they were all the same, but in fact, they were all very different deep blue patterns. Eric and Rachel were married in a beautiful old chapel, Harkness Chapel, on the campus of Case Western. Their ceremony included a Chinese tea pouring ceremony and a lot of beautiful hymns and music. After the service, the campus and the nearby park, Wade Lagoon, provided modern, fun and stunning backdrops for wedding photos.
The ceremony was so much fun, as a few friends performed a custom song and some members of the bridal party performed a skit about the couple. The dance floor was full all night long with some pretty amazing dance moves. The one thing that I’ll always remember from this wedding is how loved these two people are. People of all ages and cultures were under one roof pouring love onto Rachel and Eric. Even though I hadn’t met them before this day in-person, I left feeling as if I had known them forever. We were so honored to be a part of this special day and I hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed taking them! XO Jess
