Cleveland Museum of Art Wedding
Today we’re continuing to chat about something that I love talking about, some of our very favorite venues in the greater Cleveland area. We broke down a list of the Best Wedding Venues in Cleveland Ohio here and why. If you’re wedding planning and need an overview of some of our favorites that’s a great place to start. But a Cleveland Museum of Art wedding ranks at the top of the list for so many reasons, I’m not even going to try and be partial on this one. But I’ll try and at least give you the perspective of a professional who has been a part of 100s of wedding days all over the world.
The reality is that the choice of your wedding venue is going to do more for the look and tone of your wedding day than pretty much anything else. Not to mention it can have a massive effect on your stress levels based on how well you are taken care of surrounding your wedding day, what the logistics are like, etc.
I’m going to lay out a little more information on what it looks like to have a Cleveland Museum of Art wedding and what you can expect from that wedding venue.
Hiring a Planner
First things first, when you’re planning a Cleveland Museum of Art wedding you need to know that they require you work with a wedding planner. This is fantastic news for you for a number of reasons. The reality is that having a wedding at a venue of the caliber of the Museum of Art just isn’t something you can pull off without a planner, so it’s perfect that they don’t give you the option. If by chance you don’t have a planner in mind to work with, we have a list of our very favorites we can recommend (whether you’re our couple or not) please feel free to send us an email and we’re happy to pass them along. Planners are AMAZING and from personal experience, I can guarantee you’re going to have a completely different experience working with a wonderful team.
Location
The Cleveland Museum of Art is located in Wade Oval, just outside of downtown Cleveland in University Circle. It’s surrounded by everything you could possibly need. As far as a centralized location you probably can’t get any better than the Cleveland Museum of Art. Nearly anything you could possibly want is going to be a 10 or 15-minute drive from your main location. This is especially nice if you have a lot of your guest traveling in for your celebration. During the main portion of your wedding day, there are so many things within a two or three-minute walk you’re not going to need to navigate far from the museum at all both from a guest experience perspective as well as a photo/video perspective which again makes the day logistically better all around..
Plus you have the overall surroundings of the museum, just below the museum itself is Wade Lagoon. A beautiful little pond surrounded by idyllic trees and walking path benches is a perfect setting. During the springtime cherry blossoms explode, giving you a Washington DC vibe without the crazy crowds to diminish the experience.
In the front of the museum, you have the Cleveland Botanical Gardens as well as the actual Wade Oval Park, which hosts concerts and family fun in the summer and ice skating rinks in the winter. The entire area is barely picture-perfect for a wedding.
Planning a Cleveland Museum of Art Wedding
One of the cautions that you will hear me talk about is that when you choose a wedding venue you really need to think carefully through your choice. Your wedding venue is going to set the stage for the entire look and feel of your wedding day. But aside from that, your wedding day is going to set the stage for the overall feel of your celebration. What do I mean by that? Hospitality matters, If you happen to find a venue that doesn’t prioritize taking care of their couples you will feel it on your wedding day. There has never been a day filled with more emotions and logistics packed into one and unfortunately, I’ve seen that happen and it is somewhat tragic. On your wedding day, you deserve to be taken care of like absolute royalty. You’re investing heavily, and the day should be as close to perfect as possible so that you can focus on the people and the moments that matter so much.
The Cleveland Museum of Art is one of those venues that just plain knows what they’re doing. They know how to serve couples well, and they consistently work with very high-caliber events. Because of that, they can move quickly and efficiently. They handle what comes out of them and keep your day feeling entirely stress-free. It’s hard to describe how big of a deal this is. I mean, besides being an absolutely gorgeous venue, this is a huge, huge, plus for you and your family to consider.
Cleveland Museum of Art Wedding Photos
As a wedding photographer and videographer, it’s hard not to be massively in love with this venue. The thing that I love the most about the Cleveland Museum of Art as far as wedding photos is that there’s so much diversity in what you have to choose from in such a small area. The regalness of the back of the museum lends itself when you have such beautiful marble which bounces the light incredibly and becomes flattering to all different skin types. You have the beautiful Wade Lagoon which can give us a much more relaxed and nature-filled vibe but then you also have the Cleveland Botanical Gardens literally steps away, and you have Case Western directly across the street. There are the Cultural Gardens, Severance Hall, and even more incredible architecture truly just moments away.
One of my favorite things about doing photos at the Museum of Art is that they don’t have to look the same. Your celebration can look nothing like what’s been done there before. As a photographer I know you could photograph there every single day and have each one reflect the overall feel of the couple which to me is massively important.
Because a beautiful venue is important of course but ultimately no matter how beautiful the venue is it needs to reflect something within you both as a couple, something your families care about, something your friends love. Otherwise, the images simply aren’t as strong.
Cleveland Museum of Art Engagement Photos
The Museum is a huge favorite for engagement photos very much for the reasons that I just listed for wedding photos. It’s such a diverse location when it comes to backdrops and inspiration. It makes it absolutely fantastic for photographing engagement sessions as well.
Multiple Ceremony Spaces
The Museum of Art has multiple ceremony spaces and has indoor and outdoor options which I think is essential with the unknowns of weather in the Cleveland area.
Receptions are always planned indoors, but there are beautiful ceremony options outdoors which can either overlook the back of the museum or Wade Lagoon depending on which way you want to face. Knowing that there’s a fantastic backup plan in the main atrium of the museum (out of the weather). It helps keep things stress-free.
Although most people use the outdoor terrace and main atrium there are a number of choices when it comes to renting space in the museum for your wedding.
- Main atrium (seating for up to 650)
- Outdoor terrace (seating for up to 650)
- Private dining room (seating for 100)
- Provenance
- Banquet room (seating for 128)
The Cleveland Museum of Art has more than 44,000 square feet of special event spaces and of course, you’ll be celebrating surrounded by world-class art.
Reception
The other huge differentiator with the Cleveland Museum of Art is its ability to accommodate a massive number of guests. It can be difficult to find wedding venues that work for large guest counts in the Cleveland area. The Museum of Art can actually accommodate up to 650 guests in its Main Atrium area.
Another plus in favor of the Museum of Art is its on-site catering. Provenance is Cleveland Museum of Art’s exclusive company which constantly gets rave reviews and is well known for its commitment to socially responsible practices. I’m here to tell you first hand they’re true, the food is amazing!
Cleveland Museum of Art Wedding Cost
Your museum wedding cost is going to vary greatly by the details you chose to include on your wedding day. What type of food will you be serving? How many guests will you be having? The larger the number the lower the per guest cost goes down, but the bigger the overall number is.
In general, however, you can expect to spend between about $260 per person and $280 per person for your Cleveland Museum of Art Wedding. There is of course a food and beverage minimum applied to all events, please reach out to the museum for pricing specifics, Elizabeth will take amazing care of you. Or better yet, ask your planner to walk you through this!
You’ll also want to note that the museum books out about a year and a half in advance sometimes more so as soon as you’re engaged you’ll want to start looking at those “big three” (planner, venue, photographer) to make sure you’re able to secure your first choices when it comes to such important pieces of your wedding day.
What I love about it
I think there are a lot of reasons to love a Cleveland Museum of Art wedding. If I had to pick a downfall I would say the obvious one is that your guests can’t stay at the venue, but that could be said with a lot of different venues, and considering where the museum is located it’s really not at all hard to pick a beautiful hotel probably no more than 12 minutes away. Personally, I’m a huge fan of museum weddings. I think they’re stunning and truly timeless. Because of that, it’s not hard for me to say this is a true stand-out among the venues in the Cleveland area.
I think that it’s got a mix of everything that you want in a venue, exceptional service, beautiful architecture, world-class art, and fantastic food. Because what is a wedding without really great food? 😉 I don’t think you can go wrong with this venue and I think there’s truly so much that can go right.
