A and A lived in New York when they got married, but Cleveland is where their story really begins. Their wedding at the Cleveland Arcade was never just about choosing a beautiful historic venue, although that helped. It was about planning a celebration close to home, where family and friends could surround them.
Why the Cleveland Arcade Felt Right
The Cleveland Arcade has been part of the city since 1890, which honestly feels wild when you’re standing inside it and everything still feels so alive. It was one of the first indoor shopping arcades in the country. That glass ceiling everyone falls in love with? It was designed to flood the space with natural light long before that was a design trend. Even on cloudy days, the Arcade somehow glows.
What makes the Arcade special is that it feels grand without feeling intimidating. Walking in, you can feel the history – it’s obviously from a different era but in a timeless, what-decade-is-this kind of feel. You can dress it up or let it speak for itself, and it works either way. It holds big moments beautifully, but it also makes quieter ones feel intimate.
I love historic places. I am, as my family and close friends call me, a “plaque reader.” If we’re traveling together, I very much want to know the history of wherever we’re standing. It’s pretty cool to have a space like this right in downtown Cleveland. People have met here, celebrated here, passed through on ordinary days and milestones in this building.
For A and A, it worked because it could hold everything they wanted this day to be. A celebration big enough for their personalities (which are epic and deserving of plaques of recognition), but still intimate enough for the moments that mattered most. A space that respected tradition and all three sides of the family heritage they were celebrating, as well as the creativity of their day as a whole.
A Multicultural Celebration That Truly Made Space
This was a Jewish, Persian, and Sicilian wedding – multicultural in the best sense. The ceremony began with a Sofreh and Sugar Rubbing, complete with some very funny grandpa comments, and corrections, I mean additions coming from grandma. Then it transitioned to the Chuppah on the landing for the next piece of their ceremony, where one of their best friends married them. The ceremony ended with La Serenata, when the groom – a lifelong musical theatre kid, let’s not forget – sang to his bride.
It was heartfelt, joyful, and completely them.
Theatre Kids in the Best Way
If you know musical theatre people, you know the energy they bring. Here’s the best part of having a celebration with creative people in general: they have creative and interesting friends. This guest list showed up ready.
One of my favorite things about weddings is getting to know the people you love enough to invite into the room with you. Weddings are costly and huge undertakings, so knowing who matters enough to you to be there is a fairly big deal. This group was a genuine joy to get to know. Bonus points – they could all sing and dance.
Accessibility on a Wedding Day
One of the most meaningful parts of this day, at least for me, was how thoughtfully the couple planned to accommodate the disabilities within their families. As a person with a family member with disabilities, I’m always aware of how easy it is for someone with a difference to be unintentionally excluded. This was never an afterthought for A and A, but a top priority. Their most important people had what they needed from the beginning and never missed a beat. Obsessed.
There were months of conversation on this, and it showed up throughout the day in so many ways. A simple example: family portraits. We had three people who would need specific accommodations for that section of time. So we talked about it, brainstormed what would work best, and – perhaps most importantly – we built extra time into family portraits so no one felt rushed or overwhelmed.
In the end, we came up with not one but three plans (the couple didn’t know about that part) to make sure that when the family arrived, everything was smooth and stress-free. Why? Because it’s not about the professionals in the room, it’s not about the venue, it’s not even about the individuals with disabilities. It’s about making sure the people who matter get space to celebrate without anything hindering that experience. The result was calm, comfortable, and some of my favorite family formals.
My point is that accessibility on a wedding day is not just about logistics. It’s about thinking about who matters most to you and making sure there’s nothing that prevents them from having a good time. I love that this mattered to the couple, and I love that they prioritized it with their professionals.
Speeches That Felt Cinematic
There were so many great moments, but what lingered was how people spoke about these two. Speeches in this venue are incredible anyway, but these ones were epic. I’ll remind you – we have a musical theatre crowd. Loved ones openly acknowledged the challenges their families have faced and how those experiences shaped this couple into deeply empathetic, patient people.
I find that as I’m getting further along in this industry, it’s almost always the speeches that will end up getting me. Not all of them by any means, but occasionally there are a few standout ones. Listening to the people who love A and A talk about them was for sure one of those moments. As I’ve continued to get to know this couple and their family, I entirely get it. These two are special, and I’m so honored we got to celebrate with them.
