Dragonfly Photography
Hanna & Patrick’s Union Club Cleveland Wedding
When I first met Hanna and Patrick I liked them almost immediately, they both had kind demeanors and the kind of personalities that just sort of welcomed you in. The first time we sat down in the studio to really get to know each other we talked far longer than any of us planned on simply because we had so many things to talk about.
It never seemed to fail, when we would connect on their wedding planning (which was a lot, because of a very unforeseen thing known as the global pandemic) I would almost always walk out with some kind of helpful tip. The right vendor to call in the Cleveland area to refinish hardwood floors, where to go to get the best deal on a new banister for staircases, and the raining champion… the proper vacuum to purchase.
For a little backstory there, I’d been researching, and what I mean is researching vacuums for a really obnoxiously long time. Have you bought a vacuum recently? If you haven’t, don’t. It’s such a terrible experience. There are exactly 7,000 options. All of them are terrible according to the reviews and will break by next Thursday. There is no clear direction if you have wood floors… well, I guess technically information did exist but it was all written in 2014 so none of it applies anymore and all the vacuums have since been discontinued… UGGGG. I had it narrowed down to three choices and I just couldn’t decide. Enter Hanna.
In case you’re wondering, I adore vacuuming now because Hanna helped me through my little crisis and I now own the best vacuum I’ve ever owned. And although vacuuming really has nothing to do with weddings, it sort of sums the two of them up. Always available to help, always thinking of what they can do to be helpful, and considerate of those around them.
The sort of people you might enjoy spending time with.
This in my case was great because no sooner had Hanna and Patrick chosen us as their photography team did the pandemic hit and hit hard. We spend many a Zoom session, talking through their options and Ohio’s regulations.
They decided they wanted to begin their days in their respective homes. Hanna chose to get ready with her family in a home that she had bought and remodeled herself. Hence, amazing remodeling tips she was able to pass along to me.
Patrick started his day off in the home that the couple would end up living in as they begin their married life together. It was important to both of them to have pieces of the homes that were so deeply important to their history in their wedding images something that I thoroughly agree with. Your wedding should be personal, I love when couples see that.
The couple chose to get married at Rocky River United Methodist Church, faith and family being incredibly important to both of them. the ceremony was filled with touching moments including both mothers being handed a rose, and because Patrick is Filipino, they chose to include the traditional Cord and Veil within the ceremony.
After the couple’s epic exit from the church with their family and friends cheering on, they entered their white 1961 Bentley and we went to create portraits. Now, to be very clear the couple was absolutely stunning, and I’m quite used to drawing a crowd wherever we go with beautiful couples and gorgeous gowns… but I think the most laughable moment of the day came when we had someone approached and asked, not to take photos with a couple but if the couple could step out of the way so that they could grab a photo with the car. 😉 That was only balanced slightly by the fact that when we stopped by their new home for a few portraits, the little girls who were playing in the street thought that a real princess had just arrived. I know this because I saw their faces in pure wonder and shock, it was possibly the sweetest moment of the day! When I asked the girls what they thought they said they’d never seen anyone so beautiful in all their lives. Pretty sure they were right, just ask Patrick.
The highlight of the couple’s day came when they stepped into the reception at the Union Club in Cleveland, Ohio. Hanna had shared that she never really liked the idea of a traditional wedding and more favored the idea of some kind of an intimate elopement or micro wedding. That is until she stepped into the Union Club for the first time at Christmas. She shared with me that for the first time she could imagine herself walking down the stairs in her beautiful dress and the idea of marrying Patrick with a lot of people around sounded like a whole lot of fun. A small side note here, this is exactly how your wedding venue should make you feel…
For those of you that don’t know, one of the things that is so unique about The Union Club is its long and iconic history. The Union Club is a historic venue dating back to 1872, and in its early days was home to many famous visitors including multiple US presidents. It’s in the heart of downtown Cleveland and makes for a beautiful historic wedding venue.
A highlight for me personally was the couple’s first dance, as well as the speeches their family gave. First of all, if you want to have a great evening having incredible music is a pretty solid move in that direction. If you want to read more about that topic or how to choose your music you can find more on that topic here. Hanna and Patrick had Dave Banks Big Band who did a fantastic job creating a perfect balance between great ambiance and sheer fun. Which set an incredible backdrop for their epic first dance. It also helped that Hanna had the perfect Anne Barge dress on the compliment their dance moves, overall it was the moment of the day.
But their family toasts came in a close second. Hanna’s father broke down while reading his speech, and just about took the whole room with him. It was obvious that everyone person who spoke had one thing in common. They loved and cherished Hanna and Patrick.
To Hanna and Patrick, cheers to many years of happiness and joy together. And to everyone else, if you need any help with recommendations of any kind, this is your couple. 😉
