emily and michael's industrial chic summer country club wedding at the lake club in poland ohio photographed by cleveland wedding photographer mae b photo-108.jpg

One of my favorite characteristics about Emily and Michael is their contagious joy. From the first day I met them, I just knew we were in for a fun year! We chatted for a couple hours about their wedding, hobbies and life in general. From blushes, golds and greenery to craft beer and good food, I could feel the excitement for this couple and their wedding growing. It all came together July 8th as we started the day at The Best Western hotel in Boardman, Ohio. I walked into a room of a group of smiling, bubbly faces as the bridesmaids welcomed us in. The vibe was super laid back and there were tons of BEAUTIFUL details - my kinda heaven! The girls hung out and drank champagne while I got to work. There was a similar scene in the guy's room - just swap the champagne for some cold beers.

One of my absolute favorite new trends happening is when brides have a first look with their father. This is usually a private moment where dad will see his baby girl all done up for the first time, before the ceremony. I was excited when Emily said she wanted to do that because she knew her dad would be emotional. Her brother's tagged along too, and gave her a little pre-wedding gift. It was a very sweet moment, and the sweet moments didn't stop there!

We headed to The Lake Club in Poland, Ohio, where Michael was waiting for HIS first look with his bride. His reaction was PERFECT, and completely warranted because Emily looked like she walked off the cover of a bridal magazine. We explored the grounds a little bit, on the most perfect summer day you could even ask for. Once we finished Bridal Party photos, everyone relaxed while we geared up for a beautiful and personal ceremony overlooking Lake Evans. The sky above the lake had the perfect amount of clouds and blues and made for a picture perfect backdrop as Emily and Michael said, "I do".

After the ceremony, everyone was more than ready to celebrate! Emily and Michael had warned me about the ridiculous amount of food that would be at their wedding, and they weren't kidding! The Lake Club killed it with the biggest meat and cheese spread I've ever seen, along with a shrimp and sushi bar. There was also a donut display with donuts from White House Fruit Farms (I know right now you're probably drooling over the thought of a White House blueberry donut). Did I mention how each table had their own personal cake centerpiece?! Bake Me Treats designed the most gorgeous mini cakes, and every cake was different. I haven't even gotten to the cookie table, which was out of this world, as expected, AND the dinner buffet. It may be 10am as I'm writing this, but I'm still drooling at the thought of all of this fantastic food :P

But back to the wedding! The reception was super laid back as everyone ate, drank, mingled and danced the night away. We had the opportunity to sneak out for some sunset photos, and to give the couple a chance to breathe and take everything in (I highly encourage every couple to do this if you have the chance to!). Then it was back to the party! I could verbally swoon all day, but I feel like I've talked waaaaay too much. Enjoy these pretty photos of this beautiful couple and their wedding day!

Panache salon did such a beautiful job at making this bride look very timeless and elegant!

THIS group of ladies - one of the best bride squads I've gotten to work with. Fun fact, they all picked out their own dresses. Emily didn't want them to have to go out of their way to get a dress, so she told the girls they could simply buy something from the mall or pull something out of their closet. Done and done, and they looked BEAUTIFUL together!