Wedding | Kimberly & Christian

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Kim is a physician and Christian teaches high school English. We met online in 2020 and went on several dates at outdoor locations around Northeast Ohio (Blossom Music Center, a pickle festival, the Stan Hywet Gardens) while discovering how much we enjoyed being with each other. Despite not having grown up with pets, Christian soon came to love Kim’s Pomeranian, Mingus, and her Cornish Rex, Bowie. They’ve recently adopted another Pom, Parker. Kim, in turn, has taken part in Christian’s obsession with Charles Dickens by reading Great Expectations and learning to do Victorian dances.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We are having a 55 person wedding at the Villa Pozzolo in Tuscany as an excuse for our friends to all have a vacation, but we also wanted to have an intimate ceremony for the legal technicalities and for our immediate family. So we chose the site of our first date at Mason’s Creamery  in Cleveland, Ohio! On the first date, Christian probably ordered the vegan Cookies n’ Cream but Kim definitely ordered matcha. Christian remembers Kim saying “whenever I have the chance to get matcha flavoring, I do it.” He tucked that bit of lore away and proceeded to bring her matcha items until she started sharing other flavors she enjoys.

The ceremony ended up being a wonderful experience with people driving by and honking and cheering when they saw Diana taking our photos. Christian’s sister ran across the street to borrow a Bible from a church for some readings during the ceremony and everyone over there sent their congratulations.

How many guests did you have?

We had seven guests!

Christian’s mom and sister. Christian’s mother, Erika, officiated the ceremony.

Kim’s mom and dad, and Kim’s friends Laura, Sean, and baby Sophie were also present for our special day.

Tell us about your outfits.

This one is all about the bride. Kim wore a skirt and top from Reformation paired with white satin heels from Spanish designer, Inez. She paired her grandmother’s pearls with her mother’s bridal veil/cap from 1975, purchased from the original Kleinfeld’s in Brooklyn.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

We really wanted to prioritize our story in this elopement and this legal ceremony was about looking backward at where we have come from. We also wanted to have fun, and Diana’s energy was exactly what we needed. We had originally planned for the elopement to be in South Dakota so that Christian’s grandma could be a part of the experience, but when she passed away in July, we decided to move it closer to home. Then we had to decide between Columbus (so that Kim’s horse, The Dark Artist, could be a part of the ceremony) and Cleveland, where we could re-enact our first date. 

Once we decided on Mason’s, everything came together. It was important to Christian that he wear the shirt he wore to the first date (although thankfully he also didn’t wear the flip-flops from his first date footwear) and Diana was able to get some fantastic photos that re-enacted their story: Kim walking up from behind in her wedding dress and Christian lounging at the plant stand with his first-date shirt.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Kim wanted to make sure that she had something old, something new, borrowed, and something blue.

For blue, she tucked a blue handkerchief into her garter that was her great grandmother’s. For borrowed, she wore her mother’s veil as a headpiece from 1975 Kleinfeld’s store in Brooklyn, NY where she grew up. For old, she wore her great grandmother’s pearls. For something new, she had her skirt and top from Reformation.

Christian’s grandma was able to be present symbolically when his mom, who was our celebrant, brought out a vase that had been very special to her for the bridal bouquet to sit in at the reception.

Any tips for couples getting married?

There is so much planning that goes into a wedding so that on the day you can sit back and watch it all unfold like a Rube Goldberg love machine. But we feel it is also really important to wait for spontaneous moments and relish the joy they bring: the glancing sunlight hitting Kim’s hair through her grandma’s veil, the feeling of a tear the moment before it begins to fall, the sound of the camera’s shutter, each click of which promises a beautiful memory.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Diana Galay, our photographer, was wonderful to work with from the start. She was extremely professional while at the same time relaxed, and she had an initial meeting with us to learn more about us and for her to tell us about her style and what to expect on the day. The night before she thoughtfully sent us a sweet message which helped us to remember to remain present as a couple and savor the small moments. She came armed with two digital cameras and a film and took gorgeous documentary style photos while making us feel completely at ease. Diana had an amazing warm and fun energy which made the time we spent with her so enjoyable. Her ultimate goal was to allow us to focus on our day rather than the camera. She incredibly captured the candid treasured moments and memories which were so special and so authentically illustrates our love story. We will truly treasure her photos forever.

We also loved working with The Urban Orchid. Kim wanted an all white peony bouquet, and they were able to make her dream a reality with wonderful elegant touches. 

Mason’s Creamery has amazing ice cream as well as wonderful owners, Jesse and Helen, who were so excited to host our nuptials.

Photographer: Diana Galay Photo @dianagalay_photo | Flora: The Urban Orchid @urbanorchidfloral | Ceremony Location: Mason’s Creamery @masonscreamery | Reception Location: Le Petit Triangle

@lepetittrianglecafe | Celebrant: Pastor Erika Lehmann | Christian’s Haircut: Aubrey at Holy Moses @holymoseshair | Kim’s Hair Styling: Green Opal Salon | Dress: Reformation @reformation | Cap/Veil:

Kim's mothers from 1975 | Pearls: from Kims grandmother | Engagement Ring: Jack Weir and Sons

@jackweirandsons | Wedding Rings: (Kim) Heirloom (great grandmother eternity band) & (Christian) Staghead Designs @stagheaddesigns | Shoes: Inez @inez