After Their English Garden-Themed Wedding, This Couple Hosted a Disco-Inspired Reception with Lots of Dancing

The DIY Invitations

Tyler is a marketing manager, so she took on all of the wedding's graphic design details. She ideated the invitation suite, ceremony programs, and bar and dinner menus. "The invitation suite was designed as a distilled form of our theme and color scheme," Tyler explains. "The painting, colors, and feel of the suite mirrored the day itself." The paper sets included ivory matte cardstock invitations held in a vellum jacket printed with a painting by French artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot; it was wrapped in sage velvet ribbon.

The bride also created wax seals with gold leaf flakes to finish the invitations—and her grandmother handled all of the invitation calligraphy.

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Last-Minute Wedding Dress

The bride always knew she wanted a custom wedding dress and worked with a dressmaker that has known her family for decades to design an off-the-shoulder silk A-line with three-quarter sleeves. When Tyler was ready to try on the garment, however, it needed to be altered quite a bit—and unfortunately, the gown didn't fit as she envisioned once it was ready. "After a lot of tears, my mother made me go try on dresses locally," Tyler says. Just three weeks before her wedding, Tyler stepped into David's Bridal and found a long-sleeved crepe gown with a mermaid silhouette and buttons down the back and sleeves; it also had the neckline she originally envisioned. "It truly ended up being a blessing. I found a dress that felt even more comfortable, less traditionally bridal in a way that I appreciated, and fit my own personal style better than the dress I'd designed," the bride shares.

Chic Accessories

Dior slingbacks and pearl drop earrings finished her look. Tyler thought she would end up painting her nails nude for the wedding day, but made a last-minute decision to go with a solid black manicure; it felt more authentically her.

Dainty Bouquet

Tyler wanted her bridal bouquet from The Budding Tree to incorporate wildflowers in shades of white and green; the arrangement featured olive branches, roses, butterfly ranunculus, Queen Anne's lace, and ivy.

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The Bridesmaids

Her bridesmaids wore a mix of long black silk dresses from Fame and Partners, Show Me Your Mumu, and ASOS; each garment had a different neckline. Tyler's maid of honor donned a custom velvet gown, which helped her stand out from the rest of the bridal party.

Bridesmaids' Bouquets

Each attendant held a petite version of the bride's bouquet, complete with a pop of blue.

All Together Now

Adam chose a black tuxedo from Men's Wearhouse, paired with a silver watch that his bride gifted him on one of their anniversaries; he pinned an olive leaf branch and tiny ivy vine to his lapel. The groomsmen opted for the same tuxedo as Adam, and both the father of the bride and groom matched the group in classic black.

The First Look

While Tyler and Adam got ready with their wedding party at a hotel in downtown Cleveland, their photographer scouted a 1920s art deco building across the street—it was the perfect backdrop for their first look. Tyler wasn't sure there would be time for this moment, but she's so glad they squeezed it in. "It was so unbelievably special and intimate," she says. "We got to spend so much more time together on our wedding day: We rode the shuttle with our bridal party and had a mini dance party on the way to the venue."

Grounded Arch

The couple's ceremony took place on Lantern Court Estate's side terrace, where wooden chairs were set up on either side of the stone patio aisle. A lush grounded half-arch, punctuated with while delphinium florals that swayed in the breeze, served as the focal point of their vow exchange.

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The Bride's Entrance

Tyler, wearing a a cathedral-length drop veil, entered the space accompanied by her father.

On the Strings

A string quartet played "La Vie en Rose" as the bride made her big-day debut.

Saying Their Vows

Tyler's childhood friend, also named Tyler, served as the couple's officiant. "Having someone so close to us marry us was truly a special experience," the bride says. Tyler and Adam penned their own vows, but on the wedding day, decided to exchange them privately. During the recessional, the musicians played "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer.

Tented Reception

The couple's reception was held under a tent; ivy covered the ceiling, wrapped around the posts, and trailed down the center of the tables. Taupe chiffon drapery added a soft touch to the space.

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Chic Lamps

Tablescapes were filled with tall arrangements of olive branches, bunches of flowers (like butterfly ranunculus, blue delphiniums, roses, and Queen Anne's lace), and small topiaries in antique pots. Small gold table lamps with black lamp shades were placed along the stations; they contrasted against the ivory linens.

Gilded Settings

Place settings featured etched crystal glassware, gold-rimmed chargers, and metallic flatware. An ivory hemstitch napkin tied with a sage green velvet ribbon was placed next to every menu, which featured the Corot painting seen on the couple's invitation suite.

Let's Eat!

As DJ Nic Nacc played soft music in the background, guests started their meal with an amuse-bouche of scallops wrapped in bacon on a bed of creamed spinach with golden raisins and parsnip and potato purée. Next came a pear salad with mixed greens, goat cheese, and candied walnuts, followed by a dual entrée of braised lemon garlic bone-in chicken thighs and braised boneless short rib, which was served with lemon and garlic asparagus and wild mushroom risotto.

What a Speech

Tyler's father's speech was one of the couple's favorite memories from their wedding. "He is a natural comedian," the bride says. The duo listened to his words while sitting at their half-moon-shaped sweetheart table. Overgrown organic arrangements of greenery and white wildflowers flanked the station.

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Coming Home

Tyler and Adam shared their first dance to "Coming Home" by Leon Bridges—and the groom dipped his bride as the song came to a close.

Cutting the Cake

Tyler asked for a "simple, but not boring" wedding cake, so Patisserie 42 delivered a three-tier white lemon dessert with whipped buttercream, lemon curd, and fresh berries. The couple's florist embellished the confection with fresh greens that matched the day's color scheme—and the pair used the same cake cutter and server from Tyler's parent's wedding to cut into it!

The Bride's Dress Change

To get ready for an evening of dancing, Tyler changed into a gold lamé sleeveless gown with a plunging neckline and slit detail from Cinderella Divine.

Disco Dance Room

After dinner, guests moved into a separate room, where the DJ welcomed them onto the dance floor with "Feel So Good" by Mase. The couple kept the doors closed and lights off so that they could choreograph a moment where the lights and music (including an electric violinist!) came on all at once to reveal the party space, complete with disco balls and hanging puffs of pink baby's breath. "It was really this electric, high-energy moment that I will never forget," Tyler says of this debut.

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Disco Sips

Guests were handed frozen drinks in disco ball tumblers—and even given disco-inspired sunglasses.

The Late-Night Snacks

Adam's number one priority during the planning process was setting up a late-night snack. "We had a large amount of out-of-town guests and wanted to treat them to the 'Galley Boy,' Swenson's signature burger," Tyler says. The couple also had a tater tot bar and served everything in custom-made burger and fry boxes featuring a custom last-name logo Tyler created. The bites came in handy, since the celebrants spent the remainder on the evening on the dance floor.

As for the pair's post-wedding plans? Though the couple planned to go to Cape Town in February, they canceled the trip due to the pandemic and are now planning a trip to Ibiza. To other duos currently planning their nuptials, Tyler has this advice: "Even if you are an organized person and have a great vision, hire a wedding planner."

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Sources

Photography, Marina Claire Photography
Venue, The Lantern Court Estate, Kirtland
Wedding Planning and Event Design, OH Hello Event Planning
Flowers, The Budding Tree
Invitations, Minor Details CLE
Bride's Gown, David's Bridal
Bride's Second Look, Cinderella Divine
Bride's Veil, OBridal
Bride's Shoes, Dior
Hair, Chrisy Barfield
Makeup, Allie Mitchell
Menswear, Men's Warehouse
Bridesmaids' Dresses, Fame & Partners; Show Me Your Mumu; ASOS
Music, NPi Entertainment, DJ Nic Nac; Opus 216
Catering, A Taste of Excellence; Swenson's Drive In
Cake, Patisserie 42
Custom Boxes, Aadams Creation, Etsy
Rentals, Event Source; Lavender and Lace Event Rentals; PR Rentals
Transportation, A1 Mr Limo
Lighting, NPi Entertainment
Tent, Aable Rents
Valet, Great Lakes Valet