To me, hotel weddings are the equivalent to a blank canvas. You can take any ballroom and splash all the fun to make it your own. Lexi and Nick’s Hilton Fairlawn Wedding did just that. They took this big empty space and filled it full of gold, white and purple accents. Their florals had hints of deep Fall violets and those wild greens that make my heart soar. (Definitely helps that Lexi’s mom is one of the top florists here in Akron. Check out Pink Petals – She even made my own wedding bouquets!). Nevertheless – it was the perfect way to take a blank slate and hit it out of the park!
Lexi got ready in her childhood home, surrounded by absolutely lovely humans and furry pets 🙂 Then made her way to one of my favorite churches in the Akron area – St. Sebastian’s Parish. Surrounded by the closest family and friends they tied the knot. Their bubble exit went off without a hitch. Here is a little tip for you bubble exit people: Start blowing the bubbles BEFORE the couple exit the church. It allows for the photos to have this dreamy bubble-filled look surrounding them, vs bubbles shooting directly in their face!
After capturing a few portraits around the glorious Church grounds, we made our way to one of the many Metro Parks in the area and ended up at R. Shea Brewery before Cocktail Hour. I feel as if I need to scream this from the rooftops, but for now I’ll type it in underlined: Your wedding portraits portion of your day should be about YOU! Whether that means you love hiking, or eating ice cream, or sharing a pint of beer with your husband or wife. It does not have to be at a spot that is “standard” for wedding photos. Go have fun! Go make your day your own. I applaud these two! They wanted a chill moment with close friends and wedding party. For them, sharing a pint of beer did just that!
Their cocktail hour was outside on the pool grounds of the hotel (add in an Andie Anderson article on How To Get the Most of a Hotel Wedding Venue!). The guests were then filtered into the ballroom for scrumptious food and desserts all made by family!
Lexi and Nick’s day was full of magic and color and a beautiful uniqueness that is so refreshing when it comes to weddings. Scroll on down to see the rest of their magical fall Hilton Fairlawn Wedding! I hope you find yourself smiling as big as I do 🙂 // xo
Photographer: Marissa Decker Photography
Church Venue: St. Sebastian’s Parish
Reception Venue: The Hilton Akron/Fairlawn
Make-up & Hair: MC Salon & Spa
Florist: Pink Petals Florist
Bridal Dress and Veil: The Dress Medina
Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie
Groom + Groomsmen Suits: Ticknors
Rings: CS Johns
Cake: The Bake Shop in Ghent
DJ: Beach Boyz
Transportation: TL Worldwide Transportation
Paper Products: Paper Mill Store
Linens: Sitting Pretty Linens