Photographing weddings at Amasa Stone Chapel in Cleveland, Ohio is always a joy because of its dramatic light and stunning architecture. From the stone columns to the winding staircase, to the light filtering through the stained glass windows, there’s really no other place quite like it. And the Marble Room wedding reception was a perfect downtown Cleveland celebration.
It all began when two Case Western Reserve University students met and fell in love. They decided to make things permanent, but they wanted to do it in a way that felt authentic to them. For their wedding day, they skipped a traditional wedding party, and instead asked their closest friends hang out with them at an AirBnB while they got ready. The result was a relaxed, low pressure vibe where everyone was just being themselves.
Their wedding ceremony took place at Amasa Stone Chapel on Case Western Reserve’s campus. It made sense for them to get married there, since that’s where they met and fell in love. Amasa Stone Chapel has a uniquely striking 14th-century English Gothic design. The ornate architecture and singular lighting make it somehow intimate and grand all at the same time. These same unique qualities can be a challenge to photograph in due to the sometimes harsh light and shadows, but if you lean into it, Amasa can also be magical. For example, the area where the bride hides out of sight before the ceremony is at the bottom of a curving old old wooden staircase. Soft light filters in from a small window high overhead, gently falling into the space where the bride waits to walk down the sunlit aisle of Amasa Stone Chapel. Once the ceremony is underway, it’s easy to get different angles of the ceremony due to the wide main aisle and easily accessible side aisles. The second floor includes a balcony with a large circular stained glass window that is a gorgeous backdrop for wedding photos.
After their intimate Amasa Stone Chapel wedding ceremony, we went to Wade Oval at Cleveland Museum of Art for wedding photos. Cleveland Museum of Art is one of my favorite places for wedding photos. There are so many options for backgrounds and settings–from the marble steps and pillars, to the water of Wade Oval, to the greenery everywhere–I never get tired of photographing weddings and wedding parties at Cleveland Museum of Art. There are leading lines, benches, stairs, water, walking paths, ornate street lights, trees, grass, private little nooks for intimate photos, and wide open spaces for dramatic portraits. Honestly, what more could a photographer ask for? I’ve included some of my favorite Cleveland Museum of Art wedding photos from their wedding day portrait session below.
Their Marble Room wedding reception was an elegant dinner party with their closest family and friends. The Marble Room is a uniquely beautiful location for weddings and wedding photos. Located in a historic former bank, it’s an opulent setting for a wedding with vaulted ceilings, marble columns, a dramatic grand staircase, and ornate chandeliers. It has a moody, romantic, candlelit atmosphere that, like Amasa Stone Chapel, can be a challenge to photograph in. But if you lean into that moody atmosphere (and bring your off camera flash) it can also be utterly magical. The staff at Marble Room was very accommodating, walking us to where we could take photos without disturbing other guests. Honestly, in a space that size, it was very helpful.
Here are my favorite Amasa Stone Chapel wedding photos from this ceremony, as well as my favorite Marble Room wedding reception photos.
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