A Moody, Maximalist and Vintage Backyard Wedding

Canyon & Emily Teague | October 1, 2022

Inspired by their 1920s home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio – and a love of all things vintage – this couple hosted a swanky, backyard wedding party with 28 of their closest friends. The day was filled with jazz music, bourbon, cigars, good food, great friends, lots of laughs, and above all… love and romance.

Portraits were taken in Downtown Cleveland, but the cocktail hour, ceremony, and dinner reception were all hosted at their home in Cleveland Heights.

The bride and her best friend, along with her mom and soon-to-be mother-in-law, got ready in the couple’s vintage-clad Primary bedroom. The bride wore a Martin Thornburg gown paired with vintage cameo earrings, a hand-made Mantilla veil, and thrifted red velvet shoes.

Meanwhile, the Groom and his Best Man popped a bottle of champagne and relaxed until it was time to meet the ladies for portraits in the courtyard. The gentleman dressed in the penthouse suite of the Drury Plaza hotel in downtown Cleveland, a stunningly restored structure from the Art Deco Era.

A Vintage Trolley from A1 Mr.Limo in Wickliffe, Ohio provided comfortable and stylish transportation for the wedding party, crew, and guests throughout the day.

After portraits, and before arriving at the house for cocktail hour, the bridal party made a quick stop at the local Pub down the street from their house. They wanted to share a drink and special moment with the owner of the Kensington Pub, who is a dear friend.

The Trolley headed back to go pick-up their guests at the hotel, so the bride and groom along with their wedding day entourage made the familiar short stroll back home from the Pub. On the journey (a few blocks long) they were greeted with cheers and waves from onlooking neighbors, including their favorite mailman, Leonard.

When the group arrived at the house, they were blown away by the work of Event Design by B.E. Many months of planning and thrifting went into the décor for the day. Thanks to the resourcefulness of the bride, and the execution of a top notch planner, the swanky, vintage atmosphere came to life even better than expected.

Vintage furniture, some owned by the couple, and some from the Borrow Curated Collection, lined the long driveway to offer various seating vignettes. Atop the furniture were beautiful fresh fall bouquets designed by local artist Tonya of T.florals.

During cocktail hour, guests were served by a local Mixologist, Will, from behind the Heather Bar, a Borrow Curated piece. Guests sipped Modelo beer, fine wine and spirits while enjoying an eclectic mix of music curated by the bride including both old and new jazz, swing, techno and big band sounds.

A pair of vintage French church doors from the Borrow Curated catalogue helped create a more intimate and romantic ceremony space, while also offering a dramatic entrance and exit for the processional and recessional.

The Groom and bridal party walked down the aisle to Chance the Rapper’s Blessings, while the Bride and her mom made their walk to remember to the sound of composer John Williams’ A Tree For My Bed.

The couple exchanged vows under the tall Wisteria tree in their backyard, standing next a swanky gramophone, surrounded by their loved ones.

As guests dispersed from the ceremony, they were handed glasses of bubbly from the ivy Champagne Wall, custom-built by Borrow Curated. They were then directed out to the front lawn for speeches and cigars. This allowed for the Event Design by B.E. team to flip the backyard ceremony seating for dinner in the same space.

Immediately following the speeches, guests joined the couple for a celebratory Cigar Bar. The newlyweds rested in Chesterfield captain’s chairs (thrifted, of course) and lit up the night surrounded by dear friends and smoke rings. Pictured next to the couple are two of their prized possessions – an original autographed photo of Cillian Murphy, and their Model 20 Philco Cathedral Radio circa 1930.

Speaking of vintage electronics, there was also an Audio Guestbook for friends and family to leave recorded messages. (This particular Audio Guestbook was built by the Bride herself – a data engineer by trade, and an electrical engineer by hobby – using a vintage candlestick telephone. She did all the wiring, soldering, and computer programming of the Arduino board in the months leading up to the wedding).

As golden hour approached, the backyard flip was complete and guests were welcomed back to a stunning tablescape of elegant, moody florals atop black gauze runners, and paired with reclaimed wood tables from Borrow Curated.

The dinner menu was debated in the months leading up to the wedding. The couple surveyed their friends, knowing many of them have dietary restrictions and food allergies. The most common suggestion for their eclectic backyard bash? Tacos! Because you just can’t go wrong with tacos. Barrio Cleveland catered the event, and guests had the option to build their own or be served the Chef’s specialty “El Jefe Loco.”

A private moment was shared in the formal dining room where the newlyweds cut their wedding cake, which was adorned with two very dapper dinosaurs. In addition to a small cake, churros were served for dessert paired with dolce de leche and hot coffee.

As the sun set, tall brass candlesticks and iron-cast sconces provided the perfect ambient lighting for the couple’s first dance to Rest by Michael Kiwanuka.

After a joyous evening of dinner and dancing, the couple ran through a sea of sparklers and departed with their guests on the vintage Trolley.

Eight out of ten vendors supported were Black or Women-owned, nine out of ten were Cleveland local, and two vendors were local to the Cleveland Heights neighborhood. More than 24 different small businesses on Etsy were supported for details and decor, including the Bride’s handmade Mantilla veil and handmade earrings.