Kim and Celeste walking hand in hand along a path outside the Cleveland Museum of Art

    Wedding · Cleveland, Ohio

    Kim & Celeste's Wedding at the Cleveland Museum of Art

    OCTOBER 10, 2026

    Some weddings need a ballroom and a long timeline. Kim and Celeste's needed something quieter: a ceremony outdoors on the grounds of the Cleveland Museum of Art and plenty of room afterward to wander through one of the most beautiful public spaces in Cleveland.

    The palette was simple from the start: a deep green suit, an all-white halter jumpsuit, and a bouquet of white roses. Against the museum's marble, ivy and old trees, that restraint did a lot of the work for us.

    A Ceremony on the Terrace

    The ceremony took place along a stone balustrade framed by trees, with the officiant standing between the couple. We kept our distance for most of it, working with longer lenses so the vows could stay between the two of them.

    Kim and Celeste holding hands with their officiant during their outdoor wedding ceremony at the Cleveland Museum of Art
    The bride smiling at her partner during the vows beside a stone balustrade in Cleveland

    Closer in, the details carried just as much: the exchange of rings, hands steady and then not quite, and the moment the ceremony ended in a long embrace.

    Close-up of a wedding ring being placed on the bride's finger during the ceremony
    Kim and Celeste's first kiss as a married couple at the Cleveland Museum of Art
    The newly married couple laughing together right after the ceremony

    The Small Details

    Between the ceremony and portraits we took a few minutes for the pieces that are easy to forget later: the marriage license, the rings, the white roses, and the engagement ring catching the afternoon light.

    Wedding rings in a black box beside white roses and the signed marriage license
    Close-up of hands showing the bride's engagement ring and bracelets

    Garden Paths and Quiet Corners

    The museum grounds give a wedding an unusual amount of variety in a short walk. A pale stone path lined with greenery turned into a dance floor, a shaded bench under hanging vines became the spot for slower portraits, and a playful moment of covered eyes became one of our favorite sequences of the day.

    Groom twirling the bride along a garden path on the Cleveland Museum of Art grounds
    Kim and Celeste sharing a laugh on a stone bench beneath hanging vines
    The bride playfully covering the groom's eyes as both of them laugh
    Bridal portrait holding white roses against the museum's marble wall
    Close portrait of the couple kissing against soft marble tones

    Marble, Columns and Long Steps

    The museum's south facade is the reason so many Cleveland couples want to be photographed here. We started wide to show the scale of it, the couple small against the columns and doors, and then worked in close where the stone turns everything soft and even.

    Kim and Celeste standing at the top of the steps in front of the Cleveland Museum of Art's columned facade
    The bride standing in front of a tall museum window holding her bouquet
    The couple embracing between the museum's marble columns

    The terrace and steps gave us room to move again: a dramatic dip along the balustrade, a celebratory lift on the stairs, and plenty of laughter in between.

    Groom dipping the bride for a kiss along the marble terrace of the Cleveland Museum of Art
    Groom lifting the bride on the museum steps as she raises her bouquet
    Portrait of the groom in a green suit seated on a marble bench
    The couple laughing together in a close portrait outside the museum
    Kim and Celeste sitting close together on the white marble steps

    Ending in Color

    By the end of the afternoon we were working low on the marble steps and then from directly overhead, before finishing in front of a bed of purple flowers that added the only bold color of the day.

    Overhead view of the couple embracing on the marble steps with white roses beside them
    The couple smiling together in front of purple flowers outside the Cleveland Museum of Art

    Behind the Scenes

    Days like this are exactly why we love small weddings. Kim and Celeste were relaxed, game for every idea, and laughing through all of it — the kind of couple that makes the work feel effortless. Here's a little look at the afternoon from our side of the camera.

    Rada Abib taking a selfie with Kim and Celeste during their wedding portraits at the Cleveland Museum of Art

    A Wedding at the Cleveland Museum of Art

    Kim and Celeste's day is a good reminder that a wedding doesn't have to be large to feel complete. A meaningful ceremony, a setting with real character and time to enjoy each other afterward gave us a gallery that moves from vows to details to portraits without ever feeling rushed.

    If you are planning a smaller wedding or elopement in Cleveland or anywhere in Northeast Ohio, we would love to hear what you have in mind.

    Sources & further reading

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