Classy And Casual Beach Wedding

Dan met Katrina while they were both living in the same apartment building in downtown Cleveland. He was new to town and quickly found his way into her group of friends. What started as group outings slowly became something more. They planned a destination wedding, but life had other plans — Dan’s father’s illness meant frequent 3-hour weekend trips and very little bandwidth for planning. They scaled back, found a charming little spot called Firefly Beach Resort on Lake Erie, and made it work.

The result was exactly what they called it: classy casual. Outdoors, on a private beach, with a sand ceremony, a BBQ buffet, and 200 guests who wouldn’t forget the scenery.

What makes the two of you a perfect match?

We just love to be around each other and do things together. It sounds so cliché, but he is my best friend. We love just to be together and experience life together!

How did he propose?

I knew it was coming since I had already picked out a ring, so I was almost expecting it for every special occasion. I made plans for us to meet up with my friend and her husband for dinner — I just knew it wasn’t going to happen that particular night since I was the one who made the plans. However, I was wrong. He proposed right there at the restaurant, in front of a small group of people I love. It was perfect.

How long was the planning process?

We got engaged in December and our wedding was the following August — about eight months. I felt behind schedule the whole time. We had some unusual circumstances: Dan’s dad became sick and his health went downhill quickly. It was hard to focus on planning while making frequent trips to his parents’ home three hours away on weekends.

What tips can you share with future brides?

Use referrals to find vendors. I was overwhelmed searching online because you come up with so many options and have no idea whether they are good or not. If you can book a vendor that a friend you trust has already used, that helps enormously. And trust your vendors — you’re probably planning your first wedding, but they do this every day.

What inspired your wedding décor?

We wanted a simple, laid-back, yet still somewhat elegant wedding — classy casual, as I called it. Even though we couldn’t have our destination wedding, I still wanted it to be outdoors. Firefly Beach Resort has a small private beach on Lake Erie, which fit us perfectly.

Where did you save the most money?

On food and drinks. Our BBQ buffet was delicious, fit our relaxed style, and was much cheaper than other catering companies. We also brought in our own alcohol bought wholesale.

Guest count?

We invited 294 and ended up with 200 guests. We changed our plans halfway through, didn’t send save-the-dates, and a good number of our families are out of state. We also decided not to invite children — it would have significantly increased the count and our guests understood.

Ceremony music:

• Processional: Israel Kamakawiwo’ole — Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World
• Bride’s entrance: Bond — Lullaby
• Recessional: Imagine Dragons — I’m on Top of the World

Honeymoon:

Two weeks through New Zealand and the Cook Islands. Adventurous activities plus beach relaxation — one of the best trips imaginable.

What was your favorite part of the day?

It was storming all morning and they were going to move our ceremony to the tent. My favorite moment was arriving in the limo and seeing that the sun had come out. They had set our wedding back up outside where it was supposed to be. I just burst into tears.

Advice for couples still planning:

Try not to get caught up in having to have your “perfect” wedding. We had to abandon our destination wedding dream due to circumstances beyond our control. It was stressful, but at the end of the day, all that matters is that you are marrying the person you love.