Live Wedding Painting at the Mayfield Sand Ridge Club

If you live in Northeast Ohio, there’s a good chance you’re dreaming of Spring right about now… So I figured it’s a great time to share a wedding story from a sunny, warm day here in Cleveland last May!

The ceremony took place at St. Paul's Episcopal Church and the reception, which I captured in a 30x40in live wedding painting, was held at the Mayfield Sand Ridge Club, in Lyndhurst. For this wedding, I was lucky to be working directly with the bride, which is always great because I can get an idea of the style of the wedding and personal preferences of the couple ahead of time. This particular bride was especially great to work with because she had a clear, cohesive vision for the style of her wedding and thought through every last detail - No surprise considering she runs an art gallery in downtown Cleveland! With an artistic eye and creative spirit, she did an excellent job communicating her thoughts to me ahead of time, which really allowed me to tailor the painting specifically to her personal taste. Wedding planning can be so much fun, and I just love it when a bride is able to share some of her wedding planning details with me as things come together.

My view of the dining room at Mayfield Sand Ridge Club just before everyone arrived for the wedding reception.  This is the exact angle I captured in Ellie and Matt's 30x40in live wedding painting, which gained a lot more energy and excite… — My view of the dining room at Mayfield Sand Ridge Club just before everyone arrived for the wedding reception. This is the exact angle I captured in Ellie and Matt's 30x40in live wedding painting, which gained a lot more energy and excitement once wedding guests entered the room!

The venue was an easy choice for this bride, whose family were members of Mayfield Country Club when she was growing up. (Mayfield Country Club merged with Sand Ridge in 2006 to form the Mayfield Sand Ridge Club.) A more difficult decision, however, was exactly where I should set up at this venue, as there were two different rooms, both of which provided a great vantage point to capture in the painting. One was the dining room inside the club, where dinner took place, and the other was the veranda outside, where cocktail hour and after dinner dancing happened. We debated the two options over email prior to the wedding, and up until the actual wedding day, were still undecided. I hoped that when I saw the venue in person, I would just know which spot was best, and in the end the decision was obvious. Knowing this venue was chosen for sentimental reasons, I decided to setup inside and paint the dining area, because it held the most nostalgia for the family. I thought about Ellie visiting the club as a child and having dinner with her family in that same room. I was told the she had memories as a little girl, watching brides toss their bouquets off the balcony (one of the reasons she dreamed of having her own wedding there someday!) The gorgeous vaulted ceilings, tudor style wood paneling, and cozy but elegant atmosphere only made the choice that much easier.

Ellie described the overall look and feel of the wedding as "soft and romantic with a focus on big florals, which is inspired by my dress!" She found her dress at The Perfect Bridal Shop, in Rocky River, and what a perfect dress it was. She looked absolutely stunning! Again, no surprise for a bride who spends her days in an art gallery, this celebration was filled with creative and artistic details, from the gorgeous flower wall by Blooms by Plantscaping, to the miniature painting wedding favors created by the mother of the bride. The cake was hand painted (Milk Glass Cakes) and the napkins were folded into the prettiest, rose shape, mirroring the flowery, Spring theme. Flowers were everywhere! As always, Twig Florals did an amazing job filling the room with the most gorgeous, romantic blooms you could imagine. The stunning king’s table that ran down the center of the room was adorned with a beautiful garland and tall, magical candles that made it feel like guests were dining in fairytale.

Another reason this wedding was so flawless was because Kirkbrides was hired to make sure of it! It’s always fun to see a familiar face when I’m painting events, and I was excited to work with Stephanie Anter, Ellie and Matt’s day of coordinator, whose wedding I painted just a year prior! (Read about Stephanie’s wedding here) I really can’t say enough good things about both Stephanie and Kirkbrides… If you want your day to run smoothly and everything to look perfect, these ladies will have you covered!

Before I leave you with the finished painting, I have to give one last huge shout out to Hunter of Hunter Photographic. The photos he shot of this gorgeous day were exquisite and there were so many great portraits of the bride and groom, I almost couldn’t decide which one to use for the painting!

Ellie and Matt, thank you for having me there to capture your big day on canvas! I wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness!