Inspired by Lauren’s dress from Bridal Maven, a celestial theme radiated from the gown’s swirling motif and transformed into a cozy, romantic wedding at the Mansions on Fifth. Captured beautifully by Iris Marie Photography, the starry affair evoked the dreamlike mood of Van Gogh’s Starry Night – a sentiment the couple noted with fondness. The venue’s stained glass windows, rich fireplaces, and deep wood interiors perfectly complemented their aesthetic, with the magic of shimmering bows tied around each chair back. The Blue Daisy Floral Designs incorporated white anemones with dark centers and wintery greenery to create arrangements for a seasonal touch. Elegant signage featured golden script accented by moons and stars, while a color palette of dark blues and metallics paid homage to the night sky. In place of a traditional dance-focused reception, the couple leaned into their love of board games, offering guests a curated selection of their favorites to enjoy together. Staying true to their shared love of music and ensembles, they invited friends from the Edgewood Symphony to perform during the ceremony and cocktail hour, followed by a low-key acoustic duo for the reception, adding to the relaxed, wintry atmosphere.
About the Couple
Lauren and Justin first met in 2018 through their local community orchestra. They bonded over their shared love of music while being seated in the first violin section together. Their connection deepened as they spent more time together in their string quartet, where a strong friendship began to flourish.
They officially began dating in 2023 and got engaged the following July while vacationing in Toronto, Canada. Justin proposed in the gardens of Casa Loma Castle. “The flowers were in full bloom, and it was beautiful and private in the gardens,” he recalls. “There was a wedding being set up at the castle later that day, so the atmosphere was already full of luscious florals – and love!”
About the Wedding
From the bride…
Since we were planning a late winter wedding, we wanted to lean into a cozy, romantic vibe. We chose the Mansions on Fifth as our venue because of its beautiful dark woodwork, gorgeous fireplaces, and stained glass windows, as well as its convenient location for our family and friends. The space didn’t require too much decorating because it was already so pretty on its own.
Early in the engagement, I found my wedding dress at Bridal Maven, a bridal consignment shop in Dormont. It had a swirly, wintry pattern to the fabric. This is what inspired our celestial theme, as it was reminiscent of the Van Gogh painting Starry Night. We also felt that a celestial theme complemented our venue and the winter season of our wedding. To stick with this theme, we chose dark blue and metallics as our wedding colors. Mansions on Fifth provided complimentary chairs, tablecloths, and candle centerpieces that coordinated with our vision.
It was difficult to figure out what type of flowers we could use that would be blue without looking artificial or dyed. Stephanie at The Blue Daisy suggested white anemones, which have a blue center. We also added heavy greenery with some evergreens to fit the winter vibe.
Neither Justin nor I would call ourselves dancers, so we knew we didn’t want to do a traditional reception with a focus on dancing. Justin is a lover of board games, so we thought it could be fun for him to curate a selection of games for our guests to play. Instead of feeling uncomfortable and awkward doing a first dance, we wanted everyone to be able to play games! Justin chose about 25 games, and we wrote up description cards that explained their premise, difficulty level, and number of players required to help guests choose what to play.
As musicians, we still wanted excellent live music that gave some people the option to dance if they wanted, so our friends from the Edgewood Symphony played for the ceremony and cocktail hour. Low-key vocal and guitar duets were also performed for the reception.
Our wedding took place on the fifth anniversary of my grandma’s passing. She and my grandpa had one of the strongest marriages I have ever known and were deeply in love, so I wanted a way to honor them at the wedding. Our musician friends graciously learned their “song,” Through the Years, by Kenny Rogers, which was meaningful to the family. Instead of having to do an awkward first dance, that gave Justin and me the opportunity to dance alongside our family and to honor my grandparents at the same time.
Favorite Moment
From Justin…
When Lauren gets nervous, she does finger guns. When it was time to say our vows, she got a little mixed up with what the officiant was saying. Instead of repeating after him, she gave me finger guns – not once, not twice, but three times. Eventually, she got the message and repeated her vows. I thought it was really cute, and it made everybody laugh.
From Lauren…
My favorite moment was our first look. I was nervous and excited to see Justin. It was so much fun to tap him on the shoulder and watch his reaction as he turned around. He teared up, and I cried; he looked so handsome, and the way he looked at me made my heart melt. I was trying my best to hold it together because I didn’t want to ruin my makeup right before the ceremony!
