Travel to Your Favorite Fantasy World in This Cleveland, Ohio Celebration: The Real Wedding of Shelby and Eric Wise

Shelby and Eric met online but not in a way you would expect. They started off as online friends, sharing a love for board and video games. Eventually, they moved from playing in a group to playing two-player games. This led them to meet in person with a trip to Cedar Point, and the chemistry was undeniable! Since they love games, escape rooms were a favorite of them and their friends. When it came time for the proposal, Eric got everyone together and got permission from the company to hide the ring box as the last clue. Shelby was none the wiser until she found the box and turned to see Eric on one knee!
 

Finding her dream dress proved to be challenging for Shelby, as she was looking for something a bit more unique than the typical wedding dress. She was excited to get the chance to use a vendor who could create what she was envisioning, but sadly, she was booked until after their wedding date. Luckily, their planner happened to graduate from fashion school and interned with a bridal shop! She saved the day by creating Shelby's ideal wedding dress, and we think she looks stunning in it! Both bride and groom also had an outfit change between the ceremony and the reception. We love how Shelby goes from princess to woodland fairy and how Eric goes from warrior to relaxed commoner.
 

Because they found each other out of a mutual love of games, Shelby and Eric knew they wanted to have a fantasy-themed wedding. "We’re both pretty big fantasy geeks, so deciding on a medieval fantasy-themed wedding was more exciting for us than planning than a traditional setup," Shelby explains. "Being a fantasy-themed wedding meant a more natural palette with greens, blues and earth tones. We left things open for our guests so that everyone had a chance to express their inner fantasy nerd." Our favorite thing is all of the bridal party and even some of the guests dressed as if they were all party members of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign!
 

"A medieval fantasy setting wouldn’t be complete without a castle!" Shelby raves. And we completely agree. After doing several tours of different venues, they found the perfect one. Not only did the aesthetic work beautifully with the vision they had in mind, it also was only about an hour drive from their home! With all the wooden touches, the guests felt as though they had been transported back into the middle ages to attend a medieval wedding. There was also ample space on the grounds to have the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception all at the same location!
 

 

What We Love

All of the décor they used to fill the ceremony space related to all things nerdy and fantastical. Shelby shares, "We had a really fun time embedding Easter eggs in our decorations. For example, we had a decorated mirror that said 'No Admittance Except on Wedding Business' like in the Lord of the Rings for the birthday party for Bilbo." They also incorporated the golden snitch from the Harry Potter series. At the reception, each table was themed after a different fantasy location from all their favorite franchises.
 

 

Advice from the Couple

Shelby and Eric advise, "If you find the right vendor team to support you, it takes a lot of the pressure off on the big day. Also, do not be afraid to be yourselves and have fun with it, the wedding day is about you as a couple, so it’s ok to be a little selfish. Our friends and family told us that they appreciated that our wedding was different and that its theme matched our passions. Many of them seemed to have a lot of fun coming up with outfits, and now that they’ve had a taste of fantasy, want to go to their first Renaissance Fair!"
 

 

 

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