A Black-and-White-Striped Wedding at Tudor Arms Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio

Karmin Diedrick (35 and a beverage operations manager) and Adam Jokilehto (30 and a sales representative) had known each other casually for three years—Adam worked at the dealership where Karmin bought her car. “I referred to him as the hot Audi guy to my friends whenever I brought him up in conversation,” she says. “He was always so friendly and put together.” When Adam sent Karmin a friend request on Facebook, she jumped at the chance to ask him out. “It was everything I’d hoped for,” Karmin says of their first date. After getting engaged, they worked collaboratively with a planner, visiting seven venues in one day in search of a classic and modern space. “When we walked into the Tudor Arms Hotel, I had to fight back tears,” Karmin says. “It was everything.” She and Adam loved that the restored 1933 building retained its original charm while adding modern touches. They had their ceremony and reception in the same venue, and since it was just four miles from downtown Cleveland, it was convenient for guests. For the reception's decor, they settled on modern and classic design elements with wow factor. A photo of a cake on Pinterest was just the inspiration they needed to get the ball rolling: black-and-white stripes with gold accents. This striped theme—accented with bright pops of fuchsia, orange, pink, yellow and green—was repeated in the invitations, place cards (tied to the backs of the chiavari chairs with ribbons), hanging drum shades, linens, cocktail straws and of course the cake. Karmin and Adam exchanged vows in the elegant Tudor Ballroom—complete with chandeliers, hanging custom striped drum shades and an altar comprising a ring of rose petals—then moved to the Crystal Ballroom for the reception, where black-and-white stripes helped set the tone for a festive celebration. Karmin says that she didn’t used to understand people who said ‘You’ll just know’ when you meet the One. “It didn’t take long for me to realize I was now one of those people,” she says. —Chrissy Sorenson