Real Wedding: Alyssa and Evan's Classic Black-and-White Wedding at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heigh

Alyssa and Evan's love story reads like a Hollywood romantic comedy: family histories stretching across decades, a lifetime of crossing paths, a chance meeting at a wedding followed by long-distance romance, and finally, the perfect classic, black-and-white wedding finale. Of course, their love story is only just beginning, but here's the story of how they got here, from the bride, Alyssa:

When it comes to some marriages, there really can be fate and destiny.

And so goes the story of Alyssa Lauren Miller, daughter of Sherry and Robert Miller of Orange Village, OH and Evan Jeffrey Stein, son of Robin and Henry Stein of Plymouth, MN, whose wedding took place on June 17th at Landerhaven, an event center in the Cleveland suburb of Mayfield Heights.

With paths continually crossing over many years, this romance and marriage was meant to be. You see, Alyssa's father Bob, started his first job at Federated Dept. Stores in Cincinnati on the same day, in the same training class as Evan's parents, Robin and Henry, back in June of 1979. Bob and Sherry wed in November of that year, and guests at the wedding in Michigan included Evan's father, Henry. The 30+ years that ensued for the four parents included graduate school, some new jobs, a few relocations, various weddings, a bar mitzvah here and there, and even a brief overlap living in the same city, albeit for only six months. Yet, through all these transitions there was one common thread; Alyssa and Evan, who just kept running into each other at these family events. A modest age difference precluded any early romantic interest, until that one day at a September 2014 wedding in Minneapolis, when something magical clicked. Was it the gala celebration, the fun, the music, fortuitous timing, or just a combination of everything? Who knows, and doesn't this often happen at weddings?

What followed thereafter was a whirlwind year of travel between Chicago (Evan) and New York (Alyssa), and a real romance developed, driven by common interests in theater, food, travel, the big city, as well as mutual family values, and love. Good fortune followed, as Google's New York office, the workplace for Alyssa for seven years, came "searching" for Evan, and both are now settled in Manhattan, enjoying the theater scene, the great restaurants and even a few other local family members making it feel like home.

Evan's propensity for creativity and surprise kicked in during a 4-day visit to Ireland in September, with a ring in his backpack (TSA left him alone, thankfully), and a well planned, pre-arranged photographer hiding out in St. Stevens Green Park in Dublin, as he proposed to a stunned, but quickly thrilled Alyssa, the culmination of this romantic story of fate and destiny.

Our favorite memory of the wedding day was having a room full of family and friends that mean the world to us. No one we would rather celebrate this once in a lifetime experience with and truly believe it was all meant to be.

Photos by Lindsey Beckwith Photography.