The happy – and newly married! – couple

On Saturday morning, Scott and I woke up early, got dolled up in our dress and suit, and headed out to the eastside for “the wedding of the century.” Sorry, Duchess Kate, I’m talking about @WhyCLE and @TheRealCLEGuy!

The day was filled with a very lovely, spiritual ceremony in the morning at St. John Vianney, with a reception later that evening at Landerhaven.

In between, Scott and I had lunch at the Willoughby Brewing Company for the first time with Teams Poise in Parma and Smitten in CLE, checked out the very unique wonders at Downtown Willoughby’s Cabinet of Curiousities and enjoyed a wine tasting with Cooker Girl, her husband and Eat Drink Cleveland.

The ladies celebrating after the ceremony

We rolled back into our driveway around 1am on Sunday morning after a crazy day filled with so much love and fun.

Landerhaven Executive Caterers really impressed – from the cocktail hour on the patio (Scott couldn’t get enough of the coconut chicken) to the grandness of the aptly named Grand Ballroom and the dinner they provided (it’s hard to choose but I think the mushroom/potato cake was my favorite of the many dishes).

I was probably most impressed, though, by the dancing skills of my fellow bloggers in attendance –  in addition to Smitten, PiP, EatDrinkCleveland and Cooker Girl, it was great partying with Wearing Mascara, Cleveland Food and Brews (who’s about to get married himself!), Miss WineOH and Lane Baldwin Photography.

This was taken after one of many marathon dance sessions — time to re-hydrate!

Scott’s and my “fierce” dancing skills  (I’m saying this with complete sarcasm) were nothing compared to many of theirs.  Seriously, there could have been (and should be) a Blogger Dance Off!  My money would be on Cooker Girl or @Hansmatic (it’s always the quiet ones who bust the best moves!).

The best part of the wedding, though, wasn’t the food or the entertainment. This was #6 of 7 weddings Scott and I have attended since October, and my favorite part about all of the ceremonies is seeing how each couple expresses their love uniquely.  It was a delight to share in Jen and Matt’s day and celebrate a truly compatible couple continuing their journey together.

Reception fabulousness with Julie, Kimberly and Alicia

Now that the wedding is over, the Romes (so awesome to finally say that!) are going on a much needed vacation, but WhyCLE’s not.  For the next two weeks, head on over and enjoy guest posts on Cleveland boutiques, food, running and a bevy of other topics.

I’m proud to be kicking things off with a spotlight on a great local organization – Global Cleveland.  After attending their newcomer and boomerang happy hour a couple of weeks ago, I knew they’d be the perfect subject for my guest post.

So head on over to Why? Global Cleveland! and learn more about how you can get engaged in this worthwhile initiative focused on building the region’s resources and talent, while fostering a community that is welcoming to all.

Why do I love Cleveland? Check out one of the reasons over at WhyCLE today!

Whether you’re a newcomer looking for employment and other Clevelanders to meet, a boomerang returning home to CLE, a local company looking to expand or someone interested in contributing their time and talent, there are many program available.

Congratulations again to the new Mr. and Mrs. Rome!

Guest blogger WhyCLE's CLEpups

Happy Friday! What are you doing this weekend? If you have a dog like WhyCLE, check out these CLEpup-approved places and events. As WhyCLE shares in today’s guest post, these dog-friendly hotspots are fun for both you and man’s best friend! Of course, if you do own a dog, you may need to find a sitter if you win the pair of tickets up for grabs in the Taste of the Browns giveaway. You still have a couple days left to enter – the giveaway closes on Aug. 29 at 11:59pm.

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Much thanks to Amanda for letting me guest blog for her while she’s enjoying some relaxing family time! Amanda is one of my favorite “blends” (blogger + friend = blend). I love her energy and enthusiasm for bringing to light the unique and wonderful things about CLE and I’m sure you all do too!

CLE is a great town, not just for us, but for our fuzzy friends! My fiancé and I have two dogs (referred to on my blog as CLEpups) and we are so happy with the amount of dog-friendly places and events that CLE has to offer. After all, it’s not just us who want to get out and enjoy this special town!

Lakewood DogPark offers a fenced-in area in the Metroparks for you and your pups to play. Lakewood Dog Park was recently the subject of a campaign from residents to shut the park down due to complaints about noise from barking. However, a group of dedicated park lovers kept the park open and construction is under way to make it even bigger and better.

Fairport Harbor Beach is part of the Lake County Metroparks system and boasts a dog-friendly stretch of beach along the shores ofLake Erie. Pups can run, play, chase tennis balls in the lake, and more. This is a favorite spot for the CLEpups during the Dog Days of summer.

Clark Fields in Tremont also has a dog park, so your pup can get his play on while you get your intramural sports on! This is an off-leash park which has a very cool pup-height water fountain!

For more information on dog parks near you, check out this link: www.clevelanddogparks.com/index.html

After an exciting day in one of Cleveland's dog parks, this CLEpup needs to take a rest

From running in parks to chilling at a local bar, there are bars and restaurants that are dog-friendly in CLE.

Tuesdays have gone to the dogs at Tremont Tap House. Every Tuesday through October, the bar hosts a Yappy Hour on their patio, with treats for your pup and delicious food and drinks for you. Each Yappy Hour benefits a local animal-centered charity.

Great Lakes Brewing Company welcomes your furry friend on their patio and provides water and treats. Keep the delicious craft beer for yourself!

Just across the street from GLBC, Garage Bar will even allow your pup inside, so long as they’re friendly to other pups and patrons.

If wine is more your style, Wine Bar Rocky River’s patio, which is one of my favorite patios anyway, will allow your sophisticated pooch to mellow out with you.

This is just a small sampling of dog-friendly patios where you can enjoy some of the great food and drink of CLE with man’s best friend.

Indians fans can take their favorite canine to the annual Puppypalooza. This year's took place on Aug. 23.

There are also dog-centered events for you and your pup to enjoy.

Every year, the Cleveland MetroParks Polo Field is home to Canine Fun Days. 2011 marked the 18^th year of this festival, which benefits Greyhound Adoption of Ohio. There are races and various fetching and activity competitions, plus more fun for humans and dogs alike.

The Cleveland Indians host an annual Puppypalooza game. This year’s Puppypalooza was Tuesday, August 23 where the Indians took on the Seattle Mariners. The Indians scheduled a puppy parade on the field before the game and lots of doggie friendly activities. And don’t worry…no fireworks! Tickets included a donation to the Cleveland APL.

On September 11, the Holden Arboretum will host Woofstock from 9am-3pm. There will be a one-mile fun walk, a pet agility course, live music, contests, shopping and more. Proceeds benefit the Geauga County Humane Society.

Your pup should enjoy exploring CLE just as much as you do and given all these great places and events, there are no shortage of places to start.

About the Guest Blogger

WhyCLE is a CLEgal, born and raised.  Although she’s lived other places, she always comes back home – by choice, not by chance.  The people she knows who make a life here genuinely love it, but often hear the same question, “Why Cleveland?”  The worst part is when it’s people who actually live in Cleveland asking this question. She gets convincing outsiders and is on board with the need to sell them on our scrappy (not crappy) town.  But when Clevelanders themselves ask, “Why Cleveland?”  Well, that’s a problem…  Follow CLEgal on her blog and @WhyCLE as she answers that question for visitors and Clevelanders alike.