Stephanie Haney and Mike Polk's Wedding Honored Their Cleveland Roots

He’s the comedian Cleveland has watched poke fun at local quirks for years, unleashing viral clips like the “Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video.” She’s the journalist and Ideastream host with a law degree and a knack for cutting through noise — the person you want explaining anything complicated.

Together, Stephanie Haney and Mike Polk Jr. are a distinctly Cleveland couple: two public personalities whose paths somehow never crossed despite living nearly parallel lives for years. They moved through similar media circles, yet it took Cleveland, and ultimately WKYC, to finally put them in the same room.

Mike, who works as a features reporter for WKYC, noticed Stephanie’s energy from his loft workspace above her desk. He jokes that “illicit eavesdropping” gave him an inside track on “this truly remarkable person.”

Stephanie calls their coming together serendipitous, “a perfect storm of being in the same place and the universe finally letting you run into your person.”

Four years later, he put a ring on it — first a family heirloom used for the proposal, then an elongated cushion-cut diamond that the couple designed with former WKYC anchor Laura Caso’s father, Richard, of Weston Diamonds. Next came planning a 350-person classic Cleveland wedding that brought together their overlapping (and sometimes wildly different) worlds of colleagues, comedians, fellow broadcasters, longtime friends and out-of-towners.

“We wanted people to experience our Cleveland — the one we actually live in,” Stephanie says.

Mike agrees: “There were lots of worlds crashing together colorfully.”

The Italian Cultural Garden became the ceremony backdrop for the al fresco nuptials Stephanie had envisioned, with photos in the neighboring Irish garden — a nod to Mike’s heritage. The grand yet grounded amphitheater, framed by twin staircases, created a natural stage.

Mike and the groomsmen walked in to a string rendition of “The Final Countdown,” an orchestral wink to his comedic identity. The constellation of familiar faces involved in their day was intentional.

“Everyone there had a role in our lives,” Stephanie says.

Their officiant was comedian and longtime friend Jim Tews, whom Mike (also an officiant) had married just a few weeks earlier. Mutual friend and broadcast legend Leon Bibb delivered the ceremony reading.

“When you have access to the best voice in Cleveland, you’d be foolish not to use it,” Mike says.

The archway they stood beneath was built by their friend Zachariah Durr, a local artist and comedian.

“I didn’t even see it until the ceremony — that is the level of trust we had in the people who took part in our wedding,” says Stephanie, an exacting planner who once created a business model for a bachelorette party planning service. “In a different life, I’d be an event planner.”

Both call the ceremony their favorite part. Stephanie remembers slipping into the bridal suite that morning and reviewing her vows as the room buzzed with siblings, moms and bridesmaids getting ready.

“I had this overwhelming feeling of peace and feeling very loved with everyone in the room,” she recalls.

The couple hosted a welcome party at Kevin’s Martini Bar and a rehearsal dinner at Pickwick & Frolic — complete with loge access to the comedy show at Hilarities 4th Street Theatre, Polk’s home stage.

“We spend a lot of time here, so it was important for the venue to be a big piece of our wedding,” Stephanie says.

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For the reception, they partnered with AURA Venue CLE and Nichole Lang to transform the former Twist Drill Co. warehouse into a warm, industrial backdrop. The night included nods to their life in Cleveland: cotton candy spun beside the cake because Stephanie prefers it; a burgundy-forward color palette anchored by her love of tiger lilies; and pescatarian and vegetarian entree options, supported by A Taste of Excellence.

A friend gifted them the band Moss Stanley & Nitebridge.

“Any reservations people might have had about dancing were quickly dispelled,” Mike says of a dance floor “crowded with revelers.”

“It was amazing to see how it all came together,” Stephanie adds. “The space was filled with so many people we love from so many pockets of our lives — a sea of faces supporting us.”

The next day, the Polks hosted more than 120 guests at a Guardians game, where the team surprised them with the chance to throw out the first pitch. Their guests, many visiting Cleveland for the first time, left as fans.

“They were blown away,” Stephanie says. “They saw the city through our eyes.”

Looking back, she offers simple advice: “Don’t reinvent yourselves for the wedding. Bring your people into your real life.”

Mike adds: “Be involved in the planning, even the tiny stuff. It should feel like both of you.”

It takes more than two people to make a wedding happen. These are some of the many who helped with the Polks' big day.

Dress: Frederique by Maggie Sottero, found at Galleria Gowns in Highland Heights

Groom Suit: Kenneth Cole

Groom's Wedding Band: Freddy Hill Designs, made of wood from a Moses Cleaveland tree

Groomsmen Suits: Giorgio Fiorelli, found at Jabbour's Clothier in Hudson

Photography: Genevieve Nisly Photo

Videography: Joe Garman, Red Rose Cinema

Hair: Vida Beauty Design

Cake and Cake Pops: LaLa Custom Cake in Lakewood

Cotton Candy: CLE Cotton Candy

DJ: Carl Ferrara, Burning River Sound

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