When two artists get married, you know it’s going to be good and Madison and Matthew’s wedding at MuseumLab totally lived up to the hype! Their mission was to make the day completely and utterly their own. One of the ways they made this happen was by creating a lot of the decor themselves. Together, they designed the custom arch photo backdrop, detailed stationery modeled after the tile at their chosen Pittsburgh wedding venue, hand-stamped cookies, and wooden signs. Those elements really added to the charm of the day’s aesthetic with bud vases, white pumpkins, fall flowers, and candlelight bringing the romance. Their circular ceremony setup was another impressive feature. Family and friends were seated in chairs rounded to surround the couple and witness their vows before enjoying the fun-loving celebration Madison and Matthew had worked so hard to prepare. It’s not often you see both the bride and groom working together every step of the wedding planning journey, but these two did! So much so that on the morning of the wedding they forwent tradition and came together to put the finishing touches on their masterpiece of a day! Alexa Frankovitch Photography captured the crafty details and incredibly sweet moments. Prepare yourselves for a absolutely interesting and authentically wonderful feature!
About the Couple
Matt and Madison met in 2015 while working their seasonal part time jobs at a haunted house. Since then, they have had many adventures. After buying a house and traveling a lot, Matt proposed to Madison at their favorite place doing their favorite thing – watching the sunrise at the beach in OBX.
About the Wedding
The wedding was inspired by the venue, MuseumLab. The couple immediately fell in love with the history and the unique space. Their colors were teal, olive green, and neutrals. The bride and groom had a signature logo for their wedding – an ampersand to represent both Matt and Madison, but also the symbol of coming together. All of the decor was crafted or built by the bride and groom who are both artists. This included the custom arched walls for the photo backdrop, the detailed programs for the guests to enjoy, hand-stamped cookie table bags, arched wooden signs, and all thrifted glassware. The couple continued the personal details by designing the ceremony space to be circular. To the tune of “There Will Be Time” by Mumford & Sons, Matt and Madison walked down the aisle together, and were then surrounded by friends and family on all sides. Another added touch was their wedding party sat in the center ring, as their “inner circle” of best friends.
Favorite Moment
From the bride…
My favorite part of the day came from an idea I had the morning of the wedding. Not so much an idea…but a need. I was getting my makeup done and I was so anxious about the day ahead. I know that “traditionally” the bride and groom are to stay separated and not speak the day of for some reason…but ALL I wanted to do, the only thing I could think was, “Man, I miss Matt.” So I texted my almost-husband and said “I want to see you.” Our plan had been to both arrive at the venue to help with final touches that our AMAZING family and friends had been working so hard to execute, but we would have to navigate not seeing one another before our first look. But I couldn’t stand it. I told Matt, “We’ve worked so hard on this day. I want to finish it out together.” So we switched gears and this is where my favorite moment of the day came into play. Like most things in our wedding, we set aside yet another “traditional” notion and we met up on the 2nd floor where it was bustling with folks setting up and we got to see each other. Our brilliant photographer, now friend, captured our embrace as we excitedly got to walk around and be amazed at how our dream wedding had come to life. It was perfect. I highly recommend throwing tradition to the wind and getting a moment together before it all. I can say with 100% honesty that it didn’t take away from how special our first look was.
From the groom…
It’s really hard for me to pick one singular thing as my favorite from what truly was a perfect day. Am I allowed to say “The whole thing?” because that is the honest answer. A few highlights from various parts of the evening include seeing Madison before the ceremony and getting to give the space a final look together, our receiving line where we were able to say a genuine hello and thank you while taking a photo with each person who came, our ceremony, and of course dancing the night away. Everything was exactly what WE wanted it to be, and I can’t stress that enough to those who are planning their big day. Make it exactly what you want – not what’s expected based on “tradition” – you’ll be really happy you did.
