Caitlin and Sean married the best of two worlds (see what we did there?) with their wedding at the Westin Convention Center. While the bride had always dreamed of a big elegant affair, neither she nor her groom wanted anything too stuffy. The evening has the perfect blend of glamorous traditions and laid-back trends. Blush pink, champagne, and gold was the day’s palette, and it came to life beautifully in the variety of dresses worn by the bridesmaids. Even Caitlin herself looked the dichotomous part with an Allure Bridals gown from Bridal Beginning featuring a detachable tulle skirt that the bride ditched when it was time to party! Soft pink uplighting, a five-tier metallic wedding cake, and textured linens added luxury to the reception decor. Meanwhile, wooden calligraphy signs, loose floral arrangements from Pittsburgh wedding florist The Farmer’s Daughter, illustrated bar signs, and photo booth fun courtesy of LUX Photobooth brought a casualness to the style. A win-win all around, this wedding was captured beautifully by Madeline Jane Photography. Check it out!
About the Couple
Sean and I met on the first day of tenth grade when we were assigned to sit next to each other in French class. We quickly became close friends, but didn’t end up dating until after high school. Then, we went off to different schools and decided the distance was too much for us. About a year and a half later, we reconnected when Sean was home for fall break and we starting officially dating in March of 2011. Sean transferred back home shortly after, and we graduated from Pitt together.
On December 10, 2016, Sean told me we were going to go on a “mini-date” to Monterey Bay before an Ugly Sweater Christmas party our friends were hosting. Sean was acting weird and very rushed through dinner, and asked me if we could go see the statues across the street before heading home. When we got to the overlook, Sean got down on one knee and proposed. He had my sister there to take pictures of the proposal, and our families were waiting back at our house. Even our friends at the Ugly Sweater party were in on the secret and were waiting for us with champagne and gifts when we finally made it there!
About the Wedding
I always dreamed of a big, ballroom wedding, but Sean is much more of a laid-back and casual kind of guy. I decided on a theme of “rustic glam” with beautiful blush, champagne, and gold tones and lots of sparkle, but also wood accents and loose florals to keep it from feeling too formal. The guys wore navy tuxes with blush boutonnieres and my bridesmaids wore mismatched dresses in different shades of blush and champagne. I never saw all of the dresses together until the morning of the wedding, but they looked amazing together!
My dress was also a big part of the day. It was a BIG ballgown for the ceremony, but the tulle skirt detached, turning it into a sheath dress for the reception. I loved how dramatic it was for the church and photos, but it felt like I lost 100 pounds when I got to take the skirt off. I had so much fun dancing with my friends and new husband without all of the poof!
Favorite Moment
It’s so hard to pick just one! I would have to say when we walked into the ballroom for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. and got to see all of our family and friends in one room, along with all of the details we spent a year and a half planning come together so perfectly! Another highlight was when my dad did his first look with me. Our family is so close and it was so special to have that moment with him, my mom, and my sister.
