Classic Art Deco Wedding at the Grand Concourse: Stephanie & Patrick

A classic art deco wedding at the Grand Concourse in the dead of winter?  It’s a burst of sunshine on an otherwise typical March day.  Since Stephanie and Patrick met in January and got engaged in February, a March wedding only seemed logical to them.  Plus, they wanted to prove the “weddings are meant for summer” naysayers wrong.  I’d say mission accomplished.

The Grand Concourse not only provided the stunning backdrop for the soiree, but it also inspired the overall look of the day.  Its vintage decor and nod to the 1920s and 30s brought the art deco theme to life.  And it was incorporated in everything from Stephanie’s shoes and the invitations to the escort card display and the cake.  The jade green, cream, and gold of the infamous ceiling of the restaurant also influenced the color scheme.  But the bride added in pink for a touch of femininity.  The entire day was full of other thoughtful details, like:

• Stephanie’s cathedral length mantilla veil.  The lace trim framed her face beautifully and it fit right in with the traditional vibe.
• The bouquets and other floral arrangements.  Stephanie is the the talent behind The Blue Daisy Floral Designs, and she’s a favorite around these parts.  It’s no wonder the blooms were so pretty!  Lush light pink and cream roses, hellebores, and fresh greenery kept the florals classic and soft.
• The cake.  The colors of the fondant covered-confection were striking and the vintage pattern was just another way the day’s design was brought to life.
• The time of year.  The muted color palette, Stephanie’s wool pea coat worn over her Sophia Tolli lace gown, and the beautiful gray skies (yes, I said beautiful) are proof that a wedding in one of Pittsburgh’s most dreaded months of the year can actually be wonderfully delightful.
• The bridal portraits.  Wow, what a stunning job Ryan Zarichnak Photography did in capturing the adorable love between Stephanie and Patrick.  I fell in love with every single uniquely composed image…which could probably explain why I included a million of them in this post.

As we sit on the cusp of spring, the prettiness of this wedding is sure to warm you right up.  Summer brides, bow down.

From the bride…

When and how did you two meet?
CatholicMatch.com.  I know; I didn’t think it would work either!

Juicy details on the proposal, please!  Where, when, how?
It was Valentine’s Day 2013.  We went out to dinner, followed by ice skating at Schenley Park, where we had gone on our fourth date and where we shared our first “real” kiss about a year before.  After skating to the cheesy 80s love songs under red lights, Patrick suggested we take a walk on the hill side next to the rink (where we had that first kiss).  We were searching for the exact spot when he said “I guess this the perfect spot to get down on one knee.”  And so he did!  He asked me to marry him under the stars and we shared another beautiful kiss.  It makes me smile just remembering it all over again!  Of course, I said yes!

Describe the wedding.  The look, style, theme, colors, etc.
We wanted a romantic, vintage/art deco feel that would fit with both our personalities and the Grand Concourse.  We got married in the winter so we chose a soft color palette of rose, jade green, ivory and gray.  The jade green was really inspired by the ceiling at the Grand Concourse and it tied everything together nicely.  It was worked into our invitations and collateral, my reception shoes, our cake, and the flowers.  We used lots of silver and mercury glass in the details but worked gold into the cake and escort card table to bring in the brass details.  We really wanted the day to be elegant without being over the top.

What inspired your vision?
The colors and architecture at the Grand Concourse were really where we started.  The ceiling is just gorgeous and it gave us the green, rose and ivory color palette.  Of course, flowers were a big part of the day and, having a winter wedding I knew I wanted hellebores, so I made sure they would fit right in.

What made your wedding unique?
Patrick and I bonded instantly over vintage/classic motifs.  When we first met, we were exchanging the details of our historic homes (his 1940 bungalow where we currently live, and my then-apartment, a 1903 school house).  We absolutely loved the history and detail at the Grand Concourse and were thrilled to have it as our reception venue.  We wanted something truly unique and “Pittsburgh”.  We had a lot of details that were very hands-on for us, like having a friend design our wedding invitations and me designing all of the flowers.  Besides all of this, we are proud to have had a Pittsburgh winter wedding without the theme being based around winter.  It’s a lost season here in the Burgh and we wanted to show that you can have a beautiful wedding any time of year.  A lot of people asked us “Why March?” and our answer is that we met in January, got engaged in February, and March seemed pretty logical.

What was your favorite moment of the day?
Oh gosh, all of it.  But if I had to choose, I think it was finally meeting Patrick at the end of the aisle.  There’s no better feeling (so far) than knowing that you are about to marry the man of your dreams and your childhood dream is coming true in that moment.  I knew I was (still am) the luckiest girl in the world.

Bride to Bride

What advice would you give to other Burgh Brides planning their big day?
Make sure you hire vendors that you trust.  Do your research.  Don’t settle.  Good vendor relationships while planning and executing your wedding can take so much stress off of you so you can enjoy your wedding day.  But remember to be nice to them too!  (BB here…yesssssss, great reminder!)

Any must haves, must dos, or can’t live withouts?  Anything you would do differently?
I would have asked one of my bridesmaids to pack us a bag of cookies to enjoy later!  By the end of the night, only the ones with coconut were left and boy, could we have used some cookies while waiting for our plane to take off on Monday morning!  Never underestimate the speed of depletion of a good cookie table.

Vendors
Band: The Boilermaker Jazz Band | Bride’s Dress: Sophia Tolli from The Exquisite Bride | Bride’s Accessories: The Exquisite Bride | Bride’s Shoes: Seychelles | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfred Sung from The Exquisite Bride | Cake: Madison Avenue Specialty Cakes | Calligraphy: Purple Wagon Designs | Caterer & Reception Venue: The Grand Concourse | Ceremony Location: Church of the Immaculate Conception | Favors: Allegheny Coffee & Tea Exchange | Flowers: The Blue Daisy Floral Designs | Hair & Makeup: Synergy Salon & Day Spa | Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse | Photographer: Ryan Zarichnak Photography | Stationery: Designed by a friend and printed by Metal Photo Service, Inc.