Classic Emerald Winter Wedding at the Duquesne Club: Sarah & Adam

This winter wedding will make all those summer brides green with envy!

Planning a wedding from several states away can be very difficult.  But not for Sarah and Adam.  These two managed to design a traditional beauty of a day, all while living in Charlotte, NC.  For their January wedding, the couple decided on a classic look with both nods to Pittsburgh, like the notorious ceremony and reception venues, and a few Southern twists, such as a monogram and including magnolia leaves in the florals.  With the help of their amazing vendors, Sarah and Adam’s vision was brought to life by all of the beautiful details.  Some of my favorites?

• The color palette.  The richness of emerald paired with metallic and sparkly gold made for a color scheme that was simultaneously bold and elegant.  Perfectly suited for a winter wedding!
• Sarah’s jewels.  It helps when your family is friends with the owners of Joden Jewelry.  Like something straight out of Hollywood, the bride was able to borrow some exquisite jewels to complete her bridal look.  What girl doesn’t want to be dripping in diamonds on her wedding day?  And the emeralds matched the color scheme perfectly!
• Adam’s style.  In a very GQ way, the groom wore a white dinner jacket.  It was his way of paying tribute to his father and grandfather, who both wore one of their wedding days.  A feather bow tie from Brackish gave the look a unique, modern twist.
• The reception venue.  The Duquesne Club is a local treasure that throws back to the earlier days of Pittsburgh.  An indoor fountain, elegant furnishings, and an air of grandeur allows any event held here to make an impactful statement.  Just wait until you see the dining room all decked out for Sarah and Adam’s big day.
• The florals.  The talent of Hens and Chicks created lush arrangements that hung from chandeliers, stretched down the length of tables, and bloomed out of the top of tall vases.  Rich cream flowers and deep greens leaves kept the florals classic and in line this the day’s look.

Who better to capture this gorgeous day than Leeann Marie, Wedding Photographers?  Elegant, grand, but still understated, Sarah and Adam’s wedding is easily one of the prettiest I’ve seen.  I’m willing to bet you’ll agree.

From the bride…

When and how did you two meet?
Adam and I “met” two years before we actually met.  My Weimeraner and I met one of my co-workers, her husband, and their two dogs at a dog park one weekend.  The husband’s good friend and fraternity brother tagged along.  I didn’t think much of it because I was dating someone else at the time.

Fast forward two years and I’m single.  Our same friends set us up on a date while Adam was visiting for the weekend.  (He lived in Charleston, SC and I was living in Charlotte, NC when we started dating.)  Within three months, Adam moved to Charlotte.  We were engaged a year later!

Juicy details on the proposal, please!  Where, when, how?
Adam was spending Christmas with my family in Pennsylvania for the first time.  I’m the youngest of four kids and two of my siblings live in New York.  Adam changed like three times on Christmas morning, but I was too busy to notice that he was acting out of character.  I was running around getting ribbons and gift tags for last minute packages.  Adam finally grabbed my hands (while we were in my childhood bedroom) and asked me to stop for a second because he had something really important to ask me.  When I turned around, he was down on one knee and I’m sure he said some really touching things but I was too in shock to remember any of that.  It was SO amazing to spend the rest of Christmas Day celebrating our engagement together with my family.  The celebration continued all weekend long!

Describe the wedding.  The look, theme, style, colors, etc.
I didn’t think much about the “theme” when I was planning our wedding.  Leeann, our fab photographer, described it as a “touch of Southern gentlemen”.  I guess that’s it.  I think our wedding would be best described as timeless and classic.  Our only colors were emerald green and gold.  Our flowers at the reception were really fabulous rich creams and magnolia leaves.

What inspired your vision?
I think my wedding dress inspired a lot of our look.  I fell in love with it immediately.  I knew I wanted something different and found it in my dress.  Adam knew that he wanted to wear a white dinner jacket because both his father and grandfather had worn them.  It ended up looking SO classic.  Adam and I found a fabulous bow tie (made by Brackish in Charleston) that really made Adam stand out on our wedding day.  My family is good friends with the owner of Joden Jewelry.  They let me borrow the most fabulous jewels for my day.  We also had a vintage monogram commissioned that really pulled our “style” together for the day.

What made your wedding unique?
It was a Pittsburgh wedding with a Southern twist.  I don’t know of any venues more “Pittsburgh” than St. Paul Cathedral and the Duquesne Club.  I grew up in Grove City, but went to school at the University of South Carolina.  Adam grew up in NC and went to the University of North Carolina.  For most of our friends, it was their first trip to Pittsburgh and they all left talking about how they cannot wait to come back!

What was your favorite moment of the day?
I moved to South Carolina in 2004 when I went to college.  After college, I immediately moved to Charlotte.  My dad and I have a tradition of going to at least one Steelers game a year together.  My parents have season tickets and my dad and I went to the game together on Sunday, December 28.  Everyone was so excited in preparation of the upcoming home playoff game.  Based on the Steelers previous season, we never thought they would be hosting a playoff game in 2015.  January 3, 2015 (our wedding day!) was one of only three home games that my dad has missed attending in over 30 years.  He surprised me with a Steelers logo bow tie and cummerbund.  Adam and I had our entrance song to Renegade by Styx.  It was one of the most fun moments of my life!!  I also LOVED our father/daughter dance to Neil Young’s Harvest Moon.

Bride to Bride

What advice would you give to other Burgh Brides planning their big day?
I coordinated my Pittsburgh wedding exclusively from Charlotte, NC.  While it was stressful at times, it was almost a blessing in disguise.  It forced me to make decisions and also to stick to my overall vision that I had from the onset.  I also learned quickly that having GREAT vendors (Leeann Marie, Hens and Chicks, and the Duquesne Club) made my life SO much easier!  You have to find the balance between DIY and what you know the professionals are better suited to handle.

Any must haves, must dos, or can’t live withouts?  Anything you would do differently?
Jeff Jimmerson and Airborne!  I’ve been to a lot of weddings and I’ve been in just as many.  This band is a-m-a-z-i-n-g.  I went up to them mid-reception to make sure they could play longer than our contact indicated.  They were way better than I could have ever asked for.  The BEST!

The same can be said for our photographer and florist.  When I walked into the dining room at the Duquesne Club, I literally had to catch my breath.  And Leeann created some of the most stunning images I have ever seen.  I realize that every bride thinks that their wedding is the best, but I literally would not have changed a single thing about that weekend.  100% the best day of my life!

Vendors
Band: Jeff Jimmerson & Airborne | Bride’s Dress: Rivini | Bride’s Jewelry: Joden Jewelry | Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Dessy | Ceremony Location: St. Paul Cathedral | Escort Cards: Two Delighted Calligraphy | Flowers: Hens & Chicks | Groom’s Bow Tie: Brackish | Hair: Glam to Go | Linens: Mosaic | Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse | Photographer: Leeann Marie, Wedding Photographers | Reception Location, Caterer, & Cake: Duquesne Club | Stationery: Nota Bene | Transportation: TDF Limousine

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