Is there anything more elegant than a black and white wedding? It’s the quintessential wedding color palette. Couple it with clean lines and a gorgeous venue like the Carnegie Museum and you’ve got yourself one classy and chic day. When Maggie and Sean tied the knot, that’s the exact look they were going for. The museum’s Hall of Sculpture provided a stately setting for the bride and groom to exchange vows, and the majestic Music Hall Foyer was the perfect space to celebrate the occasion with dinner and dancing. But while the pair wanted a wedding that was timeless and effortless beautiful, they also wanted to throw a giant party for all of their family and friends. Some noteworthy details of Maggie and Sean’s formal yet fun day, include:
- Those flowers! Since Maggie’s favorite blooms are anything white, selecting the bouquets and elevated centerpieces was kind of easy. To bring color to the spaces, Mocha Rose incorporated boxwood hedges and topiaries, both of which played double duty. First, they flanked the ceremony spot and then they served as the backdrop to the bar and as a frame for the reception band’s stage.
- A whopper of a wedding cake. Seriously, this one was stunning! Five tiers of naked cake separated by buttercream and white roses…I mean, come on! Cake is my weakness but even I might refrain from eating this one because it’s so beautiful.
- Elite Show Band brought the party to this wedding! Instead of having guests take their seats following the cocktail hour, the band played a short set first. Talk about starting things off on the right foot! Folks were even dancing between dinner courses! Wait until you see the photos…it looks like it was a real par-tay!
- Rather than having a cookie table, Maggie and Sean switched things up a bit. Waiters passed vanilla, caramel, and marzipan macarons alongside vanilla and chocolate milkshake shooters. Yum-o.
- Also worth mentioning is this bride and groom’s attire. Maggie was a vision of elegance and grace in an Anne Barge beaded bodice number. Her hair, makeup, and jewelry were kept simple. Sean also looked very GQ in a white coat tuxedo.
Elizabeth Craig Photography was there to capture every last chic detail. And boy are there a lot of them. So bit back, relax, and enjoy. Things are about to get really pretty.
From the bride…
When and how did you two meet?
Sean and I met while living in Washington, DC.
Juicy details on the proposal, please! Where, when, how?
Sean proposed when we were in Pittsburgh visiting my parents over Memorial Day weekend. As soon as we got to Pittsburgh, he wanted to go for a walk down by The Point. I thought it was a little odd to leave my parents as soon as we arrived, but I went with it. I wanted to walk one way around the park, but he insisted we go the other way, knowing my parents were there. When we got to the fountain, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so happy he included my parents.
Describe the wedding. The look, theme, style, colors, etc.
In grade school, I took art classes at the Carnegie Museum of Art and I always thought it would be the perfect venue to get married. Thankfully, Sean felt the same way.
Our goal was to combine a formal wedding with an awesome party for our family and friends. Elite Show Band definitely brought the party. Not once throughout the night was the dance floor empty. Guests were even on the dance floor between dinner courses.
What inspired your vision?
Both the Music Hall Foyer and Hall of Sculpture are beautiful rooms on their own, so we didn’t feel we needed to do a lot to them. To accent the Hall of Sculpture, we brought in color with boxwood hedges and topiaries. We later moved them into the Music Hall Foyer to serve as a backdrop for the bar and to frame the stage. White flowers are my favorite, which made it an easy choice when picking arrangements and bouquets. We wanted a classic, timeless wedding, so we kept to a black, white and cream color palette.
What made your wedding unique?
Instead of having a cookie table, we had waiters passing little towers with caramel, vanilla and marzipan macarons and vanilla and chocolate milkshake shooters. Following the cocktail hour, we had the band play a few songs to get people moving, instead of having our guests take their seats.
What was your favorite moment of the day?
My favorite moment of the day was when we had some quiet time to ourselves after the ceremony.
Bride to Bride
What advice would you give to other Burgh Brides planning their big day?
You will hear this a lot, but enjoy the day and don’t stress. What will happen will happen and there isn’t any point in worrying about it. Keep everything well organized. I ended up creating a folder for each vendor in my email and on my computer. If you have a specific vision, find pictures that you can show your vendors. What you see in your mind and how your vendor interprets your vision can be very different.
Any must haves, must dos, or can’t live withouts? Anything you would do differently?
Have your hair stylist/makeup artist come to wherever you are getting ready. It will save time and allow all your girls to spend more time together. I had two cars: one to take Sean and his parents to the museum and one to take me and my parents there With everything going on, it was nice to have some quiet time with them to reflect on the day.
Vendors
Band: The Elite Showband | Bride’s Dress: Anne Barge | Bride’s Accessories: David Yurman | Bride’s Shoes: J. Crew | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfred Sung | Calligrapher: Deborah Nadel | Caterer: Parkhurst Event Catering | Celebrant: Weddings Without Worries | Ceremony Location: Carnegie Museum Hall of Sculpture | Dessert: Parkhurst Event Catering & Gaby et Jules | Flowers: Mocha Rose | Hair & Makeup: Beauty Justified | Linens: All Occasions Party Rental | Photographer: Elizabeth Craig Photography | Reception Venue: Carnegie Music Hall Foyer, Carnegie Museum | Stationery: Needle in a Haystack | Transportation: Lenzner | Wedding Planner: Natalie Berger
Linens: All Occasions Party Rental
Any idea where the flower girl dresses came from?
Aww, I’m sorry but the bride didn’t provide that information. They are really cute though!
They were purchased at Nordstroms
Thanks Maggie!!