Glamorous City Wedding at the Heinz History Center: Ashley & Matthew

Combining classic details and hints of glamour, this city wedding at the Heinz History Center is all things lovely!  Ashley and Matthew love Pittsburgh and they wanted to show off their city to their family and friends.  What better place to do just that than in the Strip District?  The bride and groom agreed and chose St. Stanislaus Kostka Church for their ceremony and the Heinz History Center for the reception.  Beyond that, the wedding was timeless and elegant.  With a feminine color palette of pink, champagne, white, and gold, a romantic vibe was created with an abundance of candlelight, metallic touches, and sparkly details.  Just a few of my favorites included Ashley’s beaded clutch, lots of variety in the reception tables, and five massive crystal chandeliers.  A city wedding isn’t complete without plenty of images with the Pittsburgh skyline in the background.  Lavender Leigh Photography made sure Ashley and Matthew got plenty of them, as well as beautiful documentation of their entire day.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.

From the bride…

When and how did you two meet?

As a new resident to Pittsburgh, some of my college friends invited me out to watch a fight, in hopes it would help me to meet new people in the area.  Even with my deep dislike for cage fighting, I reluctantly decided to attend.  Little did I know, I would meet the man of my dreams.

Juicy details on the proposal, please!  Where, when, how?

What started as a spontaneous trip to a unique Gettysburg winery quickly became an annual trip that Matthew and I looked forward to every year.  As our fourth annual trip unfolded, I had no idea what Matthew had planned.  On the way to dinner, he started to reminisce about our five year relationship and all of the things we have done together.  Upon pulling up to the winery, Matthew insisted on stopping at the entrance of the battlefield to take a picture as a memento from our trip.

As I stood smiling alone in front of the sign, Matthew started to walk towards me and hit his knee.  Although the majority of his proposal speech was a complete blur, I remember people driving by congratulating us and guests from the winery on top of the hill sending their well wishes from above – what a wonderful surprise!

Describe the wedding.  The look, theme, style, colors, etc.

The overall vision for our wedding was elegant and classic, while also including the beautiful views of Pittsburgh.  We used three different types of tables: round, square, and double rectangles.  With these different table options, I used different linens and flowers on each table.  Our guests LOVED this style, noting it was nice to see something different from other weddings they have attended.  Although each table had a slightly different look, all of the tables were tied together with white hydrangeas, pale pink roses, and greenery.  Needless to say, we wanted to have a timeless wedding, therefore, we used white, pale pink, pale champagne, and gold as the primary colors.

Helping to set the classic look, we hung five chandeliers from the center of the room.  With the large chandelier hanging lower and four flanking the sides, it made a breathtaking view when entering the room.

Adding to the elegance to the room, the primary decorations on many of the tables were candles; each table was flooded with a variety of candles and glass votives ranging in sizes and shapes.  Also, one of the walls of the ballroom showcase floor-to-ceiling windows.  To tie in the candles from the tables, we lined candles across the ledge.

For the bridal party, I wanted each of my bridesmaids to be 100% comfortable in their gowns.  I also wanted to be a little nontraditional.  To tie together the color scheme of the wedding, each girl wore a slightly different dress and I used both pale pink and pale champagne chiffon, long dresses.

What advice would you give to other Burgh Brides planning their big day?

My advice to future brides is simple: let it be and enjoy all of your hard work!  It is so easy to get caught up in all of the small details and to micromanage everyone, but you can’t do that or you will miss out on your special day!  Honestly, once there are three weeks to go, you have to take a step back and say, “Wow, I have worked so incredibly hard and I am going to enjoy my friends, family, and husband.”  Having this mentality will carry through to your wedding day and hopefully allow you to relax.  Trust me, tons of things will go wrong!  But it is all how you react to it!  Plus, if the bride is having an amazing time, all of the guests will feed off that positive energy and they will have a great time as well.

Vendors

Bride’s Accessories: Clarissa Boutique | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Cake: Grandview Bakery | Calligraphy: Judith Browne Calligraphy | Caterer: Common Plea Catering | Ceremony Location: St. Stanislaus Kostka Church | Cookies: Bethel Bakery | Decor: Gray Phoenix | DJ: Jeremy Ganss Productions | Favors: Bethel Bakery | Flowers: Hearts and Flowers Floral Design | Hair: La Pomponnee Beauty Artisans | Jewelry: Joyce’s Fine Jewelry| Lighting: Gray Phoenix | Linens: Mosaic | Makeup: Valarie Panei & La Pomponnee Beauty Artisans | Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse | Photographer: Lavender Leigh Photography | Reception Venue: Heinz History Center | Rentals: All Occasions Party Rental | Stationery: Invitations by Dawn | Transportation: Tortorice Limousine | Videography: Just Hitched Wedding Films | Wedding Planner: Your Big Day

Bride’s Accessories: Clarissa Boutique | DJ: Jeremy Ganss Productions | Hair: La Pomponnee Beauty Artisans | Makeup: Valarie Panei & La Pomponnee Beauty Artisans | Rentals: All Occasions Party Rental

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