A city wedding that combines rooftop portraits, lavish details, lush florals, and an abundance of romance? Um, YES PLEASE. You’re going to absolutely fall in love with Christina and Adam’s big day. A girly combo of black, white, gold, and blush pink was a chic and sophisticated color palette, and it went perfectly with Hotel Monaco – the venue of choice. Thanks to GreenSinner, the space was filled to the brim with orchids, roses, and hydrangeas arranged in elevated centerpieces dripping with beads or cascading down crystal candelabras. Soft uplights, a custom gobo bearing the couple’s initials, an abundance of candles, and touches of gold just about everywhere gave the room a lovely glow. Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to describe it. Planned by Poppy Events and captured by Leeann Marie, Wedding Photographers, Christina and Adam’s wedding is sure to become a new favorite!
From the bride…
Tell me about yourselves! When and how did you meet? How long have you been together? How did you get engaged? All the juicy details!
In true self-professed nerd fashion, we met while we were both attending law school. Though it would be several years after meeting before we would start dating, our connection and chemistry were instantaneous. We spent the next few years building an incredible friendship, bonding over our mutual, deep love of family and passion for dogs (especially our dogs – Jake and Lucy!). Eventually Adam’s persistence paid off and we went out on our first date. From that moment on, we were inseparable. Then in mid-November 2016, after almost 3 years of dating, we spent a beautiful fall day sightseeing in Washington D.C., ending with Adam popping the question! As it turned out, Adam had the loose ring in his pants pocket all day (no box because he didn’t want me to see it) and was just waiting for the right moment. No wonder he seemed a bit nervous that day! Luckily, he was able to keep the ring safe and sound until putting it on my finger that evening. He never ceases to amaze and impress me.
Describe the wedding and what inspired it. What was unique about it?
The color scheme for our wedding was black and white with gold and blush accents. Our vision was to have a lavish city wedding that combined timeless elegance with modern flair, and then add some personal touches to make it truly, uniquely us. For example, I wore on my right hand the engagement and wedding rings of my maternal grandmother, who passed away when my mom was a child, to ensure she was part of the day too. Adam and I had the lyrics of our favorite song (“Betray My Heart”) read in poem-like fashion during our ceremony in lieu of a more traditional reading. We let each bridesmaid choose her own dress (no store, designer, fabric limitations or anything) because I’m a firm believer that a woman looks most beautiful when she feels comfortable and confident. We love the traditional sound of string instruments; but to make it match our vision more, we opted to have our string trio play exclusively more modern songs from the last 50 years. Since we are both Pittsburgh natives, to incorporate a little Pittsburgh into the wedding (aside from just the must-have cookie table), we chose to have Pittsburgh Popcorn Company popcorn as our favors.
What was your favorite moment of the day?
Because we had a winter wedding (with limited daylight hours for photos), Adam and I considered doing a first look. But ultimately we decided against it, and for us, we are so happy with that decision. Seeing each other for the first time on our wedding day as I walked down the aisle to one of our favorite songs that so perfectly describes our relationship (Etta James’s “At Last”) was our favorite moment of the day. It was a magical moment that we will both cherish forever.
Is there any advice you would give to other couples planning their big day?
Do your research and choose your venue and vendors wisely – and then trust them!! We spent a lot of time in the beginning of the planning process researching to make sure everything and everyone we chose were the right fit for our special day. Then, we trusted and relied on their expertise and experience to take our inspiration and vision and execute it. And boy did they! We ended up with a wedding that matched what we had envisioned, but was a million times better than we could have dreamed. So our best advice to couples planning their big day is to let your vendors be creative and do their thing – it’s why you hired them and you won’t regret it.
Vendors
Bride’s Dress: Essense of Australia from Bridal Beginning | Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade | Cake: Signature Desserts | Caterer: Hotel Monaco | Ceremony Location: Hotel Monaco | Ceremony Musicians: Hot Metal Strings | DJ: DJ Selecta from Modern Era Weddings | Favors: Pittsburgh Popcorn Company | Flowers: GreenSinner | Groom’s Attire: Ted Baker | Groomsmen Attire: The Black Tux | Hair: Simply Captivating Styling | Lighting: Modern Era Weddings | Makeup: Valarie Panei | Photography: Leeann Marie, Wedding Photographers | Reception Venue: Hotel Monaco | Stationery: Angela Pro Design | Wedding Planner: Poppy Events
Bride’s Dress: Bridal Beginning | DJ: DJ Selecta from Modern Era Weddings | Flowers: GreenSinner | Lighting: Modern Era Weddings | Photography: Leeann Marie, Wedding Photographers | Wedding Planner: Poppy Events
