With a bright and cheery shade playing center stage, this Eden Hall wedding is happiness in nuptial form. Poppy red served as the inspiration for everything from décor to bridal party attire, and of course, florals. Pittsburgh wedding florists Mocha Rose and Julie James Design tag-teamed on Caitlin and PJ’s wedding since Caitlin used to be Mocha Rose’s lead designer and Caitlin and Julie are cousins! Talk about community over competition. From bouquets of anemones with whimsical silk ribbons to a ceremony arch dripping with blooms and greenery to a tree wrapped in floral garland, the flowers at this affair were show-stopping. Poppy red also made an appearance in Caitlin’s fun shoes, red paper fans for guests, and signature Coca Cola bottles that served as escort cards and favors. Redford DJs made sure the party didn’t stop at Chatham University’s Eden Hall campus. The venue features a white barn and open-air tent, which the couple accented with a black and white dance floor and dusty blue glassware from All Occasions Party Rental. All in all, it was boho magic come to life and these images from Talia Nelson Photography and video from Hampton Road Studios will prove it!
About the Couple
PJ and I actually have been friends since the 8th grade, but we didn’t date until our senior year of high school! After a few casual dates to Giant Eagle for candy and chocolate milk in the summer before senior year, PJ asked me to be his girlfriend. We dated long distance during college and then again when PJ went to law school.
We got engaged during his second year of law school, but I didn’t expect a proposal until he was finished with school completely. On a Sunday morning, he drove to Pittsburgh to go to Soergel’s Fall Fest; it’s our favorite fall event! We walked up to the sunflowers with Amish doughnuts in tow, where he got down on a knee and asked me to be his wife! Out popped one of my sisters and friends to surprise us! PJ had gathered our high school friends to meet us down the hill and planned a dinner with both of our families to celebrate. It was truly such a perfect day!
About the Wedding
Working for Mocha Rose as their lead designer, I was always helping other brides create their dream day, so it was so special to finally plan my own wedding day! It was an honor to have my cousin, Julie of Julie James Design, and my boss, April of Mocha Rose, collaborate on my wedding flowers.
Knowing that the designs would be incredible, I focused my wedding look entirely on the florals, selecting ivory dresses for the girls and navy for the guys to really showcase the bright, happy color palette of poppy reds, corals, and pinks. The venue was also unique since we were the first wedding at Chatham’s Eden Hall campus. My family lives right down the street and we’ve loved the big white barn even before it was a campus. We are so thankful they allowed us to celebrate there and showcase the barn, the amazing amphitheater, and that impressive tree! We couldn’t have done any of this without the help of family and friends who were involved in everything from setting up the tent lights, decorating the venue, making cookies and the cake, and staying to clean up at the very end of the night. PJ and I really wanted to make the happy day relaxing, elegant, and fun for our family and friends, just to let them know how much we appreciated their support and love!
Favorite Moment
I think for both of us it was the first look. This was a thoughtful decision since we both love the traditional idea of not seeing each other until the ceremony. Our videographer, Hampton Road Studios, convinced us to do the first look and we couldn’t have been happier! It was a special moment that calmed our nerves, only adding to the excitement of the day and allowing us to have a moment alone together before our guests arrived.
