Lisa and Adam’s wedding is a sweet love story come to life. After meeting a few times through mutual friends, the two continued to run into each other. Love eventually blossomed and the rest is history. The pair tied the knot on a sunny July day. The Pittsburgh Athletic Association (PAA) inspired the vintage-themed wedding, as did a fun Pitt versus Penn State rivalry between the bride and groom. Guests were asked to pledge their allegiance to their favorite team, and there was a battle of the fight songs during the reception. The wedding was chock full of other Pittsburgh nods and unique touches, such as:
- Prior to the ceremony, Adam and his groomsmen made a pit stop at Primanti’s. What better way to kick off a Pittsburgh wedding than with a cap, egg, and cheese?
- A beautiful ceremony location. Not only is St. Stanislaus located in my favorite Pittsburgh neighborhood, the Strip District, but it’s also one of the most beautiful and history-rich churches in the city.
- Some stunning group and bridal portraits taken in front of a few of my favorite Pittsburgh photo spots
- Instead of a slice of cake, each guest got their own individual version of the greatest cake America ever made, Prantl’s infamous burnt almond torte.
- An amazing after-party in the basement bowling alley of the PAA, complete with late night snacks, more dancing, and of course, a little 10 frame competition.
Milla C. Photography captured this picture-perfect day and Syncopated Pictures put it all in motion. Feast your eyes on the oh-so-pretty photos and the sweet video that is sure to tug on your heart strings.
From the bride…
When and how did you two meet?
While pledging Delta Zeta at the University of Pittsburgh, I became great friends with a girl named Jess, whose brother, Keith, attended Penn State University with Adam. In 2006, while getting ready for the Preakness horse race at a a friend’s house in D.C., I was introduced to Adam for the first time. From then on, I would see Adam at events for our mutual group of friends and think of him as “Keith’s friend with the hair.” After both attending a wedding at Penn State several years later (and taking photos of each other on the Nittany Lion), the two of us kept in touch. It was during the Steelers versus Jets playoff game in 2011 that Adam and I ran into each other at the Rivers Casino and our feelings for each other changed…but it would be a few more months until we both knew it. I was thinking about Adam a lot and decided to make up a story about being at the casino and thinking of the time they saw each other. This spawned a few weeks of phone calls and text messages. In May 2011, Adam planned a trip to Pittsburgh to cheer on his friend and Keith’s wife, Courtney, in the Pittsburgh Marathon…and to see me. From that weekend on, we were a couple…a long time coming, but worth the wait 🙂
Juicy details on the proposal, please! Where, when, how?
Adam and I were celebrating our second anniversary of dating. Adam planned a dinner at The Chart House in Old Town Alexandria, where we went for brunch the very first weekend I visited Adam in D.C. Unbeknownst to me, Adam was going to propose this night. After a great dinner at a table with a wonderful view of the Potomac River, Adam and I boarded a boat for a Monument Cruise. The cruise left Old Town as the sun set, heading toward the Georgetown Waterfront. As we passed the Kennedy Center, Adam hinted to me that we could go to the rooftop terrace to enjoy a drink. I had never been to the Kennedy Center and thought that would be a romantic thing to do. After we arrived at the Georgetown Waterfront, we walked to the Kennedy Center, where we self-toured through the halls and then made our way up to the rooftop terrace. Adam and I each bought a drink before walking out to the rooftop. The weather was calling for rain, so the rooftop was completely empty. Adam walked me to the side of the terrace where it overlooked the monuments of Washington, D.C. Here is where Adam got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. After a few panicked bursts of “Oh my God,” I finally said YES!
Describe the wedding. The look, style, theme, colors, etc.
At first, I really thought I wanted to incorporate navy and coral as our wedding color scheme, but once I picked my wedding dress, everything changed! I quickly switched to a softer, more romantic and vintage feel, and used different shades of blush, gold, and gray in our decor. It went perfectly with our wedding reception venue as well.
What inspired your vision?
I found a lot of inspiration on Pinterest, as well as from the wedding of Eric and Jessie James Decker.
What made your wedding unique?
There has always been a healthy rivalry of our college alma maters, Pitt and Penn State. With so many college friends planning to be in attendance, we thought it would be fun to incorporate a Pitt versus Penn State cheer off to both school’s football fight songs. As guests walked into the grand ballroom, they were given the choice of navy/gold beads for Pitt or blue/white beads for Penn State.
In lieu of wedding favors, guests were invited to join a bowling after-party in the basement of the PAA. They enjoyed the retro bowling alley, a bar, homemade pizzas, cookies, and music!
What was your favorite moment of the day?
Our favorite moment of the day was when I walked down the aisle to Adam. We only focused on each other the entire walk down.
Our second favorite moment was getting our photos taken on the Roberto Clemente Bridge. It just so happened that the Y108 Jason Aldean concert tailgate was going on, so the entire bridge and street were closed down. One of the DJs saw us walking over with our bridal party and made a big announcement. Everyone cheered and congratulated us; some even asked for photos!
Bride to Bride
What advice would you give to other Burgh Brides planning their big day?
Everyone has their own idea and expectations of how your wedding day will go, but don’t forget that at the end of the day, it is all about what you and your husband have planned and dreamed about. Don’t get hung up on small issues or lose sight of the real reason you’re having a wedding to begin with – to celebrate the love between you and your husband.
Any must haves, must dos, or can’t live withouts? Anything you would do differently?
Make sure that both you and your new husband do everything you can to not get separated throughout your wedding day. Sneak off to a corner of your reception venue, turn around, and take a nice, long look at all of your favorite people in one room together. It’s the only time everyone you love will all be in one place at one time!
Vendors
Bride’s Dress: Mori Lee from Bridals by Natalie | Bride’s Accessories: Swarovski & Bridals by Natalie | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Monique Lhuillier, Donna Morgan, & Love Lane from Bella Bridesmaids | Cake: Prantl’s Bakery | Ceremony Location: St. Stanislaus Kostka Church | Cookies: Family members & relatives of the groom | DJ: Eric Stoner of Nittany Entertainment | Flowers: Lilli-Maeg | Hair & Makeup: Allison Roth Studio | Menswear: Men’s Warehouse | Photographer: Milla C. Photography | Reception Venue & Caterer: Pittsburgh Athletic Association | Stationery: Minted, Wedding Paper Divas, & Etsy | Transportation: Elite Transportation | Videographer: Syncopated Pictures
P.S. One more day to take my reader survey for a chance to win a super cool prize!
Beautiful wedding and even more beautiful couple!
They are so cute, Alicia! Perfect match and such a pretty wedding!
It was truly a ‘burgh come true!
Haha love it!!