Romantic, Springtime Wedding with an EPIC Ending: Kate & Jeff

If there ever was a perfect springtime wedding, this is it. Even though we’re now at the tail end of summer, Kate and Jeff’s April 30th affair still reigns supreme. Inspired by the the most perfect season in the most perfect city (Pittsburgh…duh!), this wedding features soft shades of blush, ivory, and champagne with a festive punch of magenta for good measure. Floral arrangements of lush peonies, roses, and baby’s breath added to the classic, romantic ambiance of the day, which started with a traditional ceremony at St. Paul Cathedral and ended with a reception at the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel. Uplighting in the softest of pinks, crystal drop accents on the centerpieces, and subtle hints of shimmer (plus a cookie table featuring nearly 1,000 delectables baked with love by family and friends) made for one beautiful party. Keep your eyes peeled for some of my favorite details and you’ll see just what I mean.

THAT CAKE! The pastry chef at the Renaissance created an insanely gorgeous three-tiered confection adorned with a massive sugar flower. I love me some cake but even I’d pause at eating this one…it was almost too pretty to dig into to!
A romantic twist on table numbers. Each table featured a framed love poem and the table assignments were based the respective poets. Who needs tables 1, 2, and 3 when you can have tables Shakespeare, Keats, and Dickinson?
Heartfelt favors. In lieu of the traditional, each guest received a box that contained two lady locks (Kate’s favorite cookie) and a note which told the guests a donation was made in their name to the American Heart Association. This was done as a tribute to the bride’s father.
I mentioned this wedding had an EPIC ending and I wasn’t kidding. The ballroom at the Renaissance is the perfect spot to catch a Skyblast Buccos game, and Kate and Jeff just happened to be married on the day of one. A fireworks show for all to see! The photos are amazing! Talk about ending the night with a bang! (Pun intended.)
The after party! Kate and Jeff kept the Bucco fever alive by hosting 40 of their guests at a Pirates vs. Reds game the next day. Such a fun way to end an amazing weekend!

Who better to capture this chic, cosmopolitan affair than Leeann Marie, Wedding Photographers? Feast your eyes on all of the goodness!

Romantic, Springtime Wedding with an EPIC Ending from Leeann Marie, Wedding Photographers featured on Burgh Brides — Kate’s wedding gift to Jeff was this beautiful guitar!

From the bride…

When and how did you two meet?
“Our story” began on Valentine’s Day 2013…600 feet underground in a coal mine. Incredible! We even have a picture that captured our chance first meeting. At the time, Jeff and I both worked for CONSOL Energy. Jeff was a safety supervisor at one of CONSOL’s coal mines and I was the Manager of Corporate Communications for the company. On that fateful day, I was accompanying a camera crew from Discover PA Business. The crew came to shoot a documentary about western Pennsylvania coal mines. Jeff was our “host and tour guide.” Eight hours underground makes for a long day, especially while escorting business leaders and trying desperately to stave off both hunger and the damp winter cold of western Pennsylvania. And, don’t forget it was Valentine’s Day! Jeff made the day bearable though – offering gum every hour to curb my hunger. At the end of the day, Jeff sent me home with a banana nut muffin. What a guy! The next day, I emailed Jeff to thank him for hosting our group and for being so accommodating. Jeff and I became “pen pals” first, exchanging daily emails for several months before our first date. We both agree that we immediately connected!

Now, fast forward to our first date…jokingly, Jeff invited me to go to the Golden Corral. Seriously! What was his schmooze/not-so-smooth line? Jeff said he had coupons that were about to expire. You can just imagine what I thought of his offer! Not my dream first date, or any date, but Jeff’s sense of humor did work and won me over. I gave Jeff (not the Golden Corral) a try and it was the best decision I ever made! We went out for sushi and ended up talking for five hours. We have never looked back!

Juicy details on the proposal, please! Where, when, how?
It was a Friday night during Lent. I had a LONG work week and wanted nothing more than to go home, throw on comfortable clothes, and pick-up food from a local fish fry. Unbeknownst to me, Jeff had other plans. He told me he had the perfect place for fish but I had to wear something nice – comfy clothes out. He had made reservations on Mt. Washington. We arrived and valet parked the car. Jeff forgot the ring under the seat, where he had hidden it!! So the proposal at dinner was out. We had a lovely dinner topped with complimentary champagne the waiter brought when we finished our meals. Jeff told the staff he planned to propose when he made the reservations, so they thought we were engaged. I was still clueless. Jeff played it off and asked if everyone received champagne after their meal. After dinner, we stopped at an overlook to snap a picture. Jeff grabbed the ring and was going to propose in one of our favorite spots in the city. However, Plan B was quickly scratched as well. It was freezing and super windy, my eyes were watering, my hair was sticking to my lipstick – not ideal for a photo moment or proposal. Plan C was a success! Jeff booked a room at Hotel Monaco for the night. He told the hotel staff he was proposing, so they gave us a suite and had rose petals, champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, etc. It was amazing. When we opened the door to our hotel room , rose petals led us into the room. Jeff took my hand, led me in, and dropped down to his knee. Plan C was absolutely perfect.

Describe the wedding. The look, theme, style, colors, etc.
Think spring – blush and ivory roses, peonies, and baby’s breath. The wedding had an ethereal feel – very classic, chic, and romantic. Spring wedding in the city! We got married at St. Paul Cathedral. I wore a cathedral length veil with a blusher and we incorporated traditional elements into our ceremony and reception. The reception decor was soft – ivory and shimmer linens, pale pink lighting, blush roses and peonies, crystal drop accents on the centerpieces….it was truly beautiful.

What inspired your vision?
Spring and love. I wanted something simple and romantic. I wanted to focus to be on the love in the room. I was successful.

What made your wedding unique?
Our reception was at the Renaissance on a firework night at PNC Park, so we incorporated a hint of the Buccos into our wedding as well. I wore a Pirates garter and the groom and groomsmen wore Pirates socks. We watched the game from our reception (WIN) and hit the Roberto Clemente Bridge for fireworks after the game. On Sunday, we joined 40 of our guests for the 1:30 game against the Reds. SO FUN!

What was your favorite moment of the day?
WOW! Hard question….there were so many favorite moments, but seeing Jeff for the first time as I walked down the aisle was probably my most favorite. I could not wait to get to him and hug him, kiss him, and squeeze him. It’s hard to explain the emotion that I felt as I walked down the LONG aisle in the cathedral. I was so proud to know that I was marrying Jeff. My brother walked me down the aisle so my entrance was a very special moment for me. My brother is my very best friend – to have him by my side, our friends and family in the pews, and my handsome (now) husband standing before me – SIGH. Incredible. I wish I could do it all over again!

Bride to Bride

What advice would you give to other Burgh Brides planning their big day?
Don’t stress. Enjoy the planning. While planning a wedding is crazy and can be absolutely maddening, the planning process is such an experience. Before you know it, the wedding is over. I seriously wish I could rewind to the day after we got engaged – I would go through the entire planning process again and of course, I would LOVE to relive my wedding day. The day of, make sure you take a minute to step back (with your groom), take a deep breath, and look at all of the faces that surround you – everyone you love in one room – to celebrate you. It’s truly magical. Remember IT IS YOUR day. Enjoy it. And did I mention that it all goes by way too fast?! I need to be invited to and/or crash more weddings so I can live vicariously through other brides. : )

Any must haves, must dos, or can’t live withouts? Anything you would do differently?
A good sense of humor. No matter how much you plan, you need to be prepared for the unexpected. Laugh at the things that go wrong – I promise you, they won’t matter once it is all said and done.

Oh…and a bridal emergency kit. My bridesmaid made one and it was a God send – packed with q-tips, safety pins, mints, Tylenol, lip gloss, etc….