A Hotel Monaco wedding only made sense for Claudette and Andrew, who ended their first date with a nightcap at The Commoner inside the hotel. Little did they know that two and a half years later, they’d be saying their vows in the very same location! With an intimate ceremony on the hotel’s rooftop followed by a fun celebration in the ballroom, their bold and beautiful wedding decor complimented the whimsical designs of the venue perfectly! The deep burgundy hues against the greenery and blush tones were executed flawlessly by Hello Productions, while the candlelit room set the mood for this romantic soiree. Despite all the vibrant details, Claudette and Andrew opted for an all ivory wedding cake from Pittsburgh wedding bakery Bella Christie that tied into their theme with simple floral detailing. See all the photos and moments captured by Hot Metal Studio and Evermark Studios. Gorgeous is an understatement!
About the Couple
We met on February 5, 2016. Tired of the dating scene, we gave the app Bumble one more go. I swiped right and after a week of talking, we decided to meet in person. Andrew planned the date by suggesting we meet at Butcher and the Rye, a personal favorite of both of us. We talked and ate and Andrew then pulled out tickets to the Arcade improv show, even without knowing I was a huge fan of all stand up comedy. After the show, we had a nightcap at the Commoner in Hotel Monaco – unbeknownst to us we would be getting married there two and a half years later.
Almost a year later, we were discussing plans for my 31st birthday. Andrew said we would get dinner and see my friends and have a night out downtown. As we approached Market Square, he mentioned we were early to dinner and we should take a walk since it was unseasonably warm for February. We walked to the Point, where he got on his knee and proposed under the walkway bridge. After the proposal, he took me to Eleven where we had dinner at the special table overlooking the bar. Following dinner we went to Butcher and the Rye, the place we met, where Andrew rented out the entire upstairs bar for a surprise birthday/engagement party with all our friends.
About the Wedding
I wanted to incorporate the colors and feels of early autumn – the blushes, golds and burgundy colors intertwined with greenery and delicate dahlia flowers. Everything has this modern feel inside Hotel Monaco – from the colors and lighting to the decor. Pittsburgh itself has this modern and romantic feel to it – the architecture and bridges mixed with the greenery of the mountains and parks. I think the juxtaposition of those two features makes the city beautiful and bold and I wanted to showcase that throughout the wedding.
We chose Hotel Monaco because it has special meaning to us. We love the urban feel of the city life and right in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh is where we wanted to be. We both wanted a smaller, private ceremony and found that the rooftop was the perfect place. The flow of the wedding from was exactly what we wanted – going from intimate to an all-out party.
Favorite Moment
When the entire wedding party got trapped in an elevator…just kidding! But that did happen while we were out taking photos in the Strip District.
There was a moment toward the end of the night when I was slow dancing to “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton with Andrew and we just took that moment to slow down, take a look at each other, and admire our wedding and all our loved ones around us. It was really special to me and makes me tear up just thinking about it to this day.
Andrew’s favorite moment was my vows. We both wrote our own vows for the ceremony and I could barely get through them in between tears. He said everything I said was so sweet and thoughtful.
