Stop whatever you’re doing because Alysia and Rob’s wedding at PPG Wintergarden is about to take you by storm! From the start of their wedding planning journey until the last dance, this couple worked with some of the best Pittsburgh wedding vendors to achieve their classic yet modern vision that oozed with colors of black, white, and gold. Donning a fitted Ines Di Santo wedding dress from Bridal Beginning and timeless accessories from Clarissa Boutique, Alysia was truly a knockout bride. Her best gals, seen in black floor-length bridesmaids dresses, were glowing alongside her in part thanks to See Jane Blush, who enhanced each girl’s natural beauty. While everyone enjoyed a fun morning getting ready, at the venue, Soiree by Souleret set up the dreamiest ceremony decor with clear chiavari chairs, white hydrangeas, dark candles, and twinkling lights. Afterwards, the space was flipped to become a celebratory atmosphere where EF Lighting, Mosaic, and All Occasions Party Rental input their talents to help make the transformation seamless and the sleek design appear. While incredibly romantic, the aesthetic still allowed the fun-loving couple’s personality to shine through with sweet touches like a hand-painted picture of their fur-baby Otis used as a signature cocktail sign and a slideshow displaying their love through the years. And if you think that’s cute, just wait until you see how Rob surprised his blushing bride by performing two songs with the Bachelor Boys Band. This day carries a ton of inspiration! Thank goodness Steven Dray Photography and Just Hitched Films were there to capture it!
About the Couple
We met in the fall of 2015 through mutual friends when Robbie was at graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh and I was at law school there. We had overlapping friend groups from Penn State University (where we both attended as undergraduates), but we never met until after college. Luckily, one day, my roommate and our mutual friend set up a Penn State football watch party with Robbie at his place in Shadyside. We met that day, and we have been together ever since, even enduring a long-distance relationship when Robbie had to move to Philadelphia after graduate school.
We got engaged on November 29, 2019 at my parent’s townhouse in the Strip District, surrounded by our closest friends, family, and our golden retriever (and other love of our lives), Otis. Robbie planned the entire engagement unbeknownst to me. We never tried on rings or discussed when we wanted to get married, but Robbie still somehow chose the perfect ring.
About the Wedding
Our vision was to have a modern, sleek, classy, and clean look with traditional elements mixed in. Our colors were white, black, gold, and silver. We really wanted our wedding theme to stand the test of time but also bring forth our personality. Basically, we had a modern look with classic elements along with personal touches: pictures of us at every age as our table numbers, a hand-painted picture of our golden retriever Otis (which our wedding planner painted!) and a slideshow of us and our family and friends through the years. Shayne, our wedding planner, should get all the credit for bringing our vision to life.
Favorite Moment
Our favorite moment of the day was prior to the ceremony. The rabbi gathered the wedding party and our parents together in the bridal suite to sign the ketubah (a Jewish wedding contract). He performed a mini-ceremony with only the most important people in our lives surrounding us. There’s something about how intimate that moment was, along with how the room radiated so much love and joy, that we will never forget. We knew in that moment that this was real, and we were getting married. It was the moment we will cherish forever, and still to this day, it gives us chills when we think about it.
My personal favorite moment was when Robbie did a surprise performance of two songs with the band. I found this to be the most unique moment about our wedding – and for Robbie to take the time to practice those songs and garner the courage to perform in front of over 140 guests to showcase his love for me was an unforgettable moment for us.
