A mix of rich colors with neutrals and an intimate, romantic setting is all this warm and luxurious wedding at the LeMont needed to be totally gorgeous. When I first saw it, I knew I had to show it off and I guarantee it will quickly become one of your favorites too. That’s because it’s chic and contemporary while still being completely timeless. A palette of marsala, eggplant, blush, evergreen, ivory, and metallics was inspired by the opulent gold of the reception venue. From there, Bonnie and Brian created a day that was one part 80s dance party and one part quintessential wedding. What were a few elements I loved the most?
- Bonnie’s dress. She played the part of a bride so well in the two-piece ballgown with tiered ruffled skirting from Martina Liana and dainty, beaded lace bodice with sweetheart neck from WToo. Mix and match FTW!
- The ceremony location. Bonnie and Brian said I Do at St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church, Andy Warhol’s church. I mean does it get more Pittsburgh than that?! My yinzer heart is loving it!
- A unique sweetheart table covering. After seeing some wedding inspiration on the Burgh Brides Instagram feed, Bonnie was able to track down an artist to create a personalized linen for her and Brian’s sweetheart table. The cloth featured the hand-lettered lyrics to Foo Fighters’ Everlong. If you need me, I’ll just be over here swooning…
As if all of that doesn’t sound lovely enough, wait until you see the portraits from Kristi Telnov Photography. I told you that this wedding would quickly become a favorite…don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Don’t miss Bonnie and Brian’s moving love story as told by Cinebard Films!
From the bride…
When and how did you two meet?
We met in 2009 at Doc’s in Shadyside. I was there for a work happy hour; it was the only time I went to that bar before and since that day. Brian was home for Easter from Charlotte, where he lived at the time. Neither of us remember who approached who or how we even exchanged numbers. (I actually had a photo of us from that night that Brian never knew existed until I gave it to him for a wedding gift.) Brian ended up moving back that summer and we hung out a few times but it wasn’t quite our time yet… we both dated other people for three years and went our separate ways. Fast forward to 2013 when we reconnected, went on a first real date, and everything was easy from there.
Juicy details on the proposal, please! Where, when, how?
Brian and I were in Punta Cana for Labor Day weekend/week in 2015. Five days into the trip, we went on a catamaran day trip, full of swimming in the Caribbean, jumping off boats, and being in bathing suits all day. As it turns out, Brian had a ring in his swim shorts all day. He never quite found the right time, so that night we took a walk on the beach. Alone on the beach, he got down on one knee. Completely caught off guard, I didn’t even say yes. I just said, “Thank you”. Needless to say, I did eventually say yes! We had no one with us to tell so I ended up telling a Columbian Sophia Vergara doppleganger in the bathroom. We met her husband at the bar and ended up dancing the night away in a disco with them. Such a random, fun night!
Describe the wedding. The look, theme, style, colors, etc.
The wedding was a mix of romantic personal touches with Brian’s love of 80’s music. The day went by in a flash but we made sure it captured both of our personalities the best it could.
What inspired your vision?
For the wedding, I wanted to pull out the golds of the LeMont and yet not fall into the trap of a “theme”. I found things I liked really, from a personalized backdrop with the song lyrics to Everlong by the Foo Fighters turned into a table cloth, to the sweetheart table, to using vinyl stickers on glass to give the walk down the aisle a personal touch. Flower crowns on the flower girls became bridesmaids headpieces when the little ones were finished with them because why not. For the bridesmaid dresses, I picked a color but really wanted the girls to be comfortable and find what they liked. I didn’t want to spend months stressing over every detail but really wanted to focus on the things that were important to me that day.
What made your wedding unique?
We mixed in Pittsburgh by buying bulk Pittsburgh Popcorn Company and bagging it ourselves. We also made ourselves into pop art for the cover of our wedding church programs since we used Andy Warhol’s church in Greenfield. The music at the reception was 90% 1980’s as Brian told me when we first started dating that all he wanted was an all 80’s wedding and a honeymoon to Italy. I made sure we checked both of those off the list.
What was your favorite moment of the day?
Brian may have loved his Nittany Lions beating Ohio State late in the night but I think it was all of the moments that really made the whole experience – from bachelor/bachelorette parties to Dewey Beach and Toronto to a beautiful shower to toasts at the rehearsal. Just growing our families closer and seeing it all culminate in one night was beautiful in itself. We did steal away to the roof of the LeMont for unreal, once in a lifetime, Pittsburgh night views, which I will always remember.
Bride to Bride
What advice would you give to other Burgh Brides planning their big day?
I did not have a wedding coordinator and planned everything mostly on my own. I would still do the same but I think it is smart to designate a friend the day of the wedding to handle the little things that come up. Someone that might not necessarily even be invited to the wedding, but is willing to run last minute errands and be there if you need them.
Any must haves, must dos, or can’t live withouts? Anything you would do differently?
I could not be happier that I decided to get a videographer and spent my budget on photos. Both are things I cannot imagine not having at this point.
Vendors
Bride’s Dress: WToo corset and Martina Liana skirt from Bridal Beginning | Bride’s Jewelry: Groom’s mother’s ring | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids Dresses: Bill Levkoff & Lela Rose | Cake: Mother of the bride! | Caterer: LeMont Restaurant | Ceremony Location: St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church | DJ: Jason Lacko of All-Stars Events Services | Favors: Pittsburgh Popcorn Company | Flowers: The Blue Daisy Floral Designs | Hair: Amber Baker of Eikon Hair Lounge | Decor: DIY | Makeup: KTHOM Beauty | Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse | Photography: Kristi Telnov Photography | Reception Venue: LeMont Restaurant | Stationery: Elli | Transportation: Antique Coach Excursions | Videography: Cinebard Films | Violinist: Devin Arrington
Flowers: The Blue Daisy Floral Designs
Your wedding and you looked beautiful. My daughter is getting married at The LeMont in June. We were wondering where you got the tablecloth for your cake and what size was it. Any other suggestions for us?
I’ll see if I can find out where the bride got the tablecloth! The cake was homemade by the mother of the bride!
Hi Carol! Thank you! I ordered the tablecloth as a backdrop from Bourbon & Blush Events in Tampa as a custom piece. It was about 8×5 ft in size so it fit over the sweetheart tablecloth at the Lemont well. The lemont was an absolute breeze to work with; no complaints at all! My mom did make my cake (which was actually fake except for the top) with sheet cakes that the Lemont served. Easy set up and communication with Bill! 🙂 Hope that helps!