Adrienne and Bryan met in New York City, but are originally from Pittsburgh, and wanted to bring family and friends together in their hometown to celebrate! Since many of their closest friends had never been to Pittsburgh, they wanted a unique venue and chose the Carnegie Museum of Art. All were blown away by the beauty and history in each of the rooms. The Hall of Architecture, where the ceremony was held, had been under renovation, so they were the first wedding to happen there in years!
…the Groom’s Grandfather and Great-Grandfather were local commercial photographers, so they featured their photographs of old city buildings, people {including a candid of Roberto Clemente in the dugout at Forbes Field} and street scenes spanning the 20th century as table centerpieces. The rest of the table décor was simple: candlelight, succulents, and repurposed wine bottles holding table numbers made by a bridesmaid. A close friend made the A&B sign hanging across the chairs of the sweetheart table.The couple found out a few months before the wedding that the groom’s family photos would be included an exhibit in the museum during the time of the wedding – it truly felt meant to be. Taking photos in the exhibit was extra special.
The Bride’s dress was custom-made by Kathryn Conover Couture in Manhattan – a sleek ivory duchess satin gown with deep v-neck, matching low-cut back, trumpet skirt and jeweled cap sleeves. A beaded halo headpiece and veil completed the look. The Bride paired the dress with soft wavy hair, glowing makeup and a berry stained lip and a wildflower bouquet of ranunculus and garden roses.
The Bride designed the watercolor ceremony program and as a nod to the museum theme, gold-foiled mini dinosaurs held the reception place cards. In lieu of a traditional guest book, postcards from each city guests traveled from were laid out. The bride’s brother built the arbor the couple was married under, and his girlfriend designed the card box, pulling in bits of the metallic coloring and greenery in the wedding decor.
The cake was a three tier almond cake with praline buttercream filling and chocolate buttercream icing, laced with white ranunculus to match elements of the bride’s wildflower bouquet. A traditional Pittsburgh cookie table with homemade treats from the bride’s mother and close family friends provided an extra treat for guests at the end of the evening.
Bryan and Adrienne laughed their way through their first dance to Roy Orbison’s ‘You Got It’ and danced the night away with guests in the Hall of Sculpture. A highlight of the reception was tossing the bouquet. The Bride snuck up to the balcony and tossed it to the surprised crowd below – so fun!
What is your favorite wedding day memory?
My favorite wedding day memory was definitely our first look. It had been raining in the morning and I was excited but anxious about all the details of the day…it all melted away when I finally got to see him. We met on a promenade by the river behind our hotel. The skies had cleared and I was so happy to see him! It was nice to have a quiet moment together before everything got started. After a big hug, our wedding party joined us {they had been able to watch from the hotel rooms above} and brought our sweet dogs Marlon and Sampson down for a few family photos. – Adrienne, the Bride
Event Credits
Photographer: Pittsburgh Imagery // Venue: Carnegie Museum of Art // Getting Ready Venue: Hyatt House South Side // Catering: Culinaire // Florist: Crescent Gardens Floral Shoppe // Centerpieces: Brady Stewart Studio // Bride's Attire: Kathryn Conover Couture // Bridesmaid's Attire: David's Bridal // Hair and Make-up: Cara Walkowiak - Denham and Co. // Jewelry: Jessica DeCarlo Jewlery // Groom's Attire: Knotty Tie Co.
