Pittsburgh: Perfect Backdrop for a Wedding

I moved to Pittsburgh nearly ten years ago to go to college and play tennis. Little did I know I was going to fall in love with the city and with a man from Upper St. Clair.

When my husband, Adam, asked me to marry him at Capital Grille in August 2010, we both agreed Pittsburgh would be a perfect place for us to get married. And perfect it was.

Our many out-of-town guests received Pittsburgh welcome bags as they checked into the Holiday Inn on Pitt's campus, which included smiley cookies from , popcorn from The Pittsburgh Popcorn Company, chocolate-covered pretzels from and mini Heinz ketchup bottles.

On Friday night, our family and wedding party gathered for a rehearsal dinner that was capped off with an amazing groom's cake from The Pie Place in Upper St. Clair. Adam loves hockey, so his cake was appropriately designed to look like the Stanley Cup. Not only did the cake look spectacular, the chocolate layers inside were delicious.

On Saturday, our guests were greeted with a breathtaking view on top of Mt. Washington before the ceremony at Saint Mary of the Mount Parish, a historic landmark in Pittsburgh.

The reception followed at the University Club in Oakland. The rooftop terrace provided a magnificent view of the Pitt's campus during cocktail hour—where I lived and went to school for four years.

The out-of-town guests were pleasantly surprised with a particular Pittsburgh wedding tradition found at the reception site—the cookie table! Adam's mother, Lily, and her friends Mary, Darlene, Laima and Michelle made most of the 2,000 cookies on display with the help of other family and friends. Our DJ, Harold Purdy, said it was the largest and best cookie table he had ever seen.

The evening ended with a ride back to the hotel on a Green Gears Pedicab, which was tastefully decorated for the occasion.

The fun didn't end on Saturday night. Since it was Labor Day weekend, guests weren't in a rush to return home. Many spent the day walking through the Cathedral of Learning, taking a Just Ducky tour and checking out the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History.

Our Pittsburgh wedding sure was great, but I don't think it converted any of my Packers-loving family members to Steelers fans, and none of my Southern friends will change their way of saying "y'all" to "yinz." However, Pittsburgh made a great impression on our family and friends and hopefully everyone will be coming back to visit soon and often!

Dress: Designer Sophia Tolli, purchased from Bridal Beginning in Mt. Lebanon
Flowers: Island Florals by Roxanne, located in Wilmington, NC. Roxanne is also willing to do flowers for Pittsburgh brides.
DJ: Harold Purdy
Photography: Photorise Photography
Groom's Cake: in Upper St. Clair
Wedding Cake: Fenoglietto's
Hair and Makeup: Salon Vivace in Mt. Lebanon
Transportation: Molly's Trolleys
Getaway Vehicle: Green Gears Pedicabs
Church: St. Mary of the Mount
Reception: University Club
Honeymoon: Westin Resort in Maui, booked by Fenoglietto's Wedding Cakes and Honeymoon Travel
Bridal Shower: Grand Concourse