Carolyn & Mike - Gateway Clipper and Sheraton Station Square Wedding {Pittsburgh Wedding Photogr
Where can I start? This wedding was literally everything Pittsburgh and then some! It was a Yinzsplosion!!! From Nancy B's delicious chocolate chip cookies to Pittsburgh Popcorn company's decadent sample of flavors to a skyline view on land and water, this wedding was the bread and butter of this city!
We started the day off in the suite at the Sheraton Station Square overlooking the city. Carolyn had not one, not two but three dresses for me to photograph, and of course all with coordinating shoes! In the midst of capturing wedding details, I watched in amazement as she had henna tattoos done on her hands and arms. It was quite fascinating seeing the process done! Then, once she put on her first wedding dress (the pre ceremony dress), we met Mike down in the lobby and the two walked along the pathway to the Smithfield Street Bridge for some portraits. During their wedding photos on the Smithfield Street Bridge, we just so happen to have a Just Ducky tour bus drive past and wish them well! It was too cute!
Once we were finished with their photos on the bridge, we walked back to the hotel and then to the Gateway Clipper loading dock so Carolyn and Mike could greet their guests prior to boarding! What a wonderful way to welcome everyone! Once guests started to board the Empress, the bride and groom entered on last and Carolyn made a quick get a way to hide and change into her ceremony dress! She looked stunning as she walked down the aisle with her parents and brother. I'm always a fan of whenever brides go a less traditional route and have more than one person walk down the aisle with them or whenever they do it solo (like I did)! With their ceremony officiated by a good friend of theirs, they said their "I Do's" docked at the middle of the Ohio River with the Point in the background. What a view! To make things more Pittsburghese-- the duo was surprised with a Steelers Terrible Towel to bind them together as one, and I loved how it was properly placed over their hands with the "Got Rings?" pointing out towards the guests. The little details make it worth it!
After the ceremony, the guests enjoyed some delicious drinks with a make your own Mimosa and Bloody Mary Bar! Carolyn is the queen at making drink concoctions (she actually has a whole Instagram page dedicated to it), so the drink possibilities were endless! We enjoyed a mimosa (or two) and mingled with the guests, capturing their celebrations aboard the Gateway Clipper for a laid back cocktail hour. Once docked back at Station Square, guests made their way over to the Sheraton for a second cocktail hour with entertainment provided by the Boilermaker Jazz Band, a room full of decadent desserts provided by Bethel Bakery (can you say pies and cakes, oh my?!), and entertainment by Entertainment Unlimited with a Tarot Card Reader, Caricatures by Jeff Harris and massages by Massage on the go by Teesha. The signature drink did not disappoint and was a Swedish Fish Martini! It was SO good!
The room at the Sheraton Station Square was set up in a gorgeous array of colors-- teal, pink and orange were the front runners and made this celebration mimic that of a Bollywood party! With all of the entertainment with the tarot reader, caricature artist, and masseuses, there was also a bunch of games to be played such as Jenga and a large scale connect 4 board. The carnivalesque evening made for a fun night! I still have my caricature drawing of Mike and I in my office! There was so much fun to be had! In the midst of all of it, I snuck Carolyn and Mike out from the party to go down to the docks at Station Square and captured them for a few sunset photos. I'm so glad we did because the sunset was gorgeous as it illuminated the city! The colors were vivid and bold-- just like Carolyn's third and final dress! The hot pink dress was my favorite and definitely went well with her personality. These two were so much fun to work with and I could not have been happier to have been a part of their day!
Photographers: Lovas Photography (Rachel & Mike)
Ceremony: Gateway Clipper (Empress Boat)
Reception: Sheraton Station Square
Invitations: Juting Design Studio
Henna & Glitter Tattoos: Moor HNA
Band: The Boilermaker Jazz Band
DJ: Scott Alexander
Tarot Reader: Entertainment Unlimited
Caricatures: Caricatures by Jeff Harris
Hair: Tu Sei Bella Salon and Spa
Makeup: Allison Roth Studio
Massages: Massage On the Go by Teesha
Desserts: Bethel Bakery
Cookies: Nancy B's
Popcorn Bar: Pittsburgh Popcorn Company
