The Ceremony
We're having our ceremony at the historic St. Boniface Church, Holy Wisdom Parish, just north of the city of Pittsburgh. Built in the "high church" style, the interior details remind me of my mother's side of the family's Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church. Brendan is Catholic and I was raised Presbyterian, so we will not be doing the full Catholic mass, just the wedding rites, and we will have dual officiants- the pastor of the church where I was raised and a priest who is a family friend of Brendan's. I need to remember to take pictures of the church next time I am home as there are no decent ones online!
St. Boniface- Pittsburgh, PA. Photo courtsey of Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The Reception
Our reception will be held at the classic and beautiful Duquesne Club in downtown Pittsburgh. Founded in 1873 and host to an amazing collection of fine art, the Club is a wonderful venue to do a progressive reception- guests will be moving from one room to another for different activities throughout the night. The chefs at the Club are fantastic and we are looking forward to a delicious gourmet meal! We expect to have 250-270 guests in attendance.
Garden Patio Room, Duquesne Club
Main Dining Room with hand-painted murals, Duquesne Club. Both photos from the Duquesne Club's website.
Rehearsal Dinner
My future in-laws are graciously hosting our rehearsal dinner. After our rehearsal at the church, we are having an intimate rehearsal dinner at the Heinz History Center! The location is perfect- it's right by one of our blocked hotels. We are looking forward to eating the delicious food provided by Common Plea Catering. After the small dinner, all of our out-of-town guests will be invited to join us for a dessert and wine reception. Since so many of our friends have never been to Pittsburgh, we are especially excited to host an event at this space. We will even be doing a little scavenger hunt within the museum!
Bridal Luncheon
On Friday afternoon the day before the wedding, my mother and I will be hosting a small bridal luncheon for close female relatives, the bridal party, and a few close friends. I'm looking forward to some "girl time" to thank these women for being a part of our celebration, and I will also pass out thank-you gifts to my bridesmaids here. Afterward, we will head out for manicures and pedicures. We will be dining in a private room at Eleven. I absolutely love their inventive and very vegetarian-friendly cuisine, as well as the modern, fresh atmosphere.
The Smallman Room, where we will be dining. Photo courtesy of Eleven.
Color Inspiration
Below are a few color boards, found online, that I am using as inspiration when planning the wedding. Our signature color will be a vibrant celery green, accented with jewel tones, especially blue iris.
