I’m going to warn you right at the beginning of this post, I am sharing a TON of photos from Courtney and Matt’s Pittsburgh winter wedding ! Though Mother Nature didn’t give us any snow, she did bless us with a beautiful 50 degree day at the end of January! It was a real treat to have sunshine, clear roads, and blue skies over the city!
The day started off with a brunch at Courtney’s parents’ house for the girls while everyone got their hair and make up done.
Courtney’s mom and her sister, Lindsey, helped her into her dress.
The photos during this ‘getting ready’ portion of every wedding day are always some of my favorite.
We always make time for a few family portraits before the excitement of the day takes over.
The ceremony was held at Calvary United Methodist Church on Pittsburgh’s north side. We met up with Matt and the guys before the guests arrived for some photos.
Lately we’ve started saving the funny shots that don’t make the final cut into an “outtakes” folder. Great for laughs and to remind us that things don’t always go according to plan. It’s all fun and games till someone spills the Altoids!
Courtney arrived with the girls on the limo bus and they waited in the back hallway for the guests to be seated before starting down the aisle. I love this shot Ashley got of Courtney stepping through the doors into the sanctuary.
I don’t usually post a ton of photos from indoor church formals, but the light coming through the stained glass windows at Calvary United was beautiful the way it fell on the altar.
It was wonderful to have such a beautiful sanctuary to shoot in after the wedding, especially since it was winter and it could have been below zero outside! We actually changed the game plan for photos after the ceremony. Originally we were going to a park hoping for snow on the ground, but since it was so warm that snow was mostly mud. (Pittsburgh after the snow melts is not so pretty till the grass grows back.) We decided since the church had so many great spots for photos both inside and out that we’d just stay there longer and skip the park all together! It worked out perfectly 🙂
Who would have thought we could have been outside, sleeveless in January!?
One of the most special moments of the day was when a friend of Courtney’s was kind enough to wrangle all three of their dogs into the car and bring them down to the church so that we could get some true family photos with all of their fur kids! Tootsie was so happy to see Courtney and Matt, she gave out kisses!
Since Courtney and Matt planned plenty of time for photos into their wedding day, we were able to take our time at the church and still get down by the water along the north shore. The river had big chunks of ice floating by.
Photobombing! We even got buzzed by the river police in a scene straight out of the movie Striking Distance.
We finished up photos and headed to the reception just a few blocks away at Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall at the Priory. They offer a beautiful winter wonderland package with lighted trees in the off-peak season. Courtney put a lot of thought into the details of their reception and it looked amazing! It may have been 50 degrees outside, but it was a Frozen castle inside the great hall!
Matt and his Mom sharing a dance together.
Let’s talk about this outstanding traditional pittsburgh cookie table. Pizzelles, chocolate covered oreos, and iced snowflakes; it was a fabulous spread with a giant ice sculpture as its centerpiece. Working in the wedding industry, you become something of a cookie table connoisseur. These families have really set the bar high for all the cookie tables to live up to this year!
Courtney had a gorgeous fur cape that we wanted to photograph as our last shot of the night 🙂 It was a perfect send off for a Pittsburgh winter wedding !
To see more of Courtney and Matt’s story, check out their Hartwood Acres engagement session.
Ceremony: Calvary United Methodist Church, Pittsburgh
Reception: Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall at the Priory
Entertainment: PJ the DJ of Entertainment Unlimited
