Joe & Lauren // DoubleTree by Hilton Wedding in Downtown Pittsburgh, PA

I love hearing the story of how a couple met & fell in love. It’s always so delightful to follow the thread of story back to the beginning & to realize how all the pieces just “fell into place” to put two individuals in the same rotation of life.

Lauren never planned to move to Pittsburgh. The Steel City wasn’t even on her radar. But, when she & her best friend graduated from college & her best friend landed a job in Pittsburgh, Lauren made good on an old promise that the two of them would live together as they started “adult life” after school. So, fate brought her to Pittsburgh to do life with her best friend Kelsey.

Lauren lived in the city for about 2 years before taking a new job at BNY Mellon. Her first day on the job was red-letter. Not just because it was an exciting opportunity or a great place to work, but because that was the day she met Joe. She instantly caught Joe’s eye & as the days followed, Joe knew that he simply needed to get to know Lauren better.

One day, not too long after starting at BNY Mellon, Lauren misplaced her phone. Joe eagerly volunteered to help her look for it & nonchalantly asked for her phone number in order to call the lost phone. From that moment on, Joe & Lauren became best friends. Joe loved to make Lauren laugh, and it wasn’t long before Lauren fell head-over-heels for this sweet, caring, compassionate, silly guy.

About 18 months ago, Joe asked Lauren to marry him. And on Saturday, they officially promised to continue being each other’s best friends, for the rest of their lives. It was a beautiful day of celebration – filled to the brim with Lauren & Joe’s family & closest friends. Everyone was just so happy. Everywhere you looked, there were people laughing – it was contagious! As Lauren & Joe made their rounds to visit with their guests (stopping every once in a while to take a break & tear up the dance floor) the level of joy in the room simply got higher. I literally could not have asked for a better wedding day to kick off my 2019 season!

Lauren & Joe – you both have been such a delight to work with! The whole day just flowed so effortlessly & I think it’s because of how relaxed & caring the two of you are. It was your big day, but you both were constantly looking out for the people around you – specifically your bridal party & immediate family members. You both were more interested in making sure that everyone else was taken care of, then sitting back & simply letting everyone take care of you. Trust me, wedding days don’t always go that way, but when they do, there is just an extra level of sweetness that is heaped on, that elevates the day to a whole new level. I wish nothing but amazing happiness for the both of you as you start your new lives as husband & wife!

Lauren’s little cousin was the flower girl & she was the absolute sweetest little thing! The relationship between Lauren & Julia was just so precious!

I could already tell that Julia, the little flower girl, was going to steal the show, but then Ethan, the little ring bearer, got added to the mix when we arrived at the church & I knew it was all over for Lauren & Joe! Julia & Ethan were clearly the stars of the show!

I absolutely LOVE these two photos! They were taken just split seconds apart – the first as Joe was waiting to see his bride for the very first time and the second is the gigantic smile that broke out the moment he saw Lauren & her Dad step into the doorway of the church.

Don’t mind me! Just slightly obsessed with this image that my amazing friend & second-shooter for the day, Darcie, grabbed!

See? I told you – little show-stealers!

One of the amazing things about having a wedding ceremony at the Church of the Epiphany & the wedding reception at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – is that they are walking distance from one another! And it was a beautiful day on Saturday to walk!

As if Julia (the little flower girl) wasn’t adorable enough, this is Ethan & his Dad – Joe’s brother!

After portraits at the Mellon Green, it was back to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel for the reception.

One of the most amazing things about the DoubleTree by Hilton in Downtown Pittsburgh is that they have a rooftop space that they allow brides & grooms up on for portraits! There was just one tiny problem on Saturday afternoon: at 7:45pm – the time we were scheduled to run up to the rooftop – it was pouring down rain. The rain that had held off all day long finally broke lose & it was downpouring. We decided to keep an eye on the weather, and if the rain broke, we’d try to run up on the roof as quickly as we could. And sure enough, about 20 minutes later, we saw the rain stop & we dashed up to the rooftop just as the sun was peaking back out from behind the stormy clouds. It was delightful & some of my very favorite photos ever!

After about 15 minutes on the roof, it was back inside where DJ Manny was getting the party started! And he rocked the house for the rest of the night!

Huge shout-out and thank you to the amazing team of vendors, as well as friends & family, who helped make Joe & Lauren’s wedding day absolutely perfect!

Ceremony Venue: Church of the Epiphany in Pittsburgh, PA
Reception Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown Pittsburgh, PA location
Portrait Location: Mellon Green in Pittsburgh, PA
Catering: DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown Pittsburgh, PA location
Cake Bakery: Bethel Bakery in Bethel Park, PA
Invitations: Basic Invite
Hair Stylist: Brooke Rockwell Hair Design in Pittsburgh, PA
Makeup Artist: The Pittsburgh Stylist aka Tamie Konzier in Pittsburgh, PA
Bridal Gown Retailer: Bridal Beginnings in Pittsburgh, PA
Bridesmaids Gowns Retailer: Azazie
Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse in Pittsburgh, PA
Bouquets & Corsages: The Faux Bouquets – Etsy Shop
Reception Flowers: Harold’s Flower Shop in Pittsburgh, PA
Ring Designer: Gala Jewelers in White Oak, PA
DJ: Power Bomb Productions – DJ Manny in Pittsburgh, PA
Assistant Photographer: Darcie Lindsay Photography in Pittsburgh, PA
Photographer: Kara Abbey Photography in Irwin, PA