GRAND HALL AT THE PRIORY AND CALVARY UNITED METHODIST NORTH SIDE PITTSBURGH WEDDING

Ashley and Bill were married on a warm spring day at Calvary United Methodist Church on the North Side of Pittsburgh.  After that, we headed over to the Grand Hall at the Priory for their wedding reception.  It was such a fantastic day.  We had a wonderful time celebrating with Ashley, Bill, and their families!  Here are some of my favorite shots from the day…

Ashley got ready with her bridesmaids at the Blumengarten House (a part of the Priory Hotel)…

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Tristan was with Bill and the guys as they got ready …

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Ashley was a gorgeous bride …

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After everyone was done getting ready, we left for the church…

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Calvary is one of the prettiest churches in Pittsburgh where you can have your wedding ceremony.

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Married!!!

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We walked over the Roberto Clemente Bridge to Heinz Hall for some portraiture after the ceremony…

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The Grand Hall at the Priory is always beautiful, and Ashley’s purple, green, and silver wedding colors made it gorgeous.

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Thank you Ashley and Bill for the HONOR of being your wedding photographers.  We love you both and wish you the best as you start your life together as husband and wife!!

CEREMONY – Calvary United Methodist Church, North Side

RECEPTION – The Grand Hall at the Priory

DRESS – MB Bride

MAKEUP – Dom Dozier, Pretty Hair Salon

HAIR - Tsambiko Stephen Capperis

FLOWERS – Bolsinger Flowers

CAKE – The Priory Bakery

DJ – 2nd II None Productions

CEREMONY MUSICIANS – Chamber Light Players from Symbiotic Collusion

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER – Weddings by Alisa

CHRISTINA & MEGAN’S DOWNTOWN SESSION

I had the pleasure of photographing my good friend Christina with her new wife, Megan last week.  I love how they are so in love 🙂

Here are my favorite photos from that evening:

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SHADYSIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WEDDING

In my opinion, one of the most beautiful churches in Pittsburgh at which to have your wedding, is Shadyside Presbyterian Church.  There are a few things to know when having your ceremony at Shadyside Presbyterian…..the most important thing to know is that your wedding photographer is NOT allowed inside the sanctuary during the ceremony.  This is completely understandable, since the ceremony is sacred, but it makes the photographer’s job very difficult.  I LOVE a challenge!  Every time I’ve been there, I’ve had a great experience, and I can’t wait to go back!

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This couple decided to have a “first look” before their ceremony.  There are so many places to go for portraiture inside and outside of the church….

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As the photographer, you are allowed in the choir loft as the bride walks down the aisle…..but you have to come down right as she gets to her groom at the top of the aisle.

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Since photographers aren’t allowed in the sanctuary during the ceremony, this is the view we have…….

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We are still able to create photos, but they just need to be captured through the crack in the door……

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No problem!  Photo on left was taken through the door.  The photo on the right was taken after the church lady opened the doors.

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Thank you to Katia Forero for having me along for the ride at this wedding!

BEST OF 2013 – BUBBLE EXITS AT WEDDINGS

There are a lot of neat things guests can do to celebrate the bride and groom as they exit the church.  One of my favorite things is blowing bubbles at the couple as they leave….

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STRING QUARTETS FOR WEDDINGS IN PITTSBURGH

String quartets or trios at a wedding ceremony or cocktail hour are a very personal touch.  Live music really makes it an intimate affair.

I played a few weddings with my group, Hot Metal Strings last year.  This wedding took place at Lingrow Farm:

Live music for outdoor wedding ceremony

It is impossible to play and shoot simultaneously, so this is our violinist and cellist getting ready to play….

Live music for outdoor wedding ceremony at Lingrow Farm

Jeanne Tupper, our cellist, on the left…….Maureen Conlon, our violinist, on the right.

Live music for outdoor wedding ceremony in Pittsburgh

My vantage point during the wedding ceremony.  (Not bad, if I do say so myself!)

Getting married in an outdoor ceremony in Pittsburgh

I love the sky blue bridesmaid dresses with the cowboy boots!

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Beautifully decorated barn reception space…

Lingrow Farm reception space in barn

The wood accents at this wedding reception were great…

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BEST OF 2013 – CUTTING THE CAKE

Besides the bride walking down the aisle, I think this is the second most photographed moment at a wedding…..cutting the wedding cake.  It’s always fun to feed your new spouse a big hunk of cake and icing in front of a crowd of 100-200 people!  You never know what is going to happen…..

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PITTSBURGH COOKIE TABLE

Planning on having a wedding cake at your reception?  Yep.  Are you having a cookie table, too?  ABSOLUTELY!!!  It is astounding how much work  goes into making 2,000+ cookies for a wedding.  Traditionally, mothers, aunts, grandmas, and friends band together to accomplish this delicious feat.  The results are SO SWEET. (see what I did there? ha!)

This cookie table was one of the most impressive that I’ve ever seen here in Pittsburgh.  There were mountains of cookies on this table.  I think I can recall the bride telling me that there were tons more in boxes behind the scenes, ready to be put out for cookie-hungry guests!

Largest cookie table in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Western Pennsylvania Cookie Table

Such an impressive display!

Cookie table tradition in Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh

Another impressive table of sweetness….

Cookie table tradition in Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh

So, what kinds of cookies are you thinking about including on your cookie table?  Here are photos (and recipes) of the most common cookies I see at Pittsburgh weddings:

KOLACHE (a type of Czech pastry)…

Kolache on Pittsburgh Cookie Table

BISCOTTI

Biscotti and Pizzelles on Pittsburgh Cookie Table

BUCKEYES….

Buckeyes on Pittsburgh Cookie Table

PIZZELLES

Pizzelles Italian Cookies for Pittsburgh Cookie Table

PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS

Peanut Butter Blossoms Hershey Kiss cookies on Pittsburgh Cookie Table

COCONUT MACAROONS

Coconut Macaroons on Pittsburgh Cookie Table

LADYLOCKS

Ladylocks on Pittsburgh Cookie Table

SNICKERDOODLES

Snickerdoodles on Pittsburgh Cookie Table

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES….

Chocolate chip cookies on Pittsburgh Cookie Table

SUGAR COOKIES….

Sugar cookies on Pittsburgh Cookie Table

Other cookies that are om-noms, but not pictured here: Russian Tea Cookies, Thumbprints, and Chocolate Espresso Snocaps

What kind of cookies do you have made for YOUR cookie table?

Pittsburgh wedding photographer Alisa Innocenti specializes in taking candid, colorful, timeless, classic, and modern photos at your wedding in Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Morgantown, Wheeling, and Erie.


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