Nestled amidst the picturesque landscapes of rolling green hills and mature trees, Edgewood Country Club is an excellent wedding venue for the couple that wants beautiful views and an elegant reception space. This exclusive club has established itself as a premier destination for social events, golf enthusiasts, and refined dining. The club's luxurious clubhouse, adorned with elegant décor and panoramic views, provides an impressive backdrop for your wedding guests to dine, dance, and relax. The large open bar area is a classy and exciting option for your cocktail hour, giving your guests the ultimate surprise when the doors to the grand ballroom open to revel your decorated reception space.

Situated directly beside the main ballroom, couples can enjoy an outdoor ceremony location complete with chairs, an arbor to hold your floral arrangements, and of course a sweeping view of the course. There are plenty of options for family photos, bridal party photos, and couple’s photos all within walking distance.

Diana and Jon had an absolutely perfect, low-stress day at the Edgewood Country Club. We started the day at off-site locations where each member of the wedding party got ready for the day ahead, then we met at the club’s beautiful and spacious lounge for an extremely sweet and emotional first look between the couple. Apparently it’s hard to make Diana cry, but judging from her reaction to Jon and the story of her proposal, I’m not so sure she’s as stoic as she thinks:

“While the family was taking photos on New Years Day after the ball drop, this was when Jon got down on his knee to propose to me, and I immediately burst into tears. Which is funny because I am normally an emotionless rock and he told me that because I cried, that's how he knew my Yes was real and that I really love him haha.”

(Diana cried so much, in fact, that my second shooter and I had to re-do her makeup!) After that epic first look, we walked to a beautiful shady spot overlooking the golf course and took some portraits, then met up with the bridal party to take portraits with them! Because Diana and Jon were the best pre-planners we have EVER worked with, we even had time to get in some family portraits before the ceremony as well!

After the ceremony we snuck in a few more family portraits and then the couple was able to join their cocktail hour! I highly recommend doing a first look, and this is the biggest reason why!! Get the photos out of the way before your friends and family come for the day, that way you can spend as much time as possible with the people you love, not your photographers!

The amazing dinner was provided by the country club and fueled us all through the night as we “danced through the decades”, a unique and fun request from the bride and the groom! We stepped out for some sunset photos later in the night and were able to capture some gorgeous golden light before the couple headed back in to tear up the dance floor!

I can’t thank this amazing team of vendors below enough for helping to not only make my job super easy, but most importantly craft the best day ever for the new Mr. and Mrs.!

• Gown: Blanc De Bridal Boutique - Brand: Alexandra Grecco

• Hair and Makeup: Julea Beauty Bar

• Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo

• Suits: Men's Warehouse

• Rings: Henne Jewelers

• Florals: Jim Ludwig's Blumengarten Florist

• Cake: Tasty Bakery

• Catering: Edgewood Country Club

• DJ: Royal Heir DJ

• Videographer: Dorosh Documentaries

• Second Photographer: Jenna Dunsmore Photography

If you’re looking for a unique wedding location in the city, this North Shore wedding at the Foundry Table & Tap is full of inspiration for your intimate wedding ceremony in downtown Pittsburgh. The Foundry has a semi-private room in the back that can accommodate around 50 people and is accessed by a walk through the restaurant, but with the heavy sliding barn doors to seal it off once you're in there, we were able to have a DJ and play music without disturbing the restaurant guests and visa versa.

The best thing for me was direct access to the Rivewalk on the North Shore right through the glass doors in the back of the room! Finding beautiful photo spots right in the heart of downtown was so easy! We got some great shots of the yellow bridges and the Gateway clipper with the Point in the background, and there were even plenty of picturesque places with cover overhead when it rained. The highlight of the day was taking photos outside on the beautiful river walk and even running into the Pitt marching band!

I’ve known the bride Bre since middle school, and though some might think the pressure is off if you know your clients ahead of time, that wasn’t the case for me! I always want to make sure I do the absolute best job my skills allow - ESPECIALLY for long time friends! This wedding took place in October, when wedding season is winding down and my creativity is almost spent, so I really pushed myself to get some unique shots for Bre and Chris! That night time rain photo is one of my favorite images I’ve ever taken in the past decade!

Bre and Chris have a sweet, fierce love for each other, finding their solace in music and each other. It was a perfect fit having their wedding showcase their love of music that she said “became their identity” as a couple. The band Motionless in White is their favorite, and the couple incorporated some of their favorite anthems into their details, from the concert ticket Save-the-Dates to the record decor at the reception!

I was so honored to be able to document all the special touches that made the day so very personal to both of them. And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to photo a bride with blue and purple hair!!

My husband Brandon served as the officiant and DJ, and we had a wonderful time celebrating the occasion in the laid-back, casual venue. I love when couples trust that their vision and their heart will show up in their wedding photos, and I think we all had the best day doing just that.

Weddings at the LeMont in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania are the standard when it comes to having a classy wedding that has great views of the city without being over-the-top. When Maura and Craig toured the LeMont, they said the thing that swayed them about hosting the wedding there was how down to earth the staff was, simply showing the venue and not pressuring them to make a sale. That’s because the restaurant/banquet rooms speak for them selves. Built in the 60’s and decked out with dark marble architecture and drapery, the Pittsburgh’s “premier 5-star restaurant” boasts an entire wall glass windows. Since the building is perched at the top of Mt. Washington, there is no better place in the city to see the magnificent views than sitting at your sweetheart table with Pittsburgh glowing behind you! I was excited to work here and wanted to make sure we did the view justice!

We started the day at the couple’s new house where the vibe was so very chill, thanks in part to the small bridal party but mostly because everyone was just happy to be present and not worried about every little thing going perfectly. The couple met through mutual friends, and this marketing-director and math teacher combo made for the most sweet, chill, stress-free couple I had the pleasure of working with this year!

The details were perfectly curated to represent both class and whimsy, words that I feel describe the bride perfectly. I loved styling her Badgley Mishka shoes with bows, monogrammed Mrs. Box, and her family heirloom veil.

After a relaxed morning, I drove Maura to Grandview Park where we met up with her groom Craig and we had the sweetest first look! Even though it was past-peak for the autumn leaves, we still had brilliant colors in the trees! Since the park is flanked by a school and a playground and it was in fact a Friday, we were greeted by a few classrooms out for a walk with their teacher. The kids went wild when they saw the bride in her beautiful boho dress, and asked if she was “marrying Prince Charming.” They squealed with delight when she said that she was actually marrying a math teacher!

Portraits were so easy and fun with these two. The time flew by, and soon we were ready to head to the beautiful church for the ceremony. Saint Mary of the Mount is equally stunning on the inside as the popular overlooks of the city are on the outside. With vaulted ceilings and beautiful stained glass, it all but guaranteed dramatic wedding photos! After the ceremony we took the traditional family photos at the altar and then headed outside with the bridal party to get some group shots on the famous Mt. Washington overlooks. We were very fortunate to have a warm and not very windy day in November!

A short walk to the LeMont eliminated transportation and parking stress, and once we were set up, the couple was announced in and all the guests enjoyed the classic rock band that played the night away. The brides father even made a guest appearance for a few songs, including one that he learned just for the groom Craig, a song from his favorite movie “That Thing You Do.” The dance floor flooded with guests as the party started to take off, rivaled only by the excitement when the cookie table (but really “room” is more appropriate here) was finally unveiled!

The bride helped orchestrate and plan the most epic variety of delicious cookies, with lots of family pitching in to add to the delicious offerings. What’s a Pittsburgh wedding without a Pittsburgh Cookie table, after all? The bride’s sister, who owns a wildly successful baking small business, Micah Made Cookies, made amazing shortbread with chocolate on top, the groom scooped up some of his favorite butterscotch haystack cookies, and everyone’s favorite, the bride’s Milk Bar cookies, flew off the platters in record time! (she was sweet enough to give me the recipe!)

We ended the evening with a quick walk to the Duquesne Incline where we got a few dramatic night-time shots of the city and a few more calls of congratulations from on-lookers and the nearby restaurant patrons. For being the wedding I was most worried about (a new fancy venue, city-driving, parking, a big and beautiful and DARK church) it was the least stressful wedding day this season! Thank you so much to the vendors below (including my incredible assistant Ben Lloyd and my second shooter Jon Blanchard for carrying ALL of my gear uphill to the LeMont) for making this day incredible!

---

Supporting local and small business was important to the couple - here are some of Pittsburgh’s best!

Ceremony: St. Mary of the Mount, Mt. Washington

Venue/Catering/Cake: Lemont

Second Photographer: Jon Blanchard Photography

Gown: BHLDN

Suits: Berk's Menswear & Tuxedo Shop

Shoes: Badgley Mishka

Rings: Custom made by The Harp and Hound Jewelry

Bride’s Hair: Spencer at Chariot and Vine Salon

Groom’s Hair: La Pomponnee

Makeup: Makeup Design Studio and Day Spa

Accessories: Mrs. Box

Cookies: Bride + Family; Micah Made Cookies

Florals: Bride’s Mother

Band: The Good Guys

Weddings at the Renaissance Hotel in Pittsburgh are a great mix of modern and elegance, with so many fun opportunities to showcase the city in order to get epic Pittsburgh wedding photos. This venue can be very challenging to light, with the gorgeous grand staircase and vaulted ceilings with dark purple glass dome - but luckily this isn’t my first day on the job!

I got to know Camille and Zachary when we did their adorable engagement session at Mellon Park with their pup Olive - and even though we had to work around the timing of the Pittsburgh Marathon and then got caught in a downpour, it was one of the best engagement sessions ever because THEY were just so happy and in love. It makes a huge difference in front of the camera working with couples that just love to be around each other. The two met online in the early days of the pandemic, and when they had their first date, they tackled all of the hard topics - religion, politics, etc. to really “cut to the chase” and see if they were compatible. Things worked out well, and they decided to quarantine together with Zach’s roommates during lockdown and their relationship grew at warp-speed! It was so fun getting to learn about them and just seeing the down right GIDDINESS they have around each other. Oh, and they are both super-smart scientist grad-students. They are perfect together!

We started the day in the gorgeous Heaven Suite at the Renaissance Hotel, where I was greeted with the MOST KIND group of friends and family ever (like seriously, they offered us snacks, lunch, and drinks!). The whole vibe was calm, happy, and pleasant, which means EVERYTHING on wedding morning! I always start wedding day photographing the small touches that make the day feel like “you.” Camille’s details featured a water-color rendition of the Renaissance Hotel on their invitation suite, and a hand-drawn Pittsburgh skyline for the save the dates! Jewelry was of course the timeless yet very trendy-for-2022 pearls found on her necklace, earrings, and hairpiece. The wedding dress was the perfect combination of classy and whimsical with a beautiful satin top and a full skirt covered in flowers.

When we went to spend some time with the groomsmen, we found Zachary helping head up the floral decorations on the grand staircase when we arrived. He and his groomsmen looked sharp in their classic black tuxedos and bowties. Once everything was set for the ceremony and everyone was ready, the couple opted for a first look so we could get some photos outside in downtown Pittsburgh before the ceremony started.

The Renaissance Hotel is conveniently located just steps away from one of the most iconic bridges in Pittsburgh, the Roberto Clemente bridge, which always makes for a great photo-op… except when it’s under construction! Luckily the bridal party was happy to walk just a block down the street to the bridge’s twin, the Andy Warhol bridge. Even though there were TONS of people out and about for a Kenny Chesney concert AND a summer festival happening on the same block, we were able to get some great photos by the tree-covered walkways, on the sides of the bridge, and even a few quick snaps walking across!

The ceremony was very sweet, drawing on the love and closeness that Camille and Zachary had grown over the last 2 years. With a quick kiss and a breaking of the glass (Mazel tov!), the two were officially Mr. and Mrs. Since most of the photos were done beforehand, we had time to get a GIANT photo will all 100 guests in on the grand staircase, which was a logistical and lighting challenge that we happily rose to!

Guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the second floor, strolling the marble halls with cookies and cocktails in hand. The Symphony Ballroom was stunning with gold Charivari chairs, floral centerpieces from Blumengarten, and custom etched drink ware for guests. My husband provided music with his company Royal Heir DJ Services, and after a quick getaway to take some night-time photos on the terrace of the Heaven Suite, it was officially a successful wedding day!

I loved being back at the Renaissance - I hope you enjoy some of the highlights from this special day!

---

Vendors:

Photography: Jill Gearhart Photography assisted by Tommy Seibert

Venue: Renaissance Hotel Pittsburgh

Invitation Suite: Brown Fox Creative

Gown: Bridal Beginning

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

Hair and Makeup: Black Label Society

Florals: Jim Ludwig’s Blumengarten Florist

Cake: Pastries a la Carte

Officiant: Brandon Stiffler

DJ: Royal Heir DJ Services

A night-time, winter wedding at Phipps Conservatory is no less beautiful than having your wedding during the summer there - the beautiful wedding venue still has stunning topiary displays to dazzle guests, and when you follow it up with a wedding reception at the University Club on the Pitt campus, your guests are in for a very special, upscale experience!

I was honored to be able to capture these special nuptials a few months ago. The relaxed day started with family and bride and groom portraits in Pittsburgh’s beautiful Mellon Park, and then the ceremony took place under a night sky inside the conservatory’s Broderie Room, decorated with rich reds for the post-holiday season.

After a champagne toast, the couple wandered through the conservatory rooms where we captured some unique night-time wedding portraits among the cactus and fountains. We later joined up with the guests at Pitt’s University Club Ballroom where the guests enjoyed a delicious dinner while reconnecting with family inducing the intimate reception.

Enjoy the shots below of some of the most beautiful spots in Pittsburgh like you rarely see them - in winter, and at night!

When COVID wrecked their original plans to get married at the Renaissance Hotel in Pittsburgh, Janelle and Zac rolled with the punches like so many 2020 couples had to and planned two separate events to incorporate both safety AND their original dream and vision for their day.

The first event, the ceremony and reception, was a totally outdoor event at a friend’s property, high on a hilltop in the beautiful McDonald, PA. They were still able to incorporate elements from the original plan, like their beautiful invites from Paper Chasers, their sentimental details including Janelle’s grandma’s ring and handkerchief, and much of their original vendors for the reception (check those out below!)

We started the day at the couple’s beautiful new home where their sweet pups Sophie and Barley got to join in on the action too along with friends and family. We even got to do a first look right in front of the home Janelle and Zac built together, which was a very special moment. The ceremony, reception, and fireworks display (!!) were gorgeous in the pastoral hilltop setting, and the DJ threw one heck of a party under the stars!

Even though the “Plan B” day was perfect, we still wanted to capture their wedding portraits in the city that Janelle and Zac both love, so a month later we reconnected for a few hours of strictly portraits downtown and at the Renaissance, their original venue.

The city portraits were something we ALL were looking forward to, and that urban atmosphere plays a big part in their relationship. When I asked Janelle about how they got engaged, she said “Zac and myself both love New York City. New York city is one of the first big trips we went on together a few years back and we have been visiting yearly ever since. We always talked about getting engaged on an ice skating rink at Christmas time. In November 2018 we went to New York to see the Christmas lights and went skating at Bryant Park. After skating for an hour, Zac requested a picture and then proposed! He planned a romantic dinner across the river with the skyline in the background.”

Capturing the Pittsburgh skyline was something that was paramount, so the couple booked the Heaven Suite in the Renaissance, a gorgeous upscale room with a private terrace showcasing the best views of Pittsburgh. After some stunning and unique photos on the iconic yellow Roberto Clemente Bridge, and in the grand marble staircase in the hotel lobby, we headed to the terrace in the Heaven Suite to experience a rooftop view of Pittsburgh that was breath taking and the perfect way to end our wedding photo experience! I hope you enjoy the highlights of both days, and be encouraged that if you too have to go “plan B”, there’s always a creative way to incorporate some of what you originally dreamed of.

---

Vendors:

Photography - Lead Photographer: Jill Gearhart Photography; Second Shooter: Jonathan Blanchard

Gown - Exquisite Bride, Murrysville

Hair - CC Salon

Makeup - Emily Van Scoy & Co.

Bridesmaids Dresses - Exquisite Bride, Murrysville

Suits - Top Hat Tuxedo

Rings - LJ Marks Jewelers

Invitations - Paper Chaser

Florals - Berries and Birch Flower Design Studio

Cake: Oakmont Bakery

Catering: Renaissance Pittsburgh

DJ - DJ Climax (Bobby Kramer)

Videographer - Legendary Celebrations Cinematography

Coordinator - Fallon DiRiggi, Renaissance Pittsburgh

Even though it may be the last label you would want for yourself, being a “covid bride” can actually have some bright spots, namely getting to choose a separate time and location for some pretty spectacular wedding portraits. Lydia and Tyler initially set a date for the summer of 2020, but then wanted to move the date up to avoid some of the consequences of waiting to have their wedding in the midst of a pandemic. Choosing a small, safe ceremony with just friends and family, the two were able to “make it official” and then save the “big celebration” for a later, safer date.

One of the best parts of this scenario was that we were able to pick a separate date specifically for portraits, one that worked for everyone’s schedule, and also choose a location SOLELY on photos, without having to worry about it’s proximity to a church or a reception hall, for example.

I was very excited when Lydia choose Harwood Acres Mansion, as I had this venue on my bucket list for some time. When you arrive, it’s no secret that it is known as a great location to other photographers too - there were at least a dozen other photographers there! But, the way in which I flow through posing and group different types of people combinations together lent itself to keeping us from hunkering down in one location too long, so we were able to share the grounds and explore the entirety of the property, showcasing all that it had to offer.

Popular with not only photographers but also folks just out and about walking their pups, Harwood Acres boasts some amazing stone architecture, romantic courtyards, secret passageways, and beautiful European style stained glass and roofing. If you are considering having your wedding there, or even scheduling a separate shoot for your portraits, you can rest assured that you will have some fairy-tale looking art for your walls. I hope you enjoy these photos that show off one of the best wedding portrait locations in Pittsburgh!

With it’s incredible architecture and dynamic, flippable rooms for large groups, Soldiers and Salior’s Memorial Hall in Pittsburgh truly was one of the best wedding venues I had the pleasure of working in! Brian and Liz’s elegant wedding offered some of the most stress-free and accommodating benefits that an upscale wedding couple could hope for. The wedding coordinators made everything effortless for not only the vendors but the bridal party and guests as well. .

The day started with the girls getting ready in the Board Room on the 3rd floor, right next to the ballroom where the reception was. The big benefit of this was that the bridal party could leave their things in this room for the day and easily retrieve them when they were ready to leave for the night because it was right beside the reception area. The Board room was also stunning in itself for some great portraits. The rich browns and leather furniture gave everything a painterly look, and the stained glass made for a great backdrop against Liz’a beautiful dress. Besides her exceptional strapless lace ball gown, Liz also wore pearl earrings that her husband-to-be bought her, her grandmother’s pearl necklace, and a very special bracelet. A few months into Brian and Liz’s relationship, he bought each of them matching anchor bracelets when they knew things were getting serious. Functioning as a promise ring of sorts, the anchors symbolized their loyalty to one another as well as their foundation in their faith and their God that anchored their journey from the beginning.

Their beautiful ceremony, held in the first floor auditorium, featured meaningful scripture readings, the sweetest hand-written vows to one another, and a special time of worship songs. From the very first time I met Brian and Liz, I knew their faith played a very important role in their lives, their relationship with each other, and happily, also played an important in their wedding ceremony.

Other than their steadfast faith in the Lord, when first meeting Brian and Liz, the interesting fact that Brian is Canadian is sure to come up shortly after! Brian was born in Canada and Liz grew up in Pittsburgh. Brian ended up moving to Pittsburgh just as Liz was leaving for college, so it would still be some time before they met. Liz had dreams of teaching internationally, but God had other plans. After some time traveling, Liz eventually moved back to Pittsburgh and started teaching at a local school, where one day her coworker told her about “this cute, kind Canadian” she needed to meet. So it ended up the international came to her, instead!

When I asked them about the early days of their relationship, Liz shared that for Brian, it was love at first sight. For her, though, it took a little longer. Brian was certain she was going to fall in love with him, and after a while into our relationship he even told her so! She told him she'd just have to wait and see... but then about 6 months in, told him he was right. :) Since then, Brian and Liz enjoy time together between their busy schedules and always tend to end up grocery shopping when they are together. Or eating chips and salsa, Liz says!

I hope you enjoy the highlights of this amazing day at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial hall!

---

pittsburgh wedding Vendors:

Lead Photographer: Jill Gearhart Photography

Second Photographer: Becca Dietrich

Venue: Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall

Gown: Beloved by Casablanca Bridal  at The White Orchid

Hair + Makeup: Caruso Hair & Esthetics

Bridesmaids Dresses: David's Bridal

Tuxes: Men's Warehouse

Rings: Trinity Jewelers

Invitations: Minted

Florals: Pete Donati Florist

Cake: The Pie Place

Caterer: The Chef and I Catering

Favors: Etsy - A Gift with a Smile

DJ: Royal Heir DJ

Videographer: Dylan White

Pittsburgh’s iconic yellow bridges are a background that is timeless year round, a beautiful setting for wedding portraits that look great even if nothing is in bloom. If you pair that with a sweet, small wedding ceremony in the stunning architecture of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny County Courthouse, you have a timeless and unapologetically Pittsburgh wedding day! I was blessed enough to assist and shoot for a wonderful new friend and mentor Jenna Sasala of Jenna Hidinger Photography, and in this post you’ll find some of the awesome images from our day together!

Allegheny County Courthouse

The Allegheny County Courthouse is a National Landmark, and surprisingly the perfect place for weddings too! The grand staircase shows off the building’s beautiful arches and Romanesque architecture. The staircase is plenty wide to accommodate large bridal parties, and the windows at the top of the stairs allow plenty of beautiful natural light in for perfect portraits! There are lots of spots for post-ceremony portraits as well including wide window sills for sitting, incredible layers of passageways and stone railings to give the appearance of being back in time in a castle far, far away (or Hogwarts, as I liked to imagine!) You can check out this site to learn all the details about booking the courthouse for your ceremony!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Mellon Green Park

Located in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh as just a few minutes walk form the courthouse is Mellon Green Park, a beautiful patch of green tucked amongst Pittsburgh’s most popular buildings downtown like the Omni William Penn Hotel and the US Steel Tower. Weddings inn Pittsburgh don’t just have to be all architecture and urban vibes - this sweet little park has plenty of flowers, trees, benches, and a beautiful water feature.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Andy Warhol Bridge

Right beside it’s more popular brother, the Roberto Clemente bridge, the Andy Warhol bridge is the perfect place to get your “yellow bridge” wedding pictures while not getting trampled by PNC Park foot traffic. It’s unique placement, too, allows for some great cityscapes in the background - especially if you are getting married at the Renaissance Hotel (it’s right in the background!) Just a close walk from several parking garages, this is the ideal spot if you want maximum Pittsburgh in your photos with minimum effort.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

The Renaissance Hotel in Pittsburgh is a gorgeous venue to have your wedding - with a sweeping grand staircase, cozy but elegant reception room, and incredible views of the city from it’s modern suites, it’s everything you could want for your wedding AND after! Not to mention the city’s most iconic yellow bridge, The Roberto Clemente, just steps away from its doors.