Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall Wedding | Pittsburgh, PA
The “Grand Tour” of Pittsburgh—
That, for us, is how Eddie and Jos’ wedding felt, and honestly was something they were hoping to achieve with their wedding weekend in the very city where they met. These two were some of our first, and have become some of our closest, friends in Phoenix since I photographed their proposal nearly a year and a half ago (we give credit to Eddie for finding us on Instagram, and for being the reason this friendship exists in the first place!). We are so grateful to have been part of their lives over the course of their engagement and now marriage, and to have been the ones to photograph their wedding day too!
Eddie and Jos met in the dorms at Duquesne University. Eddie’s grandfather advised him to bring a tool set with him to school in case any cute girls needed help building anything. Sure enough, Jos needed his assistance early on in dorm life, and a friendship began. Over the course of their time at Duquesne, the friendship evolved into the two falling in love, which brings us to their wedding day years later! Having fond memories of their years at Duquesne, and still having relationships with so many staff members on campus, this became the natural place for Eddie and Jos to return to be married.
We began Eddie and Jos’ day at The Priory, where they and all their guests stayed for the weekend (read our last blog post for more information on why choosing a central location where as many guests as possible can stay for your wedding weekend is so important!). Our couples these days trust us to capture their days in a very photojournalistic, unposed way, but sometimes, they have specific requests for us. One of Eddie and Jos’ was Joe Burrow inspired gameday photos of the guys. We happily obliged. Eddie even found a pair of buffs for the full Joey B effect.
Another request from Eddie and Jos, during their timeline planning meeting (more of a board and bottle double date at Postino than anything 😂), was that we capture as much of the iconic Pittsburgh look throughout the day as possible. They loved the way The Priory was located in a very quintessential Pittsburgh neighborhood, and so we used the surrounding streets and buildings for most of the pre ceremony moments. First looks and bridal party portraits felt more natural this way, and I love how everyone really stayed in the moment and matched the excited energy of Eddie and Jos!
We headed over to Duquesne for Eddie and Jos’ ceremony. They were married by the long time priest on campus, someone they’d developed a close relationship over the years. The whole thing felt so familial and so them. After the ceremony, we finished extended family photos, and then headed on a campus adventure with Eddie and Jos and their bridal party, taking a mix of formal and more nostalgic portraits in significant spots around the university that mean so much to these two and their love story. It was also during this time, roaming campus, that we discovered just how beautifully Jos’ dress moved.
Eddie and Jos hoped to include one of the iconic Pittsburgh bridges in their photos as well, so we boarded our bus and headed over to the Rachel Carson Bridge. I loved joining the bridal party for these in between moments, this one being more of a dance party than anything! We dodged traffic and got some pretty sweet photographs of Eddie and Jos and their bridal party on the bridge and overlooking the Pittsburgh skyline too. I think it was in this moment Joseph and I fully fell in love with this city.
Once Eddie and Jos decided they were over formal photos, we made our way to Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall for their reception. I love the photos we captured of the newlyweds seeing their reception space, their vision coming to life, for the very first time. I’m also so glad we got through our photo adventure so quickly, so they could be present at their cocktail hour! This reception venue is palatial, and we loved utilizing the old choir loft to capture the grandeur of the space. The all-black dress code matched the formality of the space and decor so perfectly. This whole day turned celebratory evening with Eddie and Jos was absolutely iconic, and one we won’t soon forget. We are so grateful.
Here is what Eddie and Jos had to say about their experience working with us: “If you're reading this, you should book Poppy and Vine/ Katie and Joseph. Katie was with us from the start when my husband hired her to capture his proposal on a sunny day after church on a Sunday. She was prompt in responding, helping to communicate during the best times for him (AKA when I was not around), assisted in planning the perfect moment, and captured the moment perfectly. Following the proposal, we did our due diligence in shopping around for photographers, especially as we were getting married over two thousand miles from where we all lived, but nobody quite impressed me like Katie and Joseph. When reviewing galleries, I audibly gasped and looked to my husband in amazement. He informed me we were done looking at other photographers and were going to book Poppy and Vine. Throughout the process, Katie was accessible by email and text, providing keen insight on day-of timeline, shot lists, and honoring our priorities for our big day. Our major priority was not wasting our day stiff and posing in front of the camera, but rather having our day captured through the lens of our guests, friends, and family. My intent was for our pictures to capture the energy and magic of the day and they did! Day of, Katie was a calm, unwavering anchor in the storm of preparation and getting-ready and was able to keep our day flowing. None of the moments felt unnatural, forced, or posed. We received our sneak peak within the week, and our full gallery well before our contract's quote. Katie and Joseph are wonderful, fun loving, hilarious, relatable, and the kind of people you want to spend the best day of your life with. I'm so happy that on the other side of our wedding, they are now our friends whom we get to share the rest of the days of our lives with, not just the wedding day.”
A special thank you to the incredible team who made this day possible, some of Pittsburgh’s very best wedding vendors.
Venues - Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall, The Priory, Duquesne University Chapel / Coordination - Alyson Huth / Flowers - Dormont Florist / Entertainment - Loyalty Events / Beauty - Bloom Beauty Parlor
LOOKING FOR A PITTSBURGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER? EXPLORE OUR PACKAGES AND INQUIRE WITH US!
We’re Katie and Joseph, a husband and wife team, and documentary wedding photographers.
We are big fans of documenting wedding days in an unposed, raw, genuine, and honest way that allows our couples to maximize their experience on their day while also receiving a gallery full of stunning images that communicate how it felt to be there.
Though we’re based in California, we’ll travel anywhere, like Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh is our new favorite city after this trip!!!), for a good love story (and dance party). We invite you to follow the links below to learn more about us and our services, and to get in contact with us!
