Zachary + Camille | Renaissance Hotel, Pittsburgh Wedding
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
