Ah, my first wedding blog of 2020! 🎉 It feels good to be back! And truly, I couldn’t think of a better couple to kick it off with. Emily and Jared were married at the end of February at the Atrium in Butler on one of the most beautiful February, Pittsburgh days I could’ve imagined. The skies were blue, the temperature was unseasonably warm, and there were just so many things about this wedding and this couple that made my wedding-loving heart so full!
An important (yet not defining) piece of this wedding day story: Emily and Jared were displaced from their wedding venue nearly two weeks before they were to exchange “I do’s.” They were slated to get married at another venue, which was shut down due to bankruptcy. There are so many reasons why Emily and Jared could’ve been upset, why they could’ve let it ruin their wedding day, but they did not. To them, the important thing was that they were getting MARRIED! Not even a bankrupt wedding venue could spoil their joy - and, let me tell you, there was so much joy on their wedding day.
We started out the day at Emily’s parents’ beautiful home for getting ready photos, then headed off to the Atrium. Emily wore a necklace Jared had given her, featuring blue gems from his grandmother’s engagement ring. The first event upon arriving was a first look between Emily and her dad in the ceremony space, right in front of the wooden cross he made for her and Jared to exchange their vows in front of. It was hard to imagine a better spot!
The ceremony took place in the greenhouse-turned-ceremony-space at the Atrium, and that room has THE most beautiful, natural light. I could’ve shot all day in there! They were gifted some Chick-fil-A goodies during the ceremony, too, which was a fun twist to a traditional wedding ceremony! Photos below ;)
The rest of the day went how most weddings do: photos, ceremony, reception, exit. But something special happened during the reception: Jared played and sang a song he wrote just for Emily, just for that very moment (click here to listen!). It was a beautiful moment, with few dry eyes throughout the crowd!
What I love most about this wedding day was this: it was extremely, incomprehensibly apparent that these two love each other beyond measure - that they were focused on each other, being joined before God, and that THAT is what truly mattered when it came to this day. Don’t get me wrong - this was one beautifully designed and coordinated day, but the physical beauty of the day in no way took over the most important piece as focus: the marriage. And that is what I’ll continue to pray for each and every one of my couples: that they will have a marriage and a relationship far more beautiful than their wedding day, and that they will never let the obstacles leading up to their wedding day take the place of what truly matters.
I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite images from their wedding day below!
Vendors: The Atrium (Ceremony & Reception Venue), Laura Theme (Wedding Planner, greenery, archway), Posies by Patti (bouquets & boutonnières), 2ND II NONE PRODUCTIONS, Sorelle Bridal Salon, Bistro To Go Café & Catering, Eventioneers Event Rentals
