Jewish Wedding at Hotel Monaco

Lisa and Marc’s wedding at the Hotel Monaco was lovingly planned by the brides mother (and Pittsburgh planner expert) Barbara Rosenberger! Since the bride and groom both reside out of state, having a team of vendors that were both professional, reliable and experienced was paramount to the success of their big day. Read from the happy couple below!

What was your inspiration behind your Jewish Wedding at Hotel Monaco?

I didn’t go into planning with a true “inspo” but my vision came to be classic/timeless, summer, and fun. And we wanted the entire day to really reflect who we are as a couple.

Advice to share with brides planning now?

Do not stress the small stuff….but do expect that you will eventually will get stressed. I was so sure that I was going to be the most low key bride, but sure enough about a month before the wedding I found myself overwhelmed. And then I got mad at myself for being stressed and overwhelmed! I spoke with family and friends who shared their own stories and I felt so much better. I realized no matter how low key you are (or think you are :-)), planning a wedding is A LOT of work and it is totally normal to have some moments where you feel like you may lose your mind. Luckily for me, it was a number of weeks prior to the big day and I was truly about to enjoy every second of the week before and day of our wedding. Also, accept help from your family and friends! It will both help to keep you from being overwhelmed, and help you when you get overwhelmed! 

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?

We had a traditional Jewish wedding. Both my husband and I are Jewish and it felt right to be married by a Rabbi, under the Chuppah with many of the traditional parts of the ceremony. We did work with our Rabbi to put many of our own touches into it though, it it came out a perfect mix of traditional, and “us”.

All About that Bass: Ceremony entrance song? First dance song?

Marc, the groom and the rest of the small wedding party walked down the aisle to Can’t Help Falling in Love. The bridal procession was Pachelbel’s Canon, and the recessional was Signed Sealed Delivered. All played two members of our wonderful band, Free Spirit. We were introduced into the reception to Pearl Jam’s cover of Love Reign O’er Me (originally by The Who). Our first dance song was Grow Old with You by Adam Sandler (from the Wedding Singer). We are both very into music, so we had a lot of fun picking out some non-traditional choices! 

How did you and your spouse meet?

We met on a dating app….how else :-)? 

Proposal Details! How did it happen? 🙂

We had gone ring shopping and been starting talking about planning the wedding a bit, but I didn’t know when he was going to propose. I came home from the office early one day (I usually work from home and was cranky that I had to go in at all) and he surprised me and came home from work early too. He is a teacher and told me to come see some little presents the school had given him for one of the upcoming Jewish holidays. He showed me a rose and a bottle of champagne, which I thought was a bit odd for school to give a teacher, but kinda shrugged it off. Then he brought out a little box and said he also got some “random nick knacks” and then got down on one knee. It was very low key, in our living room, with just our doggie as a witness! It was perfect. 

Venue: The Kimpton Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh

Event Planner: Barbara Rosenberger (who also happens to be the bride’s mother)

Florist: Allison McGeary https://www.allisonmcgeary.com/

Wedding Dress Designer: Rita Vinieris

What was the wedding shopping experience like for you?

My dress was a classic ballgown style with a beautiful train and buttons all down the back. It was plain silk and was simple and elegant. The groom wore a three piece charcoal grey suit and looked simply dashing. The dress shopping experience was pretty easy. I knew I wanted a strapless ballgown, but was not sure of the material. I went to three stores and tried on a bunch of dresses (with just my mom). I had some additional appointments lined up, but realized I could not stop thinking about this dress, so I canceled the rest of the appointments and my mom, sister and I went back to Garnish Boutique and it was a done deal! 

What was your favorite memory from your Jewish Wedding at Hotel Monaco?

It is SO hard to pick one. All the laughs and happy moments with Marc and family and friends. And all the little looks and kisses between Marc and I throughout the weekend.  The ceremony itself was so wonderful and I remember every second of it. We also had a blast dancing at our reception to our absolutely amazing band. One special moment was the last song of the night. We had the band put on Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam after they finished up, and everyone on the dance floor put their arms around each other and swayed and sang. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.  

Photography: Steven Dray Photography

Wedding Dress Boutique: Garnish Boutique

Hairstylist Name: Samantha Glunt from Julia James Salon

Make-up Artist Name: Audra DeLuca from Chanel

Accessory Information: Veil was custom made by Clarissa Boutique

Jewish Wedding at Hotel Monaco Wedding Vendors

Bride’s Shoe Designer: StiloShoes on Etsy

Bride’s Ring Designer: Joyce’s Jewelry

Groom Attire Designer: Joseph Abboud

Groom Ring Designer: Joyce’s Jewelry

Paper Goods and Calligrapher: Party Papers, Denver CO

Handmade Details: CalligarSki

Entertainment: Free Spirit

Bakery:Vanilla Pastry Studio

Linen Rental Company: Lendable Linens