Summer Pittsburgh Botanic Garden Wedding

The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is a special venue — what makes it unique is it looks beautiful and different in each season. I’ve been privileged to photograph weddings here during the fall, winter spring, and most recently this extremely fun summer Pittsburgh Botanic Garden wedding.

While this couple opted to have their ceremony at Saint Mary on the Mount, couples have the option of having their entire wedding in one location. There is ample space for getting ready, the ceremony, cocktails and your reception. There are also a million places to take photos with your bridal party, spouse, family and friends.

The summer is a lovely time to get married regardless of where you have your wedding, but the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden truly shines in this time of year!

Congrats Bret and Kaitlin, your wedding was amazing!

What was your inspiration behind your wedding day? Bret and I wanted to have a traditional ceremony but also incorporate our love for nature and the outdoors.  When we were thinking of where to hold our Catholic ceremony, we knew that St. Mary of the mount would give us everything we wanted.  It is a Pittsburgh icon looking over our beautiful city.  We also didn’t want to be confined within four walls, so when Bret took me to Pittsburgh Botanic Garden I immediately knew that it was the place for us.  Dining al fresco and taking in the sights of all the summer blooms and starry night sky was exactly what we wanted. 

Advice to share with brides planning now? I would tell brides to focus on the pillars of your wedding day.  There is SO MUCH to plan and organize,  but if you start with the big things first everything else will fall into place.  For us that was getting the venue, church, photographer, caterer, and DJ! Another tip would be to let your loved ones help.  While we focused on the big things, our moms really took off with all of the small details for the day.  We couldn’t have done it without them, and their help took a lot of the pressure off of us. 

How did you and your spouse meet? Bret and I met through mutual friends.  The day everything changed for us was at a birthday party at Lumberjaxes and food/drinks at Lot 17 after.   Bret and I had spent all afternoon talking, giving each other googly eyes, and throwing axes.  Then things took a turn at Lot 17.  I sat down with a plate of food with my friend Lauren and her husband.  Bret came over to join us, but after taking a bite of a soft pretzel I quietly excused myself and walked to the bar.  I found Lauren’s mother-in-law and showed her the choking sign.  She immediately began giving me the Heimlich maneuver.  Thankfully, I was able to pass the food and breathe again.  I was mortified though.  After hours of flirting with Bret, I thought this incident completely ruined my chance with him.  Luckily, he was a sucker for a damsel in distress.  He spent the rest of the night talking to me and telling me his own embarrassing stories.  Bret asked me our on our first date the following weekend and the rest was history!

Proposal Details! How did it happen? 🙂 The day Bret proposed to me is the second happiest day of my life.When the pandemic first hit in 2020, Bret received a job assignment in Florida.  I was able to work remotely at the time, so i went with him and we stayed with his parents in Tampa for a few months.  While we were there our favorite thing to do on the weekends was to pack a picnic and head to the beach.  On June 20, 2020 Bret, his sister, parents and I headed to  Lido Beach in Sarasota for the weekend. When we got to the beach that Saturday, Bret told me that no one brought sunscreen, and that we had to walk into town to get some.  We were walking towards the beach path when I noticed Bret fumbling around in his bag.  Once we reached the sand dunes Bret turned around with the ring box in his hand.  He got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife!  Bret’s sister Abby wasn’t far behind.  She captured all of the moments of our proposal on her camera and had a little photo shoot on the beach. We celebrated with bubbly and a picnic.  
The best part was that Bret popped the question early in the day, so we were able to spend the rest of the day soaking up the sun, swimming in the ocean, and enjoying some of our favorite places in town,  I could not believe how much his entire family took a part in planning this day. It was absolutely perfect!

What was your favorite memory from your big day? Bret and I have so any wonderful memories.  As soon as we woke up the next day we wanted to relive it all over again. 

If we had to choose our favorite parts it would be these: Meeting each other at the altar  We both had such an amazing morning with our bridal party, but we were ready to be untied and make it official!  Seeing my man, in a tux, waiting for me was the best feeling.  That feeling was even stronger when we were hand in hand on the altar.  It was the culminating moment I had been waiting for since I met Bret and I was on cloud 9!The speeches at our reception are something Bret and I will always cherish.  My dad, MOH, and the best man had put so much thought into their speeches, and they wee so personal and touching.  I love looking back through the gallery of pictures during the speeches.  You see us go through ALL THE EMOTIONS, and seeing those brought back eery loving word that was shared.Finally, we can’t forget the dancing!  As hot as it was on our wedding day there was no slowing down on the dance floor.  We had an absolute blast dancing the night away with our friends and family.  It was the best celebration we could have asked for. 

The Dream Team:

Getting Ready Location: Hotel Monaco

Hair and Make-Up Austyn – Fluhme Glam Bar and Holly – Fluhme Glam Bar

Florals: Xpressions Floral Designs

Church: Saint Mary of the Mount

Reception: Pittsburgh Botanic Garden

Catering: Tallulah’s

DJ: Andy Booth