a bride and groom stand on a cobblestone street near Schenley Park Cafe and Visitors Center

Weekday Weddings

I love weekday weddings! So when Amy and Cyrus contacted me about their wedding that was to take place on a Wednesday in a little less than 6 weeks, I was thrilled. It was an intimate wedding with only a few friends and immediate family. The couple really put a priority on photos and laid out a plan that took us from Point State Park to Phipps Conservatory to the Gatehouse at Schenley Park to the Grand Estate at Hidden Acres – with photo shoots at each place! If you look at the weddings on my website you’ll see that storytelling and moments are my jam. I definitely like to do portraits but the typical wedding day doesn’t have a lot of time built in for extended sessions with just the couple. But I was up for the challenge and brought a lighting assistant along with me so that we could move fast.

In the end, I didn’t need to worry because Amy and Cyrus were so excited to be married and so cute together that it wasn’t all that hard. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day:

We started out at Point State Park:

a bride and groom smile and gaze at each other nose to nose in the tunnel beneath the highway at Point State Park

The sun in the middle of the day can be harsh, so I brought along a portable studio light to make sure that the couple looked great!

a bride stands in a sunlit field in her wedding dress at Point State Park weddinga groom stands smiling in a sunlit field during his point state park wedding. He wears a dark jacket, blue tie, gray vest, gray pants and blue suede shoes.

If it’s a nice day you can bet that there are always a ton of people out. I think it’s best to embrace it and work out how to make good photos while incorporating the crowds.

a brides smiles and stands by the allegheny river in her wedding dress while runners in bright clothes pass by.

But if you’re patient, you can usually find a minute for the couple to be alone.

a bride and groom hold hands and smile at each other as they walk along the river at Point State Park.a bride and groom hold hands as they smile and pose in front of the point state park fountain

I noticed pretty early on that Cyrus likes to carry Amy. It was so cute and it went on all day!

a groom carries his bride as they step off of a small stone wall at Point State Park.

The Ceremony

The ceremony took place in the Broderie Room at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Big or small, Phipps is a great place for a wedding. Amy’s cousin provided the music.

a boy plays the saxophone surrounded by flowers in the Broderie Room at Phipps Conservatory during a wedding.

The looks on their faces said everything about their feelings. They were so happy:

a bride smiles at her groom as they face each other during their ceremony in the Broderie Room at Phipps Conservatory wedding.A groom smiles as the reverend makes a joke during the ceremony at a Phipps Conservatory Wedding.a bride and groom say their vows surrounded by yellow flowers in the broderie room during their Phipps Conservatory wedding.

At the end of the ceremony:

a groom carries his bride through the paths in the broderie room at the end of their Phipps conservatory wedding. They smile while a woman in a red dress sits at the left.the brides mother wears a red dress and hugs her daughter after her Phipps conservatory wedding.

The Broderie Room is a lovely space. It’s a representation of a formal garden that would be found at a French chateau during the reign of Louis XIV in the 17th century:

a bride and groom embrace in a garden with purple accents after their phipps conservatory wedding in the broderie room.a bride in a white dress smiles with closed eyes while leaning into her groom. There are statues of women in the background with purple bunting hanging off of a trellis.

At the aquatic garden outside of Phipps:

a bride and groom smile and pose by a pond after their Phipps Conservatory Wedding.

Heading to the front entrance of Phipps for a group photo:

a groom carries his bride after their phipps conservatory wedding.

The Reception

Amy and Cyrus planned a dinner just across Panther Hollow Road at the Schenley Park Cafe. So while their guests were having cocktails we found some nice light in the park:

a groom kisses his bride in dappled sunlight at Schenley Park

A toast:

a bride and groom toast with their wedding guests at the Schenley Park cafe and visitors center

Amy and Cyrus share a private moment at the end of dinner:

a bride sits on her grooms lap and smiles at him during their wedding reception at the schenley park cafe and visitors center.

We drove up to the Grand Estate at Hidden Acres after dinner. Amy and Cyrus rented the entire place so that they and their guests could all stay there:

a bride and groom embrace in front of golden fairy lights during their Grand Estate at Hidden Acres wedding.

We loved the red felt on the pool table in the game room. It’s the symbolic color of happiness 😊

a bride and groom lean on a pool table with a red felt top and smile at each other during their grand estate at hidden acres wedding.

The staircase reminded me of the Golden Ratio <– I’m an art nerd 🤓

a bride and groom embrace on a spiral staircase next to a chandelier during their grand estate at hidden acres wedding.

Fireworks!

Cyrus arranged for a fireworks display. A perfect way to end their Grand Estate at Hidden Acres wedding!

a bride and groom embrace in front of red and green fireworks at the end of their grand estate at hidden acres wedding.

Filed under: Grand Estate at Hidden Acres Wedding, Phipps Conservatory Wedding, Wedding Portraits