Hotel Monaco Wedding

Hotel Monaco Wedding

Christina and Lenny’s Hotel Monaco Wedding in downtown Pittsburgh.

I’d been looking forward to this one for a long time. Sure the Hotel Monaco is a great venue, but the real reason is I’d had the opportunity get to know Christina and Lenny over the year prior to their wedding and learned that they are kind, thoughtful, and genuine people. It’s no secret that Lenny is crazy about Christina, and Christina adores Lenny!

A bride's veil blows in the wind behind her as she faces her husband while they stand on Smallman Street in the Strip District in Pittsburgh near St. Stanislaus (St. Stan's).

Preparing for the Big Day

Christina beams as her mom Patricia helps her get ready at the Hotel Monaco. Look at those dimples!

Black and white photo of a bride smiling in the foreground as her mom clasps a necklace around her neck.

Details, details…

A collage image of a white wedding dress hanging against a green wall at the hotel monaco in pittsburgh. Jimmy Choo strap heels and a bouquet with a rosary wrapped around the stems.

Helping me out on this wedding was the incomparable Annie O’Neill. She was with Lenny and the guys as they got ready at the Duquesne Club.

A young groom laughs as he buttons the shirt to his tuxedo in a room at the Duquesne Club.

A Ceremony Filled with Emotion

Christina was overcome with emotion as she waited at the back of St. Stan’s parish. I love how her girls gathered around to comfort her and help dry her tears.

A bride cries as she is overcome by emotion upon entering the church before her wedding. Her bridesmaids comfort her and dry her tears.

Christina is all smiles as she and her dad John wait for the signal to head down the aisle.

A bride smiles as she stands in the back of St. Stanislaus church with her father before walking down the aisle.

All eyes are on Christina and her dad as they walk down the aisle. St. Stanislaus is a beautiful church.

Viewed from behind, a bride and her father walk down the aisle at St. Stanislaus church.

The look on Lenny’s face as he watches Christina walk towards him pretty much sums up how he feels about her.

A groom watches as his bride walks down the aisle towards him during their wedding at St. Stanislaus church in the Strip District of Pittsburgh.

Maid of Honor Suzanne holds on to her daughter Olivia while she checks out the paintings on the ceiling 🙂

A bride and groom stand in the foreground while a bridesmaid holds her daughter in the background. The daughter lays back and looks at the ceiling with her mouth open.

Annie’s photo. Look at that guy wearing brown shoes with a gray suit 😀

A bride and groom are reflected in the floor of St. Stanislaus church as they kiss in front of the altar during their wedding.

The tears from before the ceremony gave way to laughter afterwards.

A bride and her bridesmaids laugh with joy after her wedding at St. Stanislaus church in the Strip District.

Annie’s photo below.

A smiling groom is congratulated by a groomsman after his wedding at St. Stanislaus church in the Strip District.

Christina’s dad John gives her a big hug as Lenny’s dad Leonard waits his turn to greet his new daughter in law.

A bride hugs her father after her wedding at St. Stanislaus church.

Portrait Time

A portrait outside of the church (Annie’s photo).

A bride and groom look at each other during a portrait as the bride folds her hands over the groom's shoulder and smiles.

After the ceremony the bridal party headed uptown for some photos. Nice socks, guys! Little did we know that this was the last weekend for the Consol Energy Center – now called the PPG Paints Arena.

Two photos: one is a bride and her bridesmaids laughing and smiling at each other in front of the Consol Energy Center. The second photo is a group of groomsmen sitting on a wall with dramatic clouds behind them and flags flying above them.

Then it was back to the Hotel Monaco for some more portraits.

A bridal party stands on the checkerboard floor in the lobby of the Hotel Monaco in downtown Pittsburgh.

The couple practiced their first dance on the rooftop patio at the Hotel Monaco.

A bride and groom are rimmed in sunlight as they practice their first dance on the roof of the Hotel Monaco.

It’s a great spot for portraits.

Portrait of a bride and groom who stand with their hands on their hips.

Annie’s photo below. She’s so good!

A bride and groom are silhouetted against a gap between two buildings in downtown Pittsburgh.

Details

The Sheffield and Sofia Ballrooms were exquisitely decorated. Candles provided an intimate ambiance for dinner. Pastries and treats were set out in the space between the ballrooms for guests to enjoy when they took a break from dancing.

Detail photos of a bottle of wine with a black tag thanking guests for attending a wedding in gold script. A photo of a candle lit table in the ballroom at a Hotel Monaco Wedding in PittsburghPhoto of a beautifully decorated ballroom at a Hotel Monaco wedding. Another photo is of italian pastries with chocolate icing.Candy flowers on top of a wedding cake with banks of yellow lights behind it. Italian tarts arrayed on a plate.

The Reception

Introductions were followed by the couple’s first dance. Afterwards there was a short dance set that worked up an appetite for dinner.

A bride and groom smile at each other as they enjoy their first dance at their Hotel Monaco Wedding.

The toasts were highly entertaining!

Bride and groom laugh as the maid of honor delivers her speech at a Hotel Monaco wedding.Colored stage lights shine on a female singer, a male singer and the guitar player from a band.

Parent’s dances are one of my favorite parts of a wedding reception. The emotions are there for all to see.

A bride dance with her father. Two pictures - you can see each of them smiling in one of the photos.

Meanwhile, Christina’s bridesmaids watch as she and her dad share a dance.

Bridesmaids smile, tear up, and clap their hands while watching the bride dance with her dad at the Hotel Monaco.

Then it was Lenny and his mom Mary Ann’s turn.

A groom and his mom on the dancefloor at the Hotel Monaco in Pittsburgh

Things really got going after the parent’s dances where Christina dances with flower girl Madeline, while Lenny dances with his sister Joanne.

A bride bends down as she dances with a little girl. The groom dances with his sister behind them.A woman spreads her feet and holds her hands out as she shimmies forward in front of a group of laughing women.

The worm is always a hit!

A man has his hands and face on the ground as his feet are up in the air while other guests look on and laugh at the Hotel Monaco.

Christina and her friend Keely tear up the dancefloor!

A woman in a green satin dress dances with a bride in a white dress at her Hotel Monaco wedding.

 

Later in the evening Christina and her sorority sisters from the University of Richmond belt out their favorite song.

Seen from above a bride sings with her hands above her head and her fingers pointing while the girls she's dancing with do the same at her Hotel Monaco Wedding.

Thanks Christina and Lenny for having us there to document your Hotel Monaco Wedding!

If you like this wedding be sure to check out this other great wedding from St. Stan’s Church.

Filed under: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers