Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room Wedding

Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room Wedding

Wow! I love it when couples have deep connections to tradition. Maria and Joe’s wedding from a couple of weeks ago was a day that honored their Carpatho-Rusyn and Jewish roots. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the marriage of two lovely people.

A bride and groom smile and embrace at the columns of the Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh after their wedding.

Maria and Joe share a moment before heading down the street to the Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room for their wedding reception. The little spot of red is a gem sewn to Maria’s dress because red wards off evil spirits. Joe had red shoelaces.

Village Traditions

Before the wedding Joe and his family arrived at Maria’s house to ask Maria’s mom for his future wife.

A groom stands at the front door of a house to meet his bride. He's shown two false brides including a broom in a veil and white dress before the real bride comes out.

Maria’s mom Cathy showed him a couple of false brides, including the lovely broom bride in the center. But she couldn’t fool Joe. So then Cathy brought Maria to the door.

A bride and groom stand before their seated parents and ask for their forgiveness and blessings prior to their wedding. A bride kneels before her mom and they laugh.

The starosta (an honored community elder, who is in charge of running and moderating the whole wedding) guided the couple to their parents where they asked for their blessing. Also — and as a parent, this is my favorite part — for their forgiveness for any difficulty they caused when growing up.

Byzantine Catholic Church Wedding Ceremony

Saint John Chrysostom Church in Greenfield and a purple lily in a lush green background.

St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church is the beautiful yellow brick church in Four Mile Run. If you’ve been on the Parkway East it’s the church that sits below Greenfield. One of the things I love about Pittsburgh is that we have these neighborhoods that are separated because of the rivers and hilly topography. I’ve run through there on my way to Schenley Park a hundred times so I was excited to photograph a wedding there!

A bride holding a bouquet of flowers reaches with her other hand to touch the face of her groom prior to their wedding.

Maria and Joe had a few moments alone in the church hall prior to the ceremony.

A bride and groom hold long taper candles as a Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic priest blesses them.

The first part of the ceremony started at the back of the church. Maria and Joe received blessings from the priests as their parents stood alongside.

A Byzantine Catholic priest uses incense to bless the church during a wedding ceremony.

Father Paul blesses the holy table with incense.

A bride and groom hold candles as they stand together during their wedding ceremony in the ornate interior of Saint John Chrysostom Byzantine church.

The screen decorated with icons is at the center of the image while a bride and groom stand together during their wedding ceremony at Saint John Chrysostom church in Pittsburgh.

The sanctuary is beautiful with stained glass and the iconostasis — a partition adorned with icons.

A priest places laurel crowns on the heads of a bride and groom during their wedding ceremony at Saint John Chrysostom church in Pittsburgh.

The Mystery of the Crowning is a symbolic act that represents both the earthly and divine aspects of marriage.

A bride and groom wearing laurel crowns and holding long taper candles look at each other and smile during their wedding ceremony at Saint John Chrysostom church in Pittsburgh.

A priest holding up a crucifix leads a couple as they circle a table in Saint John Chrysostom church during their wedding.

Father John leads Maria and Joe around the tetrapod as hymns are sung.

A series of three photos showing a bride and groom facing each other as the groom stomps on a glass in the Jewish tradition.

Following Jewish tradition at the end of the ceremony Joe’s sister Amy waited for them with a glass for Joe to break. Mazel tov!

A bride and groom celebrate after their wedding at Saint John Chrysostom church in Pittsburgh as a marching band plays for them.

It had been pouring rain the entire time the ceremony was taking place. The rain stopped just as the couple exited the church and the guests were greeted by Colonel Eagleburger’s High Stepping Good Time Band!

A bride and groom are joined by friends as they have a toast after their wedding ceremony at Saint John Chrysostom church in Pittsburgh.

Portraits on the Way to the Reception

A bride and groom sit together at the back of a stretch limousine after their wedding.

Maria and Joe share a moment after the ceremony.

Three photos of a bride and groom outside of the Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus.

Joe is a Pitt alum and a big booster of the school. So we went to some places that are special to him like the Cathedral of Learning and the bronze Pitt Panther statue near the William Pitt Union.

Two photos of a bride and groom at the Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh on their wedding day. One is the bride holding a bouquet of flowers and the other is the couple dancing.

Their Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding reception was just down the street from the Mellon Institute, so we took a short walk up for a few more portraits.

A bride and groom embrace at the Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh after their wedding.

Wedding Reception at Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room

A bride and groom dance at their Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding in Pittsburgh.

The couple entered the cocktail hour and headed straight for the dance floor.

Three older men sing during a Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding in Pittsburgh.

The couple were treated to a performance of Carpatho-Rusyn songs by three of their guests.

A bride and groom look at each other and laugh as they cut a loaf of challah bread during their Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding.

Maria slices a loaf of challah as Joe offers a blessing.

A seated bride laughs as her mother and mother in law prepare to put a bonnet on her head.

Maria’s mom Cathy and Joe’s mom Sheila get ready to place a cap on Maria. This symbolizes Maria’s transition into the responsibilities of married life.

A bride wearing a bonnet dances with a guest as other guests dance in a circle around them at a Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding in Pittsburgh.

Then it was time for the bridal dance where guests lined up and danced with the bride before joining the circle around her.

A bride wearing a babushka is embraced by her mother as guests surround them on the dance floor at her Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding.

Three photos of a groom trying and eventually succeeding in reaching his bride as guests block him during their Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding.

Then it was Joe’s job to break through the circle to reach Maria. The guests didn’t make it easy for him!

A couple reacts as they are raised on chairs at their Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding in Pittsburgh.

Guests raise the couple up in the air during the chair dance.

A bride cheers as her mother and her in-laws are lifted on chairs at her Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding.

Then it was their parents’ turns.

A bride and groom hold hands and dance in a circle during their Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding in Pittsburgh.

Roc the Pittsburgh Panthers mascot dances with his arms out while a bride and groom watch during their Saint Nicholas Cathedral Room wedding.

An appearance from Roc, the Pittsburgh Panthers mascot was a special treat for Joe and the rest of the Pitt alumni at the wedding.

What a great, wonderful day filled with love and joy!

I’ve photographed a bunch of other Orthodox weddings. Here’s one from way, way back: Ashley and Jeff