Jul 19, 2022

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden Wedding | Adam + Saige

Whimsical & Magical Wedding at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden

A guide to having the perfect summer wedding

When I first met Saige and Adam, I understood what people mean when they talk about their ideal client. They were the manifestation of everything I had been dreaming of when I thought about who I would love to work with.

A couple who is sensitive and receptive to art, beautiful souls who understand the art of life and love, and are open and vulnerable enough to have a collaboration with me so I can better capture and tell their story.

It’s hard to explain it, and once that meeting was over, I was very excited—I knew I’ve met my match. A few days later I heard back from Saige telling me they wanted to book me for their wedding!

I first met them in person when we did their engagement photo shoot, which, OH MY GOD! Talk about collaboration and just having the best time ever. We were all feeding off each other’s energy and creating beautiful work.

I had been looking forward to their wedding day for months! I knew it was going to be special for many reasons. As much planning and talking we did around the timeline and all the details, I knew there was going to be a level of spinnability where magic was going to happen, and I was going to be able to document the true essence of it all, which is always my goal.

Before we keep going, let’s talk about the beautiful venue they chose, The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden located right outside Downtown Pittsburgh in Oakdale PA. This wedding venue is convenient, beautiful and so accommodating but also a dream come true for a photographer who values nature and plants as much as I do. Not to mention the decoration, which felt like it was out of an Italian villa. I had never photograph there before, and now, I can’t wait to have another wedding there. Haha

The bridal suite at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is an elegant and majestic room with plenty natural lighting and beautiful lighting fixtures. They have a huge mirror which is the perfect spot for when the bride puts on her wedding dress for the first time and sees herself as a bride for the first time. All of the bridesmaids and her mom where there sharing those moments with her, which are truly once in a lifetime moment.

We did their first look at one of the many beautiful open gardens of the PBG, where Adam was waiting for Saige to see her for the very first time in her wedding gown. Their first look was nothing less that intimate and emotional, surrounded by nature and that summer sun shining bright on us, which we crave so much during the winter months in Pennsylvania. 

Right after their first look, Saige and Adam had a private ceremony that was more than words could ever describe, but hopefully photographs can convey the sentiment. They had their bridal party come and see them afterwards which was such a fun idea because that’s when the party started. We had so much fun capturing their personalities and the friendship all of them have.

Right before the ceremony Saige wanted to have a moment with her dads, and I'm so glad she did! We did a first look with her dad and her step dad individually, and it was very special because they got to have that moment with Saige before the ceremony.

The Celebration Garden was where their ceremony took place where all their friends and family came together to see these two tie the knot! All the flowers and details were incredibly thoughtful throughout and everything had a purpose.

Right after the celebration, the cocktail hour continued in the Davidson Event Center, which is a modern, rustic barn like where the cutting of the cake and the first dance took place. The Event Center features a wall of windows overlooking the natural woodland beauty of Western Pennsylvania; rustic chandeliers that add a romantic ambience; and a large plaza providing ample room for seating, mingling, and, of course, dancing!

There are so many options when it comes to all the garden’s 460 acres of land, but Saige and Adam wanted to go to the lotus pond to do their bridal portraits. The bridal photos of just the bride and the groom are one of my favorite parts of a wedding day. This is a moment I beg my couples to consider when we do their timeline because of the value it has.

We walked by the path and the gardens while being able to take in the present moment. A moment to realize their love story is hitting a new high—finally marrying the love of their life! I believe giving the couple the space and time to realize this, transfers beautifully into the photographs.

When we got back to the reception, everybody was full of joy celebrating and having fun.

All in all, this wedding was not only special to them, but to me, and it’s always an honor to capture a love story, it doesn’t matter how many times I do it, each of them is special and unique, and I strive to tell it in the purest way possible.