Captivating Imagery: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer and Professional Photography Services

Have you heard of the new University Center in Oakland?  Ok, this isn’t an ad, but this beautiful new venue prompted me to post a Oakland venue review as part of my Bride’s Guide.  Oakland is a popular setting for many Pittsburgh weddings, with the surrounding college campuses, beautiful churches and parks.  For a long time, this college town was more limited in reception venues, but the University Club is definitely a stand-out in my opinion.  I photographed a corporate event there in the fall.  However, I don’t have any photos that really show the beauty of this venue, because my assignment was mainly what we photographers call “grip and grins” or informal group shots of guests at the event.  So you’ll have to check out their site to get a sense of what this place looks like.

It seems that lots of brides and grooms nowadays are planning for their ceremony and reception to be close-by to save time in their busy day and also to keep it simpler for guests.

Now there are a lot of gorgeous churches in this neighborhood: Heinz Chapel (photographed above), St. Paul’s Cathedral, Bellefield Presbyterian Church, just to name a few.  Other reception venues include: The Twentieth Century Club, the Concordia Club, the Pittsburgh Athletic Association, or St. Nick’s Cathedral Room, as well as the local hotels.  These venues have the catering covered from linens through glassware.  Other unique venues include Soilders and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, Carnegie Museum or Carnegie Music Hall, and Phipps Conservatory.  These venues might require more planning, for instance, renting chairs and collaborating with outside caterers, etc.

Whew!  There are more Oakland reception venues than I thought.  And that’s just off the top of my head from my experience in photographing events at these locations.

One last consideration if you’re planning for an Oakland wedding: there are plenty of great locations for the photography within walking distance.  Can you tell I’m a fan of Oakland weddings?  Check out a few of the great Oakland locations in the photos below.

For creative portraits, a good location can really set the mood and provide a backdrop that suits the couple’s style.  From time to time, I’ll be listing a few favorite locations for brides who are still in the planning process.

My first recommendation is a park that has a bad rap, but is actually quite stunning.  Highland Park is tucked right above the Pittsburgh Zoo and is best-known as a shady scene.  I wouldn’t recommend going there after dark, but the beautiful fountain and landscaping is very attractive for photos of the newly married couple.

Here are a few shots at the park:

If you like the feel of this park, but are not keen on the location.  Mellon Park is only a few minutes’ drive away and offers formal gardens and a smaller fountain.  Mellon Park is currently under construction with an art installation in the walled garden which was slated to be complete this fall.  It should be in full splendor in time for the spring and summer of 2010.

If your gown buttons down the back, save your mom or bridesmaids from fumbling with the little buttons and loops by tucking a crochet needle into your accessories bag.  What a great idea!  But I can’t claim it as my own, I just picked it up at a recent wedding.

If your wedding was within the last year, you could share your wedding story for publication in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Celebrations Spotlight. Just click the link below to fill out the online form.

http://biz.post-gazette.com/contact/weddingspotlight.aspx

Cheers!