1. Real Weddings

A Modern Wedding in Pittsburgh, PA

Julia and Michael have known each other since they were kids. (Julia grew up living next door to Michael’s older sister and her four children.) But th

Julia and Michael have known each other since they were kids. (Julia grew up living next door to Michael’s older sister and her four children.) But they didn’t become friends until Julia started college at the University of Pittsburgh; Michael was a junior at Penn State. They went to one of Michael’s nephew’s hockey games together and started dating a few months later. The Bride Julia DiPasquale, 26, an attorney The Groom Michael Krygowski, 29, a senior energy procurement analyst The Date August 29 Six and a half years after that, on a particularly bad day for Julia during her third year of law school, Michael cheered her up -- with a proposal. They waited five months (until after Julia took the bar exam) to start planning the wedding, which they did with much help from Julia’s mom, an artist.

Candelabras holding candles and overflowing with roses, orchids, hydrangea and hanging crystals and amaranthus lined the long dining tables. The result: pure elegance.
Julia’s grandmother’s favorite flower is the gardenia, and Julia’s mother carried stephanotis in her wedding, so she followed suit. To give the bouquet the full, round look Julia wanted, the florist added roses and stephanotis.
Julia’s bridesmaids carried vibrant bouquets red and orange orchids and purple hydrangeas.
Julia and Michael, both born and raised in Pittsburgh, wanted a venue with a story -- and they got one. The Pennsylvanian used to be a train station. It holds a special history for Julia’s family; it’s here where Julia’s grandmother used to meet her husband when he would come home on furlough from the army during WWII.
Bouquets hung from the backs of the seats designated for the bridal party.
Guests found their seats on tented cards. Julia and Michael picked the colors based on the linens: orange cards (the color of the tablecloth’s underside) with raspberry writing (the tablecloth’s top color).
Copper, beaded tassel napkin ring spruced up the magenta lamour napkins with orange cotton backings. Julia and Michael chose clear plates to show get the most out of the linens’ bright color.
Julia and Michael ordered a fairly simple white cake decorated with some scattered purple sugar flowers so that fresh hydrangeas, roses and orchids could take center stage.
During Julia and Michael’s first dance to “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper, their ring bearer’s toy truck (a present for being good at the ceremony) made its way onto the dance floor for a cute memory.