Romantic Pittsburgh Garden Wedding at Center for the Arts

When Anna Long (29 and a clinical research project manager) and Tim Sturtevant (28 and a financial analyst) got engaged, the pair lookedno further than Pittsburgh  for wedding inspo. “Though we live in Cleveland, our hearts belong to Pittsburgh,” Anna says. “It’s where Tim grew up and where I went to grad school. We wanted to share the city with our guests—even those from the rival of CLE.” The couple welcomed guests to the wedding weekend with Steel City–themed snacks and led partygoers through the city with map-like signage. To end the night, everyone ate Casbah’s famous Mac and cheese.
Anna and Tim marked their spot at the reception with wicker chairs, a vintage-inspired trellis, brightly colored dahlias and pampas grass. “We wanted a feeling of old-world elegance,” Anna says. The bride got creative when designing the invitations. “I sketched the map myself,” she says. The couple chose the Mellon Walled Garden because it doubled as décor. “The garden speaks for itself,” Anna says.
While Anna drank a pear nectar and thyme mimosa, Tim sipped Jameson and ginger as his drink of choice. At the party, guests also raised Sam Adams Octoberfest beers in honor of the newlyweds’ German honeymoon.  A family friend took on the task of making carrot cake, Tim’s favorite dessert, for the couple to cut into after dinner. Anna and Tim topped their neutral linens and custom crested menus with sugar cookies made to look like their dog, Cooper. “The cookies were my biggest DIY project,” Anna says. “But it was important because those personal touches made our wedding special to me.”