GORGEOUS NEW YEAR’S WEDDING – ISIS & CHARLES

We got engaged on NYE the year before so it was only fitting that we get married on what we considered the anniversary of the day that our union began. With the date in mind, and as a planner, I knew there was only one Venue I’d want to get married in, the Hyatt Penn’s Landing, which has a river view room from which you can see the biggest fireworks display in the city. 

For our wedding, we made sure to stay authentic and really give our guests a glimpse into our lives. From the menu, which was an ‘almost midnight brunch’ highlighting our perfect past time-dinner for breakfast, to our personal vows,table names and my husband’s favorite moment his surprise groom’s cake, of his favorite sports team, The Pittsburgh Steelers.

Over the year of our engagement, we experienced alot of hardships in our family with illness, and we really wanted our guests to know that they were loved and appreciated and how much we value our families. We were married in a square formation, so that we could be surrounded by all the people who got us to this milestone. Above our heads were 8 white butterflies representing the loved ones we lost over time, looking ‘down’ over us..  We had all of our large bridal party (there were 9 on each side) seated with our families as well so that they could participate in the ceremony as both an attendant and a guess. After our vows, our guest were invited to a unity candle ceremony, in which each guests was invited to light the candle of the individual next to them, and Charles and I lit a center candle from the light of our parents. It was the most touching moment of the ceremony for me. Looking out and seeing the faces of everyone we cared about, as the room went from dark to all of these flickering lights, it was truly a moving experience.  

I remembered telling the band that we just want to party. We entered the reception to Teddy Pendegrass’ ‘get up, get down, get funky, get loose’ and literally danced until we were exhausted. We moved our ‘first dance’ until after the New Year so that it would be our first dance of the year, and there wouldn’t be any awkward breaks in the dance set. As the clock approached midnight, the lasts of our toasts were wrapping up and we counted down into the new year and at ‘1’ the skies lit up with the most amazing fireworks display ever. 

It was truly a moment I will never forget and I’m so grateful to everyone that played a part.’