Cait & Eric | Sacred Heart Parish | Omni William Penn Weddings | Pittsburgh

Sacred Heart Parish Omni William Penn Weddings Pittsburgh-0001 Well, I know you've met Cait & Eric before but I'm going to reintroduce you to them because not only was their wedding one of the most spectacular affairs we have had the pleasure of photographing, but they are also one of the most charming, devoted, faith-filled, kind, funny and beautiful couples (both inside and out) we have met. Let me tell you their story and you will agree! We got to spend some time with and really get to know Cait & Eric when we photographed their engagement session at Cait's family's home about a year and a half ago. The session went magnificently and we couldn't have been happier to hang out with not only Cait & Eric, but Cait's mom and dad as well. We were treated like family instantly!

Then, about 7 months later I got a phone call from Cait's mom. It turned out Cait had been diagnosed with stage 4 Lyme's Disease and was very very sick. It was a very difficult time for both families, but Cait & Eric had made up their minds; they were going on with their wedding. To watch Cait muster up all her strength and courage and to persevere through all of it was truly amazing. Even on her wedding day Cait was very ill, but only those closest to her knew. Take a look at those photos below and I bet you never would've known if I didn't tell you!

And as you look through the photos below, take special note of some of the more emotional moments. Like, when you see Eric tear up after opening one of Cait's gifts to him. Eric is a pro hockey player and as such, he and Cait spent a lot of time apart. Of course this was particularly hard as Cait was going through a lot with her illness. So during their time apart, Cait had kept a journal all through their engagement, and while being hospitalized, and they were all love notes to Eric. As soon as he realized what the gift was, he instantly melted.

And you'll see Eric melt again when he sees his bride for the first time walking down that aisle. They had waited so long, had been through so much and even I teared up as Cait walked down the aisle to her soon-to-be-husband. It was a very very emotional moment. And you will rarely find a couple more devoted to their faith, and to their faith together. You can tell that their faith is what kept them warm when they were apart and when Cait was going through difficult moments while being sick. There was a glow that surrounded them. It truly was beautiful to witness.

Some awesome things about this wedding I want to point out to you. First, if you forgot, this incredible wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty, so make sure to check that out! As such, I'm honestly just going to copy and paste my write-up in that feature because, I'm not kidding, there is so much to say.

A gorgeous over-the-top ballroom wedding held in Pittsburgh, PA. The bride’s inspiration for decor was “the inside of a champagne bottle” . The bride, Cait, prepared for her wedding at her parent’s home with her bridesmaids while the groom, Eric, prepared at their home close by. Eric is a professional hockey player for the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL and as such spends a lot of time in Philadelphia, keeping the couple apart at times, so they were very excited for this day to finally get here. They had a traditional Catholic ceremony in one of Pittsburgh’s grand historical churches and their reception at one of Pittsburgh's most premier hotels in the city. The cocktail hour was held in the “Urban Room” at the hotel while the reception was held in the Grand Ballroom. Caitlyn and her wedding planner decided the color scheme would be white, blushes and pinks with pink uplighting and strands of lights spanning the entire upper balcony, creating a faux lit ceiling (a first for this hotel!) The 7 tiered cake was beautiful with florals incorporated throughout as well as a rhinestone wrapping. Tables were set with beautiful gold-rimmed dinnerware, including gold-rimmed glasses with decor including large upright floral arrangements and rhinestone wrapped candles. The band played all night long until the start of the after-party back in the “Urban Room”, which had been totally flipped into a nightclub for guests to enjoy. Guests were able to enjoy late night food stations including a pretzel bar with toppings, a made-to-order milkshake bar, and a made-to-order sandwich bar catered by one of Pittsburgh’s oldest and historical restaurants, Primantis (home of the famous Primanti sandwich: stacked to the max with ingredients and topped with homemade french fries and coleslaw). An incredible and delectable dessert table was available (with treats that were too pretty to eat…almost). Sofas, chairs and lit ottomans were brought in to create a club atmosphere as well as lit coffeetables, bars (with a custom-designed logo just for the bride and groom). Guests were invited to enjoy the DJ stylings of a popular club DJ while enjoying a photobooth with friends. The decor for the after party also included huge photographs of the couple’s engagement session, taken by us.

Cait wore 2 gowns for her wedding day: a beautiful Monique Lhuillier wedding gown, which was sleeveless but Cait added gorgeous chantilly lace with crystal beading sleeves for her own touch, and a lovely club gown for the after party. Caitlyn is a philanthropic shoe designer and as such designed her own shoes (http://www.whoisschee.com/). Caitlyn’s mother wore a custom-designed Steven Yearick gown http://www.stephenyearick.com/ and Eric’s tuxedos were Vera Wang. The bridesmaids gowns were from various designers from the Dessy Group. http://www.dessy.com/ Cait had her bridesmaids wear ivory gowns, which really brought together the whole group for a classic look.

So grab your coffee, kick your feet up, turn the phone off and enjoy the show! You won't regret it!!!!!

Sacred Heart Parish Omni William Penn Weddings Pittsburgh-0002