Sarah and Brian got engaged in early 2022 and decided that they wanted to plan a big celebratory wedding for their friends and family, but after falling in love with a venue and finding out they didn’t have any openings until 2023, they decided they just wanted to be married already! They headed over to the courthouse on the anniversary of their first date and exchanged rings, then headed out to take some portraits in their favorite nearby park (Hartwood Acres).
How did you meet?
We matched on the dating app Hinge on September 9, 2018 (four years to the day before we got married!). I (Sarah) was still relatively new to Pittsburgh and didn’t really know many people outside of my coworkers. I had gone on a couple of really bad dates with other Hinge matches in the months before Brian and I met, and I actually was about to delete the app, but matched with Brian and we ended up having really great conversation through the app, then over the phone, and finally we met in person a few weeks after matching. Our first date was on September 21, 2018, and we always joke whenever we hear the Earth Wind & Fire song “September” that we will definitely always remember the 21st night of September.
What is your proposal story?
We got engaged in January 2022 at the Grandview Overlook on Mount Washington in Pittsburgh. I had spent the day with Brian’s mom and sister, making some returns at the mall after the holidays, and while we were there, we all decided to get our nails done (I later found out Brian had planned for that). I thought that was a little odd, but I ended up putting it out of mind because I knew our only plans for the evening were going out to dinner with my brother. On our way home from dinner, Brian suggested we drive through Mount Washington. He had actually planned this out as well, to throw me off – he had mentioned several weeks prior that even though he’s lived in Pittsburgh all his life, he had never gone to any of the overlooks that look over downtown on Mount Washington, and I remember suggesting that we go sometime. So again, I didn’t think it was totally out of character to be doing this. We got out and walked to the Grandview Overlook, and I went right up to the railing that overlooks downtown, while Brian hung back (he’s scared of heights, so again, it didn’t seem totally odd that he wasn’t right up next to the railing of the overlook). When I turned around, he was down on one knee, and our friend/photographer Alexa (with Alexa Frankovitch Photography) had popped out of nowhere and captured photos of the entire thing!
Tell us about your attire choices.
Even though we were eloping, I still wanted to be intentional with our attire. I had spent hours on Pinterest and was really drawn to these beautiful boho elopement photos that were taken in Enchanted Rock, TX. They were full of warm colors and golden light and I was so inspired by that. I wore a dress with sleeves, which was inspired by my mom’s wedding dress, and since we weren’t having a big formal wedding, we decided to have Brian skip the jacket – Brian’s outfit combination was inspired by the groom’s attire in the elopement photos I referenced earlier. His suspenders were personalized with our initials and wedding date, and our (faux) florals were from a wonderful Etsy shop called Our Blessed Woods, and I think the florals really completed our looks!
What were your favorite parts of the day?
Our favorite part about our ceremony was how small and intimate it was – the only people there besides the judge were our parents, our siblings, and Alexa. We really wanted the day to be just about the two of us uniting in marriage, on such a special day – the four year anniversary of when we matched on Hinge and came into each others’ lives. But I think both of us would say the best part of the day was going to Hartwood Acres park and taking the most magical photos after the ceremony. It allowed us to really spend time together as a couple and just revel in the fact that we were now married.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
When things start to feel hectic or stressful, take a step back and remember the real meaning of the day – celebrating the love and union between you and your partner. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to please everyone around you, but it’s even more important to stay true to your vision as a couple. And soak in every moment! People aren’t kidding when they say the day goes by quickly, so take a moment to take in all the love around you.