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<\/a><\/p>\nANTHONY SWIDORSKY AND KATE SHEMAK ON THE DUQUESNE INCLINE | PHOTO BY BRITTANY SMELTZER<\/p>\n
North Versailles couple Kate Shemak and Anthony Swidorsky exchanged vows 400 feet above ground while on the Duquesne Incline<\/a> last January \u2014 but such nuptials are rare.<\/p>\n The couple was told by an incline attendant that their ceremony overlooking the Pittsburgh skyline was the first wedding to take place on the funicular in recent memory.<\/p>\n Because the incline\u2019s cars are first-come, first-served, the couple decided to \u201cwing it\u201d when inviting their 18 guests to meet them at the Duquesne Incline station on Grandview Avenue atop Mount Washington.<\/p>\n Fortunately for them, after a quick wait behind a few dozen patrons already in line, the couple\u2019s plans came to fruition. They were married in a 52-second ceremony officiated by the bride\u2019s brother.<\/p>\n \u201cIf anybody is looking for a short, very quick, intimate gathering that is very price-efficient, I\u2019d absolutely recommend it,\u201d Shemak says.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Owen and Anna Gabbey, who got married September 27 in the vibrant, graffiti-laden alleyway of Bloomfield\u2019s Trace Brewing with close to 130 guests in attendance. As craft beer loyalists, the couple had been fans of Trace for years.<\/p>\n SARA ZATAWESKI PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n A freelance writer and senior account executive with City Cast Pittsburgh, Owen even wrote his first cover story for Pittsburgh City Paper about Aadam Soorma, Trace\u2019s head of marketing and guest experience.<\/p>\n Having instantly been drawn to the community space, Owen and Anna joked that Trace would be their perfect wedding venue one day. After getting engaged, there wasn\u2019t a question between them of where they\u2019d hold their ceremony.<\/p>\n Soorma adds the brewery has hosted at least five weddings per year since 2022, either outside in the beer garden, inside in the taproom or a combination of both. He believes Owen and Anna\u2019s ceremony was only the second to be held on Clement Way.<\/p>\n \u201cPulling a permit to shut down traffic in the graffiti alley adds a whole layer of complexity, but they nailed it,\u201d Soorma says.<\/p>\n SARA ZATAWESKI PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n The vows held in the alleyway preceded a cocktail hour inside the brewery and beer garden. The festivities then moved onto speeches and fare from Blue Sparrow food truck before the dance floor opened up, with Arie Cole spinning the beats.<\/p>\n All drinks came in-house from Trace, and the decor featured a mix of items already at the brewery and Anna\u2019s \u201cincredibly talented DIY brain,\u201d according to her husband. The thoughtful touches included a custom seating chart and crossword about the couple that Anna made.<\/p>\n Local graffiti artist Dejouir Brown also made the day extra special by creating art on the alleyway walls memorializing the couple\u2019s names and wedding date.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were such a unique touch, and I think really made something special that people hadn\u2019t seen before at a wedding,\u201d Owen says.<\/p>\n Today, remnants of Brown\u2019s work remain in the alleyway.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think we made the wedding so distinctly \u2018us,\u2019\u201d Owen adds. \u201cBasically, every vendor or piece of the wedding was someone deeply Pittsburgh, and someone that helped form the fabric of our experience since we both moved to the city.\u201d<\/p>\n Soorma believes couples choose non-traditional venues such as Trace based on their personal experiences or connections. Trace originally was built around 1900 as a brass and bronze manufacturing foundry, and Soorma credits that type of charmingly repurposed architecture as another factor in attracting attention from brides and grooms.<\/p>\n \u201cThe non-traditional venues have their own unique vibe and usually lead to stellar photos, too,\u201d Soorma says. \u201cUltimately, the biggest reward has to be creating an unforgettable memory and an experience that \u2018you just had to be there\u2019 for.\u201d<\/p>\n Behind-the-Scenes Magic Makers<\/p>\n Wedding planner Melissa Crawford, founder of Pittsburgh-based Devoted to You<\/a>, has been helming weddings for 15 years \u2014 and she rarely works with traditional couples or venues.<\/p>\n Her team of 12 has helped couples navigate settings such as a huge warehouse space at Rockwell Park in North Point Breeze to an intimate backyard affair featuring a sage clearing and sound bath.<\/p>\n Devoted to You also was one of the first businesses to organize weddings at the historical Carrie Blast Furnaces at a time when the staff still had to figure out how to bring electricity and bathrooms to the former steel-mill site.<\/p>\n In such spaces, Crawford admits you have to think more about logistics, though she loves the challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say that\u2019s difficult,\u201d she says. \u201cWe all thrive on that; it\u2019s how our brains work.\u201d<\/p>\n Crawford says its very rare for her team to plan a wedding celebration in a hotel or similar venue. She adds folks seem drawn to her company because of their different approach, and the pride the staff takes in being inclusive and diverse.<\/p>\n \u201cWe love non-traditional and eclectic,\u201d Crawford says. \u201cWe love when a couple\u2019s doing something reflective of the two of them versus doing something just because they have to.\u201d<\/p>\n She adds Devoted to You\u2019s team members offer support and encouragement in scenarios where it\u2019s common for parents or other family members to question a couple\u2019s non-traditional dream.<\/p>\n \u201cWe give them permission to say, \u2018That\u2019s not what I want,\u2019\u201d Crawford says.<\/p>\n On June 22, Devoted to You brought to life Alexaundra Baird and Sophie LeGore\u2019s vision at JAVO Studios, a commercial photography space in Lawrenceville. The couple had eloped in 2024, but felt it was time for a celebration in a cozy space where they could dine and dance; affordability also was at the forefront of their minds.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n