If you’ve followed my work in the past, you likely know that I have great respect and admiration for couples that ignore trends and traditions that don’t fit their personalities. So when Missy and Tim explained their wedding plans to me, I was thrilled.

Missy and Tim decided on a two-part celebration. On September 7 – a Thursday – they were joined by their immediate families for a small, intimate courthouse ceremony. (Fitting especially for Missy, because she’s an attorney, and spends a lot of time at the courthouse!) And on October 7, Missy and Tim threw a fabulous celebration party at the PPG Winter Garden – photos to follow in a separate post. After the ceremony, we spent a little bit of time outside the Courthouse, until rain drove us indoors. Good thing, because my head nearly exploded when I saw the amazing interior of the Union Trust Building… see below.

If you’ve never been inside the Allegheny County Courthouse, you’re missing a truly stunning piece of architecture. (On the other hand, that means you haven’t had to go to court, so, there’s that.) Missy and Tim’s quick ceremony took place on the landing of the staircase in the main foyer area of the courthouse. So pretty with the grand stone archway and the big arched windows behind them. Florals provided by Allison McGeary.

Allegheny County Courthouse Wedding

With a short ceremony, you have to move quickly! There were so many intriguing angles to work with in this space.

I absolutely love this architecture. The leading lines of the staircases, the grandeur of the stone, everything about it is so classic and elegant and perfect for these timeless wedding photos.

So many staircases! Love the intrigue and depth in this photo.

The courthouse also has a ton of murals, so we stopped in front of one of these before we went outside.

Lucky for us, our plans went off track at this point. Our next stop was supposed to be the inside of this courtyard. However, as it was reaching the end of the work day, the gate was locked. And then it started to rain. As we started to walk toward Hotel Monaco, our last planned stop, we passed the Union Trust Building. Tim said he’d heard that the building had recently been renovated, and that supposedly it’s really nice inside. I’d never been in there, and am always open to something new, so in we went.

My jaw dropped.

And then I looked UP, and my jaw dropped more. This is what you see when you look straight up:

Dumbfounded, I stared incredulously at this completely amazing and stunning lobby. I have lived in Pittsburgh for more than 20 years, basically, my entire adult life. HOW HAVE I NEVER BEEN IN HERE BEFORE? What other secrets are lurking in Pittsburgh that I don’t know about?

After a pause while I collected myself, we made use of this incredible space. How lucky was I to find this space and have two happy newlyweds to photograph here? So glad to have shared this discovery with Missy and Tim.

Pittsburgh Union Trust Building Wedding Photos

Our last stop: the rooftop at Hotel Monaco. How great are the people of Pittsburgh? Some patrons of the Biergarten saw us out on the roof and sent the newlyweds over some champagne. Love it. Congratulations, Missy and Tim!

Stay tuned for Part 2: Missy and Tim’s Big Party, coming soon.