Weddings Under Glass: Abby and Andreu

By Heather Poling

Weddings Under Glass is a monthly blog series where we highlight the stories of couples who chose to begin their happily ever after in the lush backdrop of Phipps, named one of the best outdoor garden wedding venues by Elle and Harper’s Bazaar.

Abby and Andreu met at a college house party in 2015 while attending the University of Texas at Austin. Abbys roommate invited her to a costume party on an unseasonably cold weekend. Abby thought about staying home but was lured out by the promise of music and dancing with friends. Andreu arrived at the party, but not realizing it was a costume party he was underdressed; he made up for his lack of festive attire by inviting guests to sign his arm with a sharpie! Abby, thinking Andreu was “pretty cute”, decided to sign her name on his arm with a heart. They ended up talking again at the end of the party and agreed to lunch later in the week. Lunch turned into dinner and hanging out with friends for hours afterward. Since then, they never wanted to leave each other’s side!

While visiting Boone, North Carolina for a friend’s wedding, they planned a romantic hike, but it rained all weekend. When the rain finally stopped the couple was able to hit the trails with their dog, Ziggy, intending to walk to a scenic waterfall with exceptional views. The heavy rain had washed out most of the trails, forcing them to cross through three knee-deep rivers! While Abby suspected that Andreu was planning to purpose, she figured it would certainly not happen now that they were soaking wet and covered in mud. At the second waterfall vista, Andreu surprised her by pulling a beautiful emerald ring out of a box of mints. Abby says, “even with wet socks, it was the perfect proposal for us – being in nature with our favorite person and pup.”  Afterward, the sun finally came out and the couple was able to celebrate their engagement at a local winery.

Phipps was the couple’s dream wedding location for years before their engagement. They shared fond memories of visiting the Conservatory when Andreu first came to Pittsburgh in 2017. With most of their wedding guests coming to the wedding from across the country and the globe, they wanted a place that would showcase Pittsburgh’s history and unique character. Abby says, “Phipps was a no-brainer for us because it blended historic architecture with natural beauty”

Abby and Andreu were married in the Outdoor Garden at the beginning of September. Featuring a palette of sage green, dark mauve, dusty blue and pops of orange and pink, they created a romantic garden party atmosphere with unique boho touches. One of these touches was table settings that featured all locally grown flowers and place markers custom made with each guest’s name, seat and entrée printed on river rocks! They also had centerpieces representing “community flower garden” that the couple built with friends and family along with a custom circle arch fully made of local flowers. They had an intimate ceremony, officiated by Andreu’s father, where they each wrote their own vows.

While the ceremony and setting were breathtaking, their guests couldn’t stop talking about the food! They included a vegetarian entree and were impressed with the attention Phipps catering paid to sustainability and their focus on using local ingredients. Everyone raved about the well-curated and delicious food, and even fought over who would take the leftovers home!  

After the wedding, the happy couple honeymooned on the big island in Hawai‘i where they took full advantage of all the tropical paradise had to offer. Abby recalls, “We had an amazing time snorkeling to see tropical fish, turtles, and manta rays, lounging at the beach, hiking in the waterfalls and volcanoes, and learning more about Hawaiian culture. We spent hours wandering the beach looking for giant sea turtles, which was one of our favorite memories.” Since their honeymoon Abby, Andreu and Ziggy have settled in Washington, D.C. where they are busy planning future adventures to visit friends and family across the country.

 

Photographer: Anne Troxel Photography

Planner: Wildly Loved (Jenna Shucknecht)

Videographer: Cut to Create Films (Sam Markel)

Florist: Bramble and Blossom