Fall Gateway Clipper Wedding | Kimmy + Charles Pittsburgh, PA

November 30, 2022

Bride and groom in front of Pittsburgh on water for fall Gateway Clipper wedding

It’s not my story to tell, but as I’m sure you’ll figure it out through the pictures, this is the story of two families joining together. It is a beauty out of ashes story. This fall Gateway Clipper wedding was a celebration after many hard years.

Kimmy, the bride, is my second mom. I’ve been best friends with her daughter, Chelsy, since the beginning of middle school. I grew up going to their house. Any opportunity we had Chelsy and I got our moms to drive us to each other (40 minutes away) so we could hang out and ultimately spend weekends together. Once we got our licenses we only saw each other more. After college I got a job with Chelsy’s aunt, while she was in law school. It was also 40 minutes from my house so some nights I would just stay at her parents’ house instead of driving all the way home. I eventually kept toiletries and extra clothes at their house so I could just go to their house after work.

When I got married and moved to New York things changed, but not my friendship with Chelsy and her mom.

Detail image of shoes and wedding dress at fall Gateway Clipper wedding

When Kimmy asked me to photograph her wedding I was beyond thrilled! I was so excited to be able to spend most of her wedding day with her, Chelsy, and Chelsy’s girls. It was also not something I ever thought I’d be doing in 23 years of friendship with Chelsy.

As I photographed some of Kimmy’s details I also hung out in her mom’s room to get some shots of the two of them getting ready. It reminded me of being in middle/high school and getting ready on Sunday mornings to go to church at Chelsy’s. We somehow always ended up in her mom’s bathroom and I would watch as Kimmy put on her makeup and do her hair. She always seemed to have everything you could ever need, especially when you’re a teenager who decided to spend the night last minute and didn’t have any toiletries.

Bride putting makeup on before fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Kimmy always has the best jewelry. 🙂 She wore her mother’s ring, her engagement ring from Charles, and the ring she wore on her wedding finger when she wasn’t married any longer.

Detail image of wedding rings for a fall Gateway Clipper wedding

I love this picture of Chelsy helping her mom into her wedding dress. Especially because I was also there when Kimmy helped Chelsy into her wedding dress.

Daughter helping mother get wedding dress on for fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Kimmy always finds the best, unique pieces; like her Tadashi Shoji wedding dress and her J. Reneé shoes.

Image of wedding dress and shoes hanging before fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Bride putting earrings in and close up of shoes before fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Oh Kimmy you’re so beautiful on the inside and out!

After we got Kimmy dressed it was a mad dash to get Chelsy’s 4 girls dressed and ready to be flower girls!

Bride with granddaughters before Pittsburgh fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Kimmy and her girls had one last dance party in Kimmy’s place before they left!

Kimmy taught the girls how to pick up their dresses and walk.

Wedding invitation suite from Shutterfly Invitation for fall Gateway Clipper wedding

I finally got to see Charles on the Gateway Clipper Princess boat.

Groom standing on Gateway Clipper boat for fall wedding in Pittsburgh
Groom fixing suit at fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Ben second shot for me and I love this picture he got of the girls coming outside to get on the boat.

Flower girls coming down stairs before fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Gateway clipper boat in Pittsburgh, PA

Gateway Clipper has it down to pretty much the minute of when the boat leaves and when it will be on the Ohio River facing the fountain at Point State Park for the ceremony to start.

The girls did a great job at throwing flowers and handing out Hershey Kisses. Kimmy’s mom always had Hersey Kisses in her purse that she’d share.

Flower girls walking down aisle for fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Groom standing and bride walking down aisle at fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Chelsy’s brother Zak walked Kimmy down the aisle, but I loved this last moment between Kimmy and Chelsy.

Bride walking down the aisle with son at fall Gateway Clipper wedding

The older girls were so excited for their “special jobs”. CeCe got to take Kimmy’s bouquet.

Flower girl handing flowers to bride at fall Gateway Clipper wedding in Pittsburgh

There was a worship song, “Goodness of God” by Bethel Music, that has been especially important to Kimmy and Charles in last couple of years. They took the time to sing the song and worship during their ceremony. It was so special to see them worshiping together with Pittsburgh in the background, the city where they have a new house and life together.

Bride and groom standing on boat in fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Elle’s special job was to carry the ring box in her basket and she took it very seriously. Especially because the real rings were in the box. Kimmy used her mother’s wedding ring as her new wedding ring.

Bride and groom getting married for fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Kimmy and Charles also had time to have their kids come up with them and pray during the ceremony. It felt like not only were they getting married, but their families were coming together.

Married!!

Bride and groom first kiss on the water for fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Bride and groom first kiss in City of Bridges for fall Gateway Clipper wedding

This is one of my favorite portraits from the day.

Bride and groom smiling after fall Gateway Clipper wedding

I love these girls so much and they look so cute! Chelsy’s daughters are my adopted nieces and I know I’m partial, but they make perfect flower girls. (Also I put Elle and CeCe, the two on the right, in the wrong dresses. I couldn’t find any tags with sizes! Whoops!)

Flower girls standing at edge of boat looking over water

Every time I talked to Kimmy about the wedding and pictures she always said that she really just wanted a big family picture. I felt the pressure when it was time for that picture, but I love how it came out! (With a little help from Photoshop.)

Family photography at fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Bride and groom looking at each other on the water in fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Bride and groom kissing with Pittsburgh Pennsylvania in the background during fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Close up of wedding rings
Bride and groom posing in front of bridge during fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Pittsburgh ended up becoming the theme of their fall Gateway Clipper wedding for a couple of reasons: Their new house is in Pittsburgh, they said their vows while overlooking the Pittsburgh skyline, and the had their wedding on the Gateway Clipper – Princess Boat, a Pittsburgh landmark, that literally goes up and down the three rivers that join together at the Point.

Pittsburgh, PA during fall Gateway Clipper wedding

They included their Pittsburgh theme into the wedding by having black and gold colors, the Pittsburgh skyline on their wedding cake, and of course having the Pittsburgh Cookie Table.

Black and gold details and wedding cake for fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Wedding cake for fall Gateway Clipper wedding

This is a Pittsburgh Cookie Table and I think it should be at every wedding, not just Pittsburgh weddings. Family and friends make cookies leading up to the wedding day and then they’re all plated and put out at the reception. You can eat cookies at the wedding, but there’s usually a bag so you can take some home. (If a bag is not provided then a cocktail napkin will also work. 😉 ) When I got married we made roughly 8 to 10 cookies for each guest so it’s a lot of cookies.

Pittsburgh cookie table at fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Kimmy even found two bridges to put on the table that held cookies! They represented the Smithfield Street Bridge and the Roberto Clemente Bridge, the two bridges the couple travels the most.

I was so disappointed because I put together a really good bag of my favorite cookies and then I left it on the boat at the end of the night.

Pittsburgh cookie table and close up at cookies at fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Welcome to officially being a grandfather, Charles! Kimmy and Charles were announced into the reception with Charles holding Leonie, Kimmy’s youngest granddaughter.

Bride and groom cutting cake at fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Close up of bride and groom cutting cake at fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Bride and groom eating cake at fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Best man speech at fall Gateway Clipper wedding

While we were taking pictures I had Kimmy and Charles dance a little and they can really dance! They said they learned it all from YouTube!

First dance between bride and groom at fall Gateway Clipper wedding
Little girl dancing at fall Gateway Clipper wedding

My parents were the 2nd to last to be on the dance floor for the longest to be married dance.

When they said to get low, Elle got low!

Chelsy and me with our mommas! We’d actually all been on a Gateway Clipper boat once before. We had our middle school youth group Christmas party on the boat and our moms were chaperones.

Elle is quite the artist and she drew the whole wedding day in her coloring book.

Kimmy is originally from West Virginia and went to WVU so Take me Home, Country Roads had to be the last song.

Once we got off the boats there were sparklers to end the night!

Sparkler exit after fall Gateway Clipper wedding

Congratulations Kimmy and Charles!! Kimmy, I am so glad that I got to spend the whole day with you and Chelsy. Charles, I’m looking forward to getting to know you even more. I am so happy for the two of you and your beautiful future ahead of you. Love you!

Westchester, New York, Wedding, Photographer, NYC, New York City, Cassady K Photography

FALL GATEWAY CLIPPER WEDDING VENDORS:

BRIDAL DRESS | Tadashi Shoji

BRIDAL SHOES | J. Reneé

GROOM ATTIRE | Macy’s

VENUE | Gateway Clipper – Princess Boat

INVITATION | Shutterfly

FLORIST | Botanical Emporium

DJ | First Class Entertainment

CAKE | Signature Desserts

PHOTOGRAPHER | Cassady K Photography

  1. Donna Lytoe says:

    My husband
    And I moved to Weirton in 1992 and Kimmy invited us to her house the first Sunday we were introduced to our new church. She is such a sweet lady and I am so happy for her and Charles. Her wedding was beautiful and you captured it so well. Thanks for telling the story so wonderfully!

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