Pittsburgh, PA - Energy Innovation Center | Merchant Oyster Company Elopement Photo Story Award

Guests sit spaced six feet apart at Kristen and Ryan's wedding ceremony. The full guest count was under twenty people.

Kristen and Ryan met in Pittsburgh and later established themselves in the city's lively Strip District neighborhood. Their initial plan for their wedding was to have a big gathering at the nearby Energy Innovation Center, a certified LEED building that is also a historic landmark. When the pandemic disrupted their plans and caused all events to be put on hold for the next six months, Kristen and Ryan thought they were going to have to completely cancel their wedding. Luckily, the timing worked out so they were able to keep their original date and revise their plans to involve a much smaller group of guests, less than twenty people in all (and their dog.) This revision allowed them to have their reception at one of their favorite restaurants, The Merchant Oyster Company, which was able to accommodate the group in their space on a bustling main thoroughfare with lots of foot traffic. Throughout the reception, passersby peeped into the big front windows, curious about the fun indoor event taking place inside. 

The bridal party waits for the officiant's signal to begin Kristen and Ryan's wedding ceremony at the Energy Innovation Center, a repurposed high school building in Pittsburgh's Hill District.

The bride and groom walk down the aisle together after exchanging vows. Their initial plans to hold a much larger wedding at the Energy Innovation Center were delayed and then revised with a smaller guest list.

Guests chat at a table as passersby sneak peek at the wedding party inside. This wedding took place in August of 2020 at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Kristen, Ryan, and guests raise their glasses in a toast following a speech by Ryan's best man.