Schenley Park Visitor Center, The prettiest reception venue in Pittsburgh

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Those of you who read my engagement story will know that a lot of important moments in Stacy and I’s relationship have occurred in Pittsburgh’s public parks, so it made sense to hold our wedding in one of them.  We originally wanted to have it in Frick Park, but logistical issues ruled that out, so we decided to hold it in Schenley Park, another huge, beautiful, and beloved piece of public land.  The reception venue was an easy choice: the beautifully restored Schenley Park Visitor Center.

Image via Flickr.

The first thing that made the Visitor Center a no-brainer is that it’s only a couple minutes’ walk away from our ceremony site (more details on that soon!).  It’s the perfect size for an intimate 60-person wedding like ours, and I love the turn-of-the-century feeling of the building.  We were thrilled to discover that because it’s small, it fits perfectly into our budget! I’ll take some pictures of the interior to share the next time we’re there, but for now you can imagine wood and stone and lots of windows.

There’s a patio to the side of the building which will be tented, like so:

I still haven’t completely decided what will happen inside the building vs. on the patio as far as seating, dancing, etc. go, but I’m sure I’ll find something that works.

One of my favorite things about the Visitor Center is that the back balcony overlooks the park, which at the time of the wedding will be a hill ablaze with autumn color.  There’s even a sweet cobblestone path running below the balcony that leads off to the stone and steel of the Panther Hollow bridge.  The photos are sure to be incredible.  Just look at this place!

Image via Flickr. Used with permission.

And here’s where the path leads:

Image via Flickr. Used with permission.

A closer look at the archway:

Image via Flickr.  Used with permission.

As if that wasn’t enough,  the Visitor Center is across the street from the stunning Phipps Conservatory:

Image via Flickr.  Used with permission.

If you’re not from Pittsburgh, it would be hard to imagine that such a gorgeous place is near the heart of Oakland, one of our busiest neighborhoods, but sure enough, within about a one-mile radius there are three major universities, two major hospitals, the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, the massive Carnegie Library, and the tallest educational building in the Western Hemisphere, the Cathedral of Learning:

Image via Flickr.  Used with permission.

Have I mentioned how much we love our incredible, beautiful hometown?  Destination weddings have got nothing on us.