Brides Speak

During a ceremony at Madonna del Castello Church in Swissvale, Pa., Brandi and Patrick were wed in front of 175 beloved guests. The reception was held at the Embassy Suites in Moon, Pa.

            Brandi says the morning of the ceremony was stressful for both of them. The groomsmen were left hungry early in the day because the best man was late getting the pizza. Then he missed the limo and had to drive his own car to the church and leave it parked there overnight.

            Brandi’s nail and make up appointments took longer than she expected which made her whole morning rushed. By the time she got back to the house, the limo was waiting outside to take her to the church. Brandi says she should have scheduled her nail appointment for earlier in the week. Brandi also wishes she would have brought a CD with her on the limo since they spent so much time battling radio commercials and static.

             The ceremony was a full Catholic mass. Brandi’s only complaint is that her escort walked her too fast down the aisle and her husband walked her too fast back. “I really wanted to take more time and really look at our guests,” she says. She also wishes she would have kept her veil on longer after the ceremony, since she loved it so much and will not get a chance to wear it again.

            Group photos were taken before the reception, while guests enjoyed cocktail hour. Brandi is upset that their photographer didn’t stick to their agreed-upon list of photos and remembers being annoyed that she and Patrick had to constantly stop what they were doing to pose for more pictures later. 

            Because both of their fathers have passed away, Brandi and Patrick skipped the mother/son and father/daughter dances. Their first dance was just the two of them to a short song. During dinner their DJ was supposed to play soft rock love songs, but played jazz instead. Fortunately the DJ performed introductions perfectly.

For the best man’s toast, the champagne was already poured with a decorative strawberry on top. Brandi recommends choosing less expensive champagne over a pricey one. They did, and were complimented on how good it was.