Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall at the Priory Weddings

Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall at the Priory is a fantastic all-in-one venue for the relaxed, but unique bride and groom. The property has a wonderful, quaint hotel where your guests can stay for the weekend. With a location very close to the Mexican War Streets and Downtown Pittsburgh, there is lots of entertainment within walking and quick driving distance.

Getting Ready Space for the Bride and Groom

The Priory owns two town homes on Pressley street, where our couples often stay and get ready for their wedding days. These town homes are great for wedding parties to relax and finish final hair and makeup. I often jump between the two houses for photos, or have a second photographer with the guys across the street. It works to keep all of the wedding-day activities in the same central location, and is also helpful for family members who may have to jump back and forth between the spaces. Lastly, your florist only has to deliver flowers to one street, which is really helpful!

Wedding Ceremony in the Grand Hall

I’ve photographed wedding ceremonies in the Grand Hall, which, once again, helps to keep everything in a single location. Typically, the ceremony is set up at the far end of the Grand Hall, with guest tables pushed to the sides and chairs creating a central aisle space. After the ceremony, the guests get up and head to the entrance area of the hall (where the bar is located) to begin cocktail hour, while the staff ‘flips’ the reception room and moves the tables and chairs into place for dinner. This works well because the space is large, and so guests can move freely while the staff is working.

Cocktail Hours

Cocktail hour takes place in the same room as the reception, and yet we are still often able to photograph all of the wedding day details with out a lot of guests in the images. This setup also allows wedding guests to mix and mingle, but grab a seat if they choose as well. During cocktail hour, I’m usually working with the bridal party and the family at the far end of the Grand Hall for family portraits, and then go outside to the courtyard with the wedding couple for photos as well. The hour of time typically allows us to get all of these photos, and your guests enjoy their time with each other!

Priory Garden for Wedding Photos

There is a locked garden across the street from the Grand Hall that is wonderful for wedding pictures. I work in this space frequently, as it adds some greenery within the city and is literally right across the street. I also enjoy working on the city streets, since the background of the photos is “blurred out” (see example photos), and it adds some information about where the wedding took place. Lastly, if you’d like, we can head up to the balcony where there is a huge organ to get sweeping views of the full Grand Hall – some of my favorite wedding photos from this venue!

The Grand Hall itself is vast, elegant, and sure to “Wow!” your guests as a unique space near to the city of Pittsburgh. Their staff are some of the best in the city, and there is a huge dance floor for your guests to party. We always love the convenience of the balcony in the Grand Hall for group photos and unique angles of the venue.